Dr. Briana Jeiger, Health Administration Chair, welcomes all students to the multitude of opportunities within Health Administration. Our program provides students with the academic foundation necessary for understanding the operation, administration, and leadership aspects of the health care industry and to develop competency in communication, administration practices, information management, and healthcare systems.
Health Administration
I went into Health Administration because I had a passion for helping people. And I realized that I was not good at Organic Chemistry, I could do it, but it wasn't very good at it. So I needed to find a way to still be in the field that I loved doing the things that I was good at. And that was bringing people together with resources and things, in order to do the right service, the right time for the right cost. And so that brought me into Health Administration, because I got to take the things I was really, really good at with my passion for healthcare and put them together.
I would advise someone pursuing a career in Health Administration, to seek out every opportunity that may be connected to healthcare or may not be. And I say that because many C-Suite or many health administrators, who go on to reach great heights, they take opportunities, wherever it lands them. Management can present itself in many, many different directions. So I would advise someone to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself-- To just be open to many opportunities. As we know, the Health Administration field is broad. We have entered into a new era with health informatics and information systems, so it can take you many places.
Well, the advice I would give would be two points. Number one to have a servant's heart. You're going to be there serving humanity. Number two, be a lifelong learner. Because once you think you're through with an undergraduate or graduate school, no learning is really just beginning.
I would say any background is a good background to go into Health Administration, because you need a bunch of different professional personal experiences to just continue to improve patient care. As far as people, I would say, you need to be a very patient person, someone who can listen to all sides of any decision being made, and then make a really thoughtful, careful decision.
I have a ton of favorite moments with students. I've been a faculty member for almost 20 years. And I think every year there is just that one time where a student really lights up or a situation happens that really makes my day just so much brighter. I think specifically, my favorite moment with a student is in advising. When we're sitting there and we're looking at, what are you going to do with your life? How is this gonna go? And I'm not the one leading that conversation they are. So we've given them the tools and the confidence to do their own research to bring together their own argument. And then to tell us, this is how I am going to be happy and successful in my life. How do I get there? Can you help me? and I get to be part of that. I think that's probably my favorite.
My favorite memory from working in the field is the partnerships and the camaraderie. I think most people who work in healthcare, they have the same heart and the same desire to help not only the patients, but also the community. So I would say just the connections, and the partnerships, and collaborations I've made over the years.
My favorite classroom experience and assignment is our community health assessment, where our students in Epidemiology go out into the community. They interview community members, they bring together data from various sources, and then they make a pitch to offer a new health care service or a population health intervention for that community. And it's their plan. It's well researched as well documented, but it's their plan. And many of them have gone on after graduation to work with their local government agency or their health department to make their plan that they did as a student a reality. I think that's probably the best assignment.
What makes it unique to me is the mission of the organization that of teaching, healing and preaching. And that extends to the Baptist Health Sciences University.
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