University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery Professor Mark Harrigan, M.D., and Communications and Administrative Director Marissa Keppley, MBA, recently graduated from the UAB Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA).

The HLA provides a cohesive and comprehensive program that offers training opportunities that help participants develop essential leadership skills.

As members of the 2024 cohort, Harrigan and Keppley were able to gain a new perspective on critical leadership and managerial issues and a deeper understanding and awareness of concepts and techniques relevant to management.

According to UAB, “The HLA was founded on the premise that the future of academic health systems will be led and managed by clinicians and executives who operate at the frontiers of medicine and possess the leadership skills required to guide their organization into an increasingly complex future.”

Throughout the program’s duration, Harrigan and Keppley completed an opening session, attended monthly classroom sessions and participated in approximately 80 coursework hours.