MSHA program awarded national prize

The award includes scholarship funding to the program to further Master of Science Health Administration students' firsthand experiences and education in health care.

best grad school webThe University of Alabama at Birmingham Master of Science in Health Administration program is a recipient of the 2018 CAHME/Cerner Award for Excellence in Healthcare Management Systems Education. The annual award delivered by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education — the premier accreditor in their field, in partnership with Cerner and one of the nation’s leaders in health care technology — recognizes outstanding education in the use of information technology and management systems in health care.

“We are honored by this award, especially because it recognizes how we integrate the important areas of leadership and health informatics in our graduate programs at UAB,” said Christy Harris Lemak, Ph.D., chair, Department of Health Services Administration. “It also highlights the ways we work closely with the UAB Health System and our many alumni partners in the field to develop future leaders.”

The MSHA program — ranked second in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report — is the highest-ranked program at UAB and is located in the School of Health Professions’ Department of Health Services Administration.

“We are pleased that CAHME and Cerner have selected our program for this honor,” said Amy Y. Landry, Ph.D., Howard W. Houser Endowed Professor in Health Administration and program director, MSHA program. “It is truly a reflection of the hard work of our faculty, the excellence of our students and the accomplishments of our alumni.”

The UAB MSHA program is only the third program to win the prestigious national award. It was chosen as the CAHME/Cerner Award winner because of the unique learning opportunities students are afforded. Students learn outside the classroom in their part-time jobs with UAB Medicine, in simulation experiences, case studies, administrative internships and administrative residency experiences. Students also have the chance to earn a dual MSHA/Master of Science in Health Informatics. This combination allows students to integrate learning about health administration with curriculum focused on either data analytics or the user experience.

The award will be presented at the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Congress on Healthcare Leadership in Chicago on Sunday, March 25. On hand to accept the honor will be faculty, students and alumni of the UAB MSHA program.