Forward-thinking MHA students engage others in inaugural ‘Leading Change in Healthcare’ summit
MHA student Paridhi Sheth came up with a big idea that paid off well for healthcare administration students from the Health Science Center at Fort Worth and around the North Texas area.
Her brainchild was to bring HSC School of Public Health students together with peers from other universities as part of an event planning and community engagement experience, to develop a program for networking with and learning from established, successful professionals in the local healthcare industry.
The DFW Healthcare Student Summit was born when Sheth recruited a planning committee of 15 student leaders from The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, Texas Christian University, UT Dallas and Texas Woman’s University, resulting in a recent, North Texas-wide, half-day program featuring health leadership speakers and career-exploration workshops focused around the theme of “Leading Change in Healthcare.”
“This was truly an event by students for students,” Sheth said. “The speakers and breakout presenters, as well as the mid-cities location, food, program materials and event logistics, were all developed around the needs of local students, to provide insightful career-planning information and industry highlights.”
Response was phenomenal for a first-time event of this kind. Students from as far as Oklahoma drove in for the sold-out program, and attendee feedback indicated that events like this would be welcomed again in the future.
Speakers represented the American College of Healthcare Executives North Texas Chapter and Texas Health Resources as lead partners, as well as Baxter International, Baylor Scott and White Health, BDP Consulting, The Beck Group, BKD CPAs and Advisors, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Fresenius Medical Care, HSC, JPS Health Network, naviHealth, Sound Physicians, Texas Health Presbyterian Dallas, TWU, UT Dallas and UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Two School of Public Health alumni – Ahmad Sharif, MD, MPH, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Information Officer for Fresenius, and Rohit Ojha, DrPH, Director, JPS Center for Outcomes Research – offered support both during the program planning and as event-day participants.
“We really appreciate the efforts of Dr. Sharif and Dr. Ojha for reconnecting with their roots and acting as servant leaders for their alma mater,” Sheth said.
HSC MHA students joining Sheth in getting this new idea off the ground were Londyn Beal, Daniela Figueroa, Colson Files and Stephanie Rosenwinkel.
“I am so pleased to say that their hard work and perseverance produced an outstanding event,” said HSC Health Behavior and Health Systems Chair Arthur M. Mora, PhD, MHA. “I could not be prouder of our students.”
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