MHA students place first in case study contest

Four Master of Health Administration (M.H.A.) degree students from the Texas A&M Health Science Center (TAMHSC) School of Rural Public Health placed first in the 2013 George McMillan Fleming Center for Healthcare Management Case Study Competition, hosted by The University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health on April 6 in Houston.

The case study addressed issues facing Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH), though the topics in the case are highly relevant and parallel to current issues facing health systems nationwide.

The team of Lindsay Shaw, Jennifer Estrada, Krishna Patel and Deepa Sabu was tasked with not only evaluating the most accurate cost analysis method to implement at the hospital but also recommending strategies to contain BCH’s rising costs, unprofitable pricing methods and process inefficiencies. The students also had to determine effective execution plans for BCH’s transition away from the existing fee-for-service payment to a new bundled payment method and its new model to incentivize physicians for achieved quality initiatives.

At the competition, judges complimented the students on their critical and analytical abilities, as well as the successful collaborative effort of the team overall. In addition to the lessons learned from one another, this case study allowed the team to apply the topics learned in the classroom to a realistic scenario they may encounter in the future as health care professionals.

The M.H.A. program at TAMHSC-School of Rural Public Health is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top M.H.A. programs nationally.