Department of Health Administration and Policy

Sindhu Mallala's mission to study health informatics fueled her move to America to gain a deeper understanding of how technology can transform the way health systems operate, especially in storing, managing, and accessing critical patient data more quickly and securely. While at Mason, