Susan Adamek, director of education at St. Rose Dominican Hospitals, recognized that skilled leaders would be necessary to help it succeed in the era of health care reform.
That need was a catalyst for the development of a partnership between Roseman University of Health Sciences and St. Rose Dominican Hospitals to create a health care-focused Master of Business Administration program that’s tailored to meet the unique needs of hospital employees.
“We already had a close working relationship with Roseman University through its nursing programs, and we were excited to branch out into this program,” Adamek said “We loved the idea of creating a program that enabled our employees to go to class with their co-workers, on hospital property, at convenient times and at a discounted rate because of our partnership.”
The launch of the Roseman-St. Rose MBA Program in 2011 came at the right time for Lucinda Larimore. Having worked in nursing management at St. Rose Hospital’s San Martin campus for more than two years, Larimore was already exploring potential post-graduate programs to help her enhance her management skills.
“When I learned of the program, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn where I work,” Larimore said. “I was able to attend lectures and engage in lively class discussions with my colleagues from various departments, then return to work and immediately apply what I learned and see the results.”
Larimore’s experience is a product of the program’s thoughtful design, according to Dr. Okeleke Nzeogwu, Roseman’s MBA program director.
“The Roseman-St. Rose MBA program brings together mid- and senior-level hospital employees from various departments, each offering unique ideas and perspectives,” Nzeogwu said. “The in-class collaboration on projects and thought-provoking dialog help spur interdepartmental understanding and multi-disciplinary approaches to problem solving.”
Adamek said employees who participate in the program have expressed great satisfaction with being able to connect their school assignments with the realities of their jobs, which makes the course content seem much more relevant and beneficial to them professionally.
“They also have appreciated the ability to develop strong working relationships with their classmates that will serve them even after the MBA program is complete,” Adamek added.
For Katherine Tang, a chaplain at St. Rose’s de Lima campus, the MBA program has helped her develop a stronger voice, build confidence and not fear taking risks on the job.
“Intro to Management was my very first class, so I think it stuck with me the most,” Tang said “It helped me learn how to develop my leadership style, and helped me recognize how I interact with others. In my profession compassion and empathy are very important, but they are not the only ways I communicate with others. I am learning now to advocate for people who are unable to speak for themselves.”
With students from such a wide range of departments, everyone can take away from each course what is most applicable to their current or potential position they’re striving for, Nzeogwu said.
Both Larimore and Tang are students in a charter group of 24 who enrolled in the Roseman-St. Rose MBA program in 2011. They participated in graduation ceremonies in June and are scheduled to complete the program by fall.
Program courses include management, ethics, corporate law, employment law, organizational behavior, arbitration and mediation, corporate finance, financial accounting, marketing, operations management, managerial accounting, entrepreneurship, and economics. Throughout the program, lectures, discussions, projects and cases examine different facets of health care, Nzeogwu said.
Students enrolled in the program meet one evening a week and one Saturday a month for about 30 months, which allows them to continue their careers. The curriculum uses Roseman University’s immersive teaching model that incorporates mastery learning, problem-based and active learning, cooperative or team-based learning and a block system model of curricular design specifically engineered to support attainment of learning outcomes and the highest level of achievement for all students.
As a result of the success of the Roseman-St. Rose MBA program, Sunrise Hospital has recently partnered with the university to create a similar program. Employees from other local hospitals may enroll in either program.
Jason Roth is vice president of communications and public relations at Roseman University of Health Sciences. Roseman is a private, nonprofit university located in Henderson and is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. For more information, visit www.roseman.edu.