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HSRMP Alumni Newsletter
Letter From The Chair
Greetings from Gainesville!
Despite the well-known trials and tribulations of the State budget, our Department and its programs remain strong and vibrant. There is much news to report as we look forward to another year.
Over the past year several faculty members have moved on to new positions that gave promise of career advancement. We will miss them, and of course regret their departures. But one of the prices to be paid for success in recruiting excellent people is that others will recognize the same strengths. Best wishes to Amy Yarbrough, Rob Weech-Maldonado and Zhou Yang.
I would be remiss not to note in particular Christy Lemak's decision to become a faculty member at her Alma Mater program at the University of Michigan. Dr. Lemak was with us for nearly a decade. She served as the MHA Program Director, and as Associate Chair. In many ways her departure seemed like losing a family member as well as a colleague. We wish her well.
At the end of the fall semester Mrs. Juanita Cooper, Department Secretary for nearly a decade retired. She was a valuable asset to the faculty and students. We wish her many relaxing sun-filled days.
We will welcome at least two new faculty members to our Department during the summer of 2009.
I am pleased to announce that Dr. Niccie McKay has agreed to direct the MHA program. Dr. McKay previously led our MHA, as well as the same program at Trinity University. She took both of those programs successfully through CAHME-equivalent accreditation processes. Her experience will be invaluable over the near term future in our Department as we prepare for re-accreditation of the MHA program. Dr. McKay's willingness to accept this assignment is a true testament to her generosity of spirit and unfailing loyalty to HSRMP. I hope everyone will join me in thanking her.
And lastly, the year 2008 marked the 50th anniversary of the College of Public Health and Health Professions. The Department of Health Services Research, Management and Policy took the leadership role in sponsoring a lecture series to celebrate the achievements of a half century in teaching, research and service. Some of the nation's most prominent health services/health policy experts, including such luminaries as Karen Davis, Gail Wilensky, Don Steinwachs, and Michael Morrisey join us for lectures.
My very best wishes to all of you, your families, and your communities, and Go Gators!
Paul Duncan
Letter From The Alumni President
To My Fellow UF Health Administration Alumni,
I hope that everyone had a safe and happy holiday season and is prepared for what I expect will be a very challenging year in health care. At least we will all be able to bask in the glow of another Gator football national championship.
This fall the College of Public Health and Health Professions celebrated its 50th anniversary. In conjunction with the College's celebration, the Health Administration program and Alumni board held the 2008 Gator Healthcare Forum. The forum, with its outstanding panel of speakers, was a great success.
As I mentioned in my last letter, under the new organizational structure through the UF Alumni Association, we no longer require an annual dues payment. Instead, we will continue to ask for donations every year to help support your Health Administration Alumni Organization. The monies raised are used for funding student scholarships, our newsletter, and events like the Gator Healthcare Forum. Please consider at least a $25.00 donation in order for the Alumni Organization to continue to provide support to our Program. To donate, please make checks payable to UF HAAO, P.O. Box 100195, Gainesville FL 32610 or Donate Now Online.
If you are planning to attend ACHE 2009 Congress in Chicago (March 23 - 26) and want an opportunity to meet fellow alumni, join us at the UF Alumni Organization's Gator Gathering at the Hilton Chicago, Tuesday evening, March 24 from 6 to 8 PM. Additional details will be in your final Congress program and are also found at the end of this newsletter.
Finally, I would like to thank Christy Lemak, Ph.D., for her outstanding service as a member of our Board and the Health Administration Program Director. Christy has taken a position with the University of Michigan and we will certainly miss her guidance and support. It was my honor to recognize her at the Gator Healthcare Forum and present her with a token of our appreciation. Going forward, we are excited to be working with Niccie McKay Ph.D., in her new role as a member of the Board and the Program Director.
I look forward to serving as your President over the next half year. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me or any of the board members by clicking here. You can also find additional information about the program at our website: http://hsrmp.phhp.ufl.edu/alumni/.
Sincerely,
Roy Wright
Class of 1983
President, UF Health Administration Alumni Organization
50th Anniversary, Alumni Reunion, and 3rd Gator Healthcare Forum
This year the College of Public Health and Health Profession commemorated its 50th Anniversary. The weekend included a lecture from Dr. Alan Jette, a celebration dinner and alumni reunion. The Department of Health Services Research, Management and Policy also hosted the 2008 Gator Healthcare Forum as part of the weekend's festivities. Thank you to all of the alumni who participated in the activities and to everyone who contributed their time, effort, and donations to make the anniversary celebration and Gator Healthcare Forum outstanding events.
Congratulations to Robert C. (Hap) Davidge, Class of 1967 HSRMP Outstanding Alumnus of the Year!
