The year 2019 served as a monumental year for the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, as it marked 50 years of the Master of Health Administration program. Established in 1969, the program has not only grown over the years, but has helped yield the largest health administration alumni network in the state.
To commemorate such a milestone year, the Fairbanks School of Public Health hosted an MHA 50th Anniversary Celebration and fundraising event in October at the Mavris Arts & Event Center. The event allowed alumni, faculty, students and friends an opportunity to mingle, network and celebrate the program’s history and success. It also provided guests an opportunity to give back and support the next generation of health administration leaders, as all ticket proceeds were donated to the Master of Healthcare Administration Legacy Scholarship.
The full list of sponsors that helped offset the event costs to allow ticket proceeds to support the MHA program, includes Ascension St. Vincent, Community Health Network, Indiana University Health, Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman, P.C., Blue & Company, the Indiana Hospital Association and Franciscan Health. Thanks to our generous sponsors and guests, more than $80,000 was raised. Photos and moments captured during the MHA 50th Celebration are now available online.
In addition to the celebration, several initiatives were implemented throughout the year to enhance the experiences of students and alumni moving forward.
Those initiatives included:
- Gathering a history about the program to make alumni relationships more meaningful.
- Reconnecting with every living program director to learn about their time leading the program, the students they have stayed in touch with, and critical nuggets of historical information.
- Establishing new relationships with alumni who felt disconnected from the program. Between February and October, a total of 102 MHA alumni were reached and many of them indicated an interest in re-engaging with the program at some level.
The MHA program also wrapped the year ranking as one of the Best Healthcare Management Programs in the country, according to the U.S. News & World Report's Best Grad School Rankings for 2020. Looking ahead, the MHA program plans to continue leading the way in educating Indiana’s health administration workforce.
Continue celebrating the 50th anniversary by joining the Fairbanks School of Public Health for a reception at the 2020 American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership. The event will be Tuesday, March 24 from 6:30-8:00pm at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, Toronto Room.