When students in the top-ranked health administration program in the United States look to apply their training in the real world, they don’t have to go far. One of the nation’s top academic medical centers is just across the street.

The Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) approved certification of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Graduate Program in Healthcare Quality & Safety. The UAB HQS program, housed in the School of Health Professions, is one of only four programs nationally to earn the initial certification.

“CAHME certification demonstrates our program’s commitment to excellence in educating healthcare quality and safety professionals,” said Allyson Hall, Ph.D., director of UAB’s HQS program and professor in Health Services Administration.

The certification of UAB HQS and the other three programs, represents an important milestone in an almost three-year process. In 2016, David Nash, MD, MBA, founding dean of the Jefferson College of Population Health approached CAHME about the idea of offering certification—and ultimately accreditation—for healthcare quality and safety education. Nash then joined with Christy Harris Lemak, Ph.D., chair of the UAB Department of Health Services Administration to accelerate the process.

A 2017 summit with 20 attendees, plus a survey of programs, demonstrated strong interest that led to a task force of academics from Healthcare Quality & Safety programs across North America designated as Founding Members. Of those 10 programs, only four applied for and passed the initial certification vote.

“We recognized the need for national standards, a defined set of competencies, and a collaborative effort to lead this emerging and important new part of the health care field,” said Lemak who also teaches and conducts research in the areas of health care management and leadership development. “Being a part of this initial group of programs is what UAB is all about – leading for better care for patients and communities around the world.”

For programs to earn certification, they must follow the Board approved standards and pass an independent application review by leading academics, practitioners in quality and safety, CAHME Board members, and staff from the National Association for Healthcare Quality.

CAHME is the only organization recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation to grant accreditation to individual academic programs offering a professional master’s degree in healthcare management education.

“CAHME certification and (eventual) accreditation of HQS instruction broadens our ability to fulfill our mission of improving the quality of healthcare management education, both in North America and globally,” said Anthony Stanowski, DHA, FACHE, president and CEO of CAHME. “We are grateful to the many academic and industry leaders who have worked so hard to achieve this important milestone.”

The UAB Master of Science in Health Administration program is now the highest-ranked program in the nation according to the latest  U.S. News & World Report rankings. Housed in the School of Health Professions’ Department of Health Services Administration, the MSHA program achieved an overall score of 4.5, two-tenths of a point ahead of the second ranked program in the category of Best Grad Schools in Health Care Management.

Researchers from the UAB Department of Occupational Therapy have published new findings that suggest spending 20 minutes in an urban park will make someone happier regardless of whether they are engaging in exercise or not during the visit.

The Master of Science in Health Administration program at the UAB School of Health Professions has been acknowledged for excellence by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education as the winner of the 2019 CAHME/Baylor Scott and White Health Award for Excellence in Quality Improvement Education.

Hospital leaders from Las Vegas, Houston, and Chattanooga highlighted the UAB School of Health Professions’ Master of Science in Health Administration’s (MSHA) inaugural Disaster Preparedness Week delivering first-hand crisis lessons.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s only Doctor of Science (DSc) program has changed its name to the Doctor of Science in Healthcare Leadership to reflect a focus on leadership education for C-Suite and executive-level members of the healthcare field.

Jennifer Christy, Ph.D. is the new program director of the UAB Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program. She says, “The UAB DPT program has a rich history of excellence and has great potential to become the top PT program in the nation.”

Beth Barstow, Ph.D., is the new director of the Graduate Certificate in Low Vision Rehabilitation program. She replaces the founder of the program, Mary Warren, Ph.D.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Health Professions’ Department of Health Services Administration is the first winner of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration established program of the year honor.

The UAB School of Health Professions recently gained approval by the University of Alabama Board of Trustees to launch a new Master of Science in Healthcare Simulation program.

The degree program is designed to prepare students to lead within organizations using simulation to improve quality of care and impact patient outcomes. An entirely online program, students will have the flexibility to complete their degrees while working full time.

“My vision for this program is to develop leaders in the use of simulation to improve the care we provide to our patients,” said Michelle Brown, program director. “There is a growing number of simulation centers throughout the country and we want to help ensure leaders in those centers are prepared to serve a diverse group of students and healthcare professionals.”

Students will receive a strong foundation in simulation as an educational methodology as well as evidence-based quality and patient safety strategies.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) program is one of only 11 Health Informatics (HI) programs in the U.S. accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). Accreditation through CAHIIM is the highest achievable education and curriculum standard available for MSHI programs.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Master of Science in Health Administration (MSHA) program has been chosen as 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 accreditator  in their field, in partnership with Cerner, one of the nation’s leaders in health care technology, recognizes outstanding education in the use of information technology and management systems in healthcare.