3rd Gator Healthcare Forum
On November 21, 2008, the Department hosted the 3rd Gator Healthcare Forum. This year's forum was titled "Aligning Incentives: The New Era of Pay for Performance". Bruce Rueben, President of the Florida Hospital Association, presented on the topic followed by a panel discussion moderated by Roy Wright, FACHE, Cape Canaveral Hospital-Class of 1983. The panel consisted of representatives from each sector of the industry. Brady A. Augustine, Former Senior Advisor, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Thomas R. Beers, MD, Physician, Digestive Disease Associates, Randy M. Kammer, Vice President Regulatory Affairs & Public Policy, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, and Michael D. Means FACHE, President/CEO, Health First, Inc. - Class of 1974. Participants shared valuable insights on how their respective sectors have been or will be affected by the push to pay for performance. A reception, hosted by the Graduate Program in Health Administration Alumni Organization followed the event.
Thank You Friday Seminar Speakers!
Michael Morrisey, Ph.D.-Department of Health Care Organization and Policy, UAB
Thomas Rice, Ph.D.- Vice Chancellor for Academic Personnel, UCLA
Karen Davis, Ph.D.-President of the Commonwealth Fund
Donald M. Steinwachs, Ph.D.- Director of the Health Services Research and Development Center at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
Kenneth J. Ottenbacher, Ph.D.-Russell Stern Moody Distinguished Chair; Director, Division of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch
Lisa A. Cooper, M.D., M.P.H., Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology, and Health Policy and Management at Johns Hopkins University
Deborah A. Freund, Ph.D.- Distinguished Professor of Public Administration in the Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs, Syracuse University
Alan M. Jette, Ph.D.- Boston University School of Public Health; Director, Boston University Health and Disability Research Institute
John Self- Chairman & Cofounder, JohnMarch Partners, Inc.
Major General David A. Rubenstein- Chairman, ACHE
Dale Block, M.D.-Chief Medical Officer, Nature Coast Regional Hospital
Ed Peddie-President Emeritus, Santa Fe Healthcare System/AvMed Health Plan
If you or your employer are interested in participating, please e-mail Dr.Niccie McKay for more details.
UAB Case Competition
On February 18 and 19, 2009, MHA students, Jeff Chaperon, Melody Mahla, and Meghan O'Quinn competed in the Health Administration Case Competition sponsored by the University of Alabama Health System. The case competition provides graduate students from CAHME-Accredited programs an opportunity to put what they have learned into practice with a case presentation. The competition is designed to be a capstone activity for the graduate school experience. Twenty-four student teams from around the country came to Birmingham to present their recommendations before a national team of judges.
Inaugural Health Administration Student Summit at 2008 FHA Annual Meeting
On October 16 and 17 2008, UF MHA students were invited to attend the Health Administration Student Summit held in conjunction with the 2008 Florida Hospital Association Annual Meeting in Orlando. Health Administration students from all over the state of Florida attended the meeting where they heard targeted speeches by several key players in the healthcare field. Bruce Rueben opened the session with an introduction of himself and FHA. Alan Levine spoke on the role of FHA and state government in the life of a healthcare executive and Mr. Ron Hytoff led an open forum discussion with the attendees. Following the summit, the students attended the annual meeting events including keynote and general sessions, the ACHE business dinner, reception, and tradeshow.
We would like to extend a special thank you to the following people:
- Kim Streit: VP Health Care Research and Information Services,Florida Hospital Association (Class of 1986)
- Bruce Rueben: President, Florida Hospital Association
- Alan Levine: Secretary, Department of Health, State of Louisiana (Class of 1993)
- Ron Hytoff: President, CEO, Tampa General Hospital
- Florida Hospital Association staff
Placements
Fellowship and Job Placements for the Class of 2008
Florida Senate (Tallahassee, FL)
Dept. of Urology, UF College of Medicine (Gainesville, FL)
UF Dept of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation (Gainesville, FL)
VA Desert Pacific Healthcare Network (Long Beach, CA)
HCA (Tampa, FL)
Mt. Sinai Medical Center (Miami Beach, FL)
Meharry Medical Center (Nashville, TN)
Children's Hospital (Denver, CO)
HMA (Statesville, NC)
NYU Hospital for Special Diseases (New York, NY)
Palomar Pomerado Health (San Diego, CA)
University of Utah Health System (Salt Lake City, UT)
Lakeland Regional Medical Center (Lakeland, FL)
Roper Health System (Charleston, SC)
Trinity Health (South Bend, IN)
PriceWaterhouse Coopers (Tampa, FL)
United States Air Force (Fort Bragg, NC)
HMA (Port Charlotte, FL)
Internship Placements for the Class of 2009
Gainesville VA Medical Center (Gainesville, FL)
Orlando Health (Orlando, FL)
Shands at the University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)
UF Student Health Center (Gainesville, FL)
Lake City VA Medical Center (Lake City, FL)
UF College of Medicine (Gainesville, FL)
Owens and Minor (Orlando, FL)
HMA (Port Charlotte, FL)
Duke University Medical Center (Durham, NC)
Owens and Minor (Gainesville, FL)
AvMed Health Plans (Gainesville, FL)
Lee Memorial Health System (Fort Myers, FL)
VA VISN 8 Office (St. Petersburg, FL)*
Catholic Health Services (Lauderdale Lakes, FL)*
Select Specialty Hospital (Gainesville, FL)
Heritage Medical Group (Harrisburg, PA)
UF Faculty Group Practice (Gainesville, FL)
* Denotes UF Alumni preceptor
Thank you to all Gator preceptors!!! If you would like to be a preceptor please
contact Dr. Niccie McKay.
