The HSMP Alumni Society seeks to ‘pay it forward’ with current students
Alumni, faculty, students and supporters of the College of Public Health’s Master of Health Administration program will gather in-person this weekend for the first time in more than two years to celebrate achievements and honors and learn from top leaders in the field.
Friday the Health Services Management & Policy (HSMP) Alumni Society presents the Health Services Management Institute, an annual all-day educational event. With the theme of “Together Toward Tomorrow: Preserving the Power of People,” the event brings together members of the CPH community for educational sessions focused on the impact of implicit bias on health care workers, the needs of a post-pandemic workforce and how leaders can impact well-being in a health care environment.
The Management Institute event goes back more than 50 years to when the first MHA student graduated from the program in 1971, representing the strong connections between the program and its alumni base.
Vish Bhatt ’14, president of the HSMP Alumni Society, said he’s excited to gather once again in person.
“This program is a close-knit family,” Bhatt said. “It’s one of those things where you really want to pay it forward.”
Bhatt remembers attending the event as a student and the insight he gained from connecting with alumni about their career paths in health care administration and public health.
“As an alum now, you want to hopefully have that same level of impact on current students and continue to provide that level of support and friendship,” he said.
Marika Haritos Paul, director of the MHA program and clinical assistant professor, said it’s heartening to see how many alumni come back for the event and take time to build connections with current students.
“Seeing alumni not only catch up with their friends, but also welcoming the newest members of the Ohio State MHA community during their first or second year of study is just really impressive,” Paul said. “There’s a pretty special connection that we have here at Ohio State.”
The college celebrated 10 years of the William O. Cleverley Scholarship Thursday evening during the Cleverley at 10 event. The scholarship was created by the HSMP Alumni Society to support students who will be health care practitioners, managers and leaders of tomorrow. The event brought together college leaders, former scholarship recipients and supporters.
