Team makes UF MHA program history with first-place win at UAB Health Administration Case Competition

Students (L-R) Brady Alexander, Abigail Lamm (Team Captain), and Liam Ngo won first place at the 18th Annual UAB Health Administration Case Competition.

The UF MHA team celebrated a first-place victory at the 18th UAB Health Administration Case Competition, a first for the UF MHA program.

UF MHA Case Competition Team with Coach and Clinical Assistant Professor, Dr. Ara Jo

Top accolades went to the University of Florida’s Master of Health Administration (MHA) case competition team for the first time in program history – not only at a challenging case competition event but arguably the most competitive case competition event for graduate healthcare administration education.

The team, comprising of UF MHA Class of 2024 students Abigail Lamm (Captain), Brady Alexander, and Liam Ngo, competed against 41 CAHME-accredited schools at the event, held at the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus.

From February 28th through March 1st, the student team developed and presented a comprehensive strategic plan for a seamless continuum of behavioral health care for pediatric patients.

Case competitions – such as the UAB Health Administration Case Competition, among others – provide graduate students in healthcare administration an opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios, serving as a capstone experience for many universities in the United States as well as Canada.

students hugging
The UF MHA Team celebrates their win.

Each team receives the case prior approximately three-weeks in advance of the competition – giving them a short timeframe to analyze data, develop original strategies, build a cohesive presentation, and conduct mock presentations to refine their strategies and communication skills.

For this team, the hard work and late nights was enough to bring home the win.

The University of Florida is one of only four teams that have participated in all 18 UAB competitions, as well as the first Florida school to win the UAB Health Administration Case Competition.

The UF MHA program, housed as part of the UF Department of Health Services Research, Management and Policy, within the College of Public Health and Health Professions (PHHP), would like to acknowledge the leadership from Drs. Ara Jo and Keith Benson as well as the numerous alumni and mentors who continue to support the program.