University Students Explore Careers in Healthcare Administration

ADVENTIST HEALTH IS PROVIDING A VARIETY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP PREPARE THE NEXT GENERATION OF HEALTHCARE BUSINESS LEADERS. EXPERIENCES INCLUDE STUDENT INTERNSHIPS, A LEADERSHIP RESIDENCY PROGRAM AND A UNIVERSITY CLASS IN HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION.

The new class, Introduction to Healthcare Administration, is offered at La Sierra University, Pacific Union College and Walla Walla University. The class provides opportunities for students to obtain personal career insights from Adventist Health leaders and engage in conversation on a variety of subjects related to healthcare administration. Each class features a presentation by a different Adventist Health executive (see sidebar on page 47) and time for students to ask questions.

“Adventist Health is looking for bright, young, mission-driven students to come work for us,” said Alex Bryan, Adventist Health chief mission officer and co-instructor for the class. “The Introduction to Healthcare Administration class is an opportunity for students to put their name forward and to step up and say, ‘I want to use my particular skills to love people who are hurting, to heal people who are sick and to bring hope to people who find they have no hope.’”

Building a pipeline of future healthcare leaders aligned with Adventist values is an important strategy for Adventist Health. This class provides students with the opportunity to learn about the business side of healthcare and the significance of being a leader for a faith-based healthcare organization.

Topics covered in the class include finance, operations, human resources, marketing, communication, Adventist Health mission, spiritual care in a healthcare setting and more. Twenty-five Adventist Health executives and leaders have presented for the class during the last two years.

The interactive class format is supplemented with readings from books and current news articles about healthcare finance, public health policy, issues in human resources and more. The class also explores the history of Adventist Health, its roots in the Adventist Church and the unique mission of the company. The course model allows students to gain a better understanding of healthcare administration straight from executive presenters who provide real-world examples.

Bryan and Brendan Collins, co-designer and co-instructor for the class, have planned content to provide insight, inspiration and opportunity for students wanting to work in healthcare administration and students pursuing the clinical side of healthcare but who want to learn about the business of healthcare.

“The class gives students an inside look into Adventist Health and the American healthcare system as a whole. Students have opportunities to receive career and leadership advice that will last a lifetime,” said Collins.

More than 100 students have taken the course during the past two years with multiple students receiving internships and residencies at Adventist Health after taking the class.

One student said, “This class has given me the opportunity to look into the healthcare administration career field and taught me so much about the structure, variety of jobs available, culture and ministry of Adventist Health.”

“I especially found interest in the Adventist Health executive officers with a legal background. It helped me to realize there is no singular path and the future doesn’t necessarily hinge entirely on what a diploma says,” said another student.

TO LEARN MORE about Introduction to Healthcare

Administration classes offered at La Sierra University, Pacific Union College and Walla Walla University, visit the websites for each college or university’s school of business or email Brendan Collins at collinbm@ah.org.

Bruce Toews, WWU School of Business dean, said, “In this popular class, students are not only exposed to a wide variety of career options in healthcare administration, but they have the unique opportunity to interact directly with key executives to learn firsthand about the joys and challenges of managing healthcare institutions. Few other classes exist in U.S. higher education that provide this level of direct access to top managers and leaders.”

“With healthcare comprising almost 20% of the American economy, there is no shortage of roles and career opportunities within the industry,” said Collins. “Our goal is to give every student who takes the course an inside look into our organization and to help them realize there are endless opportunities for careers, not just in the clinical space but in healthcare administration as well. More importantly, we want students to recognize that working at Adventist Health is an opportunity to be part of something more than just a day job. It is a calling to the transformational, healing ministry Jesus brought to this Earth 2,000 years ago by inspiring health, wholeness and hope for those in need.”

KIM