HASA Update
The UF Health Administration Student Association is continually working hard to not only raise funds for ACHE Congress, but also increase the awareness of needs in our community. With the hard times that many families in Gainesville area are facing, our organization decided to conduct a food drive. This Thanksgiving was hard for many and through our donations we were able to make the season a little brighter.
As some of you may remember, HASA has an annual holiday party where first and second year students exchange Secret Santa Gifts. We shook things up this time, combining the annual Wine and Cheese party and Holiday fun. Around 40 faculty and Staff gathered to share in the cheer, making the gathering one of the best to date. Additionally, instead of exchanging gifts, we donated toys to a school in Arcadia, where teachers try very hard to make the season brighter for many of their underprivileged students.
In the coming semester we are planning a kickball tournament, designed to help raise money for travel fees to congress and support local Little League players. Physical activity is very important in maintaining good health, and our intention is to see that even those less fortunate have the opportunity to PLAY BALL!
Kitty Riggs
President
UF Health Administration Student Association
MGMA Update
The Medical Group Management Association Florida Student Network (MGMA Florida Student Network) has had a very successful year. Although the idea for a MGMA student chapter was conceived in 2007 by Joanna Sainmervil (MHA '08), this year was MGMA Florida Student Network's first year as an official UF student organization. MGMA Florida Student Network is designed to provide additional and alternative career opportunities in health care management and to enhance the knowledge, skills and professionalism of students. The 2008-2009 MGMA Faculty Student Advisors were Les Jebson and Lonn McDowell and the Executive Board was Anthony Koffman (President), Geoffrey Silvera (Vice President), Joe Esposito (Treasurer), and Meghan O'Quinn (Risk Management Coordinator).
In 2008-2009, the group held its monthly meetings at the UF Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Institute and brought in speakers to discuss topics of members' interest. Topics discussed included physician recruitment and retention, revenue cycle management, office management, scheduling, and reading contracts.
For 2009-2010, Geoffrey Silvera and Meghan O'Quinn will remain on the Executive Board as President and Treasurer. As the transition starts for the upcoming school year, I would like to personally thank both Les and Lonn for all the work they did to make this year successful. Not only did they assist in finding and securing monthly speakers, but they made sure one of them was in attendance for each of the meetings. Both Les and Lonn were instrumental in making sure that each speaker exceeded members' expectations.
If you know anyone who would be willing to come speak at the monthly MGMA Florida Student Network meeting, please contact Geoffrey Silvera.
Anthony Koffman
President
MGMA Florida Student
Network
Faculty Happenings
Dr. Niccie McKay took over as Director of the MHA Program in August 2008. This is her second "tour of duty" - having served in that position previously from 1997-2004. She is currently working with the second-year MHA students on placement and with the first-year students on summer internships - be sure to get in touch with her if there are opportunities at your organization! Dr. McKay's teaching responsibilities include a course on the US health insurance system, the Friday Seminar, PhD courses on health economics and financing, and supervision of the MHA summer internships. With respect to research, she had an article published on factors affecting productive efficiency co-authored with Eric Schmacker, a graduate of our PhD program. She had another article, on hospital administrative costs, published in the Journal of Healthcare Management, which was co-authored with Christy Harris Lemak and a current PhD student, Annesha Lovett (and, by the way, the "Practitioner Application" that appeared with the article was authored by none other than R. Roy Wright, President of our Alumni Board).
Dr. Allyson Hall continues to teach Introduction to the US Health Care System to the first year students. She continues to work on the Florida Medicaid Reform Evaluation team and recently received funding from the Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates. Dr. Hall published several articles this year on multiple topics including access to care, predictors of injury among adults in vehicle crashes, and statistics in medicine.
Dr. Jeffrey Harman continues to teach Health Economics to first-year students and serves as the Program Director for the PhD program in Health Services Research. Dr. Harman had several articles published this year including one on trends in antidepressant utilization in Psychiatric Services and another in Medical Care co-authored with Jesse Schold, a graduate of our PhD program and Dr. Duncan, Department Chair.
Dr. Rada Dagher currently teaches courses in the MPH program and the PhD program. She is a member of the Evaluating Medicaid Reform in Florida team and her primary research interests include family and medical leave policies and postpartum mothers' health, the work-family interface and workers' health, the determinants of women's mental health, and the health care response to intimate partner violence.
Dr. Lou Gapenski is concentrating his efforts this year on two fronts. First, he is putting the finishing touches on a new book titled "Fundamentals of Healthcare Finance," which will be available this fall. This book, designed for the undergraduate market, is more concise than his other books. Specifically, the new book will focus on those accounting and financial management concepts most essential to entry-level operational managers. Second, along with the finance case course, he is now teaching the introductory course, which includes MPH students. To help understand their needs, Dr. Gapenski is embarking on a research program, funded by RWJ, to define the appropriate content of the MPH finance course. In addition to the two major efforts, he has been asked to return to the Mayo Clinic (Rochester) in April to teach a two-day healthcare finance seminar.
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