Alumni profile – Meet Ryan Dugan
June 20, 2019 • Uncategorized
Ryan Dugan, MHA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is Vice President of Human Resources and Employee Health for Medical City North Hills in Richland Hills, Texas.
He was promoted to this position in September 2018 and has been with the Medical City Healthcare system in various recruiting and human resources management roles over the years, beginning at Medical City Plano and working for Baylor University Medical Center, Medical City Dallas and Medical City Children’s Hospital before moving to the North Hills facility. Medical City Healthcare is one of Dallas-Fort Worth’s largest, most comprehensive healthcare providers, including 14 hospitals, eight off-campus emergency rooms, 11 ambulatory surgery centers, more than 4,400 active physicians and 17,000 employees.
Dugan, who received his MHA from the UNTHSC School of Public Health in 2013, says his degree helped him gain additional background into HR law, healthcare economics, insurance and managed care, as well as other areas that tie well to his current HR leadership role.
He emphasizes the real-world exposure and valuable experiences gained through his UNTHSC capstone project and internship in helping him continue to grow in his different professional roles and current position.
“I have always been interested in healthcare. It is the family business,” Dugan says. “My mom is a nurse; my grandmother was a nurse; my wife, her mother and two of my sisters-in-law are nurses; my brother is a firefighter/paramedic; and my dad is a nursing home administrator.”
Dugan’s desire to move into healthcare administration aligned with the launch of UNTHSC’s MHA program, and because he wanted to work in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, UNTHSC felt like the right place to pursue his degree.
His current role as Vice President of Human Resources is one of selection, onboarding and retention of top clinical and healthcare support professionals, as well as managing compliance.
“This is critical,” he says, “as ensuring we have the right staff functioning at a high level has an impact on the community we serve. The hospital not only supports inpatient stays but also does a great deal of outreach and education about healthcare issues we face as a community. Our ability to teach the community about issues around heart disease, mental health, trauma, communicable diseases and other important topics all supports public health.”
Dugan’s advice for current students? “Take an active role in both your education and your personal/professional development. Take advantage of all the great networking opportunities offered through UNTHSC and reach out to alumni or former students when you have interest in their areas of healthcare. Make the most of your internship and capstone, as they will both help you get exposure and open the door to future opportunities,” he says.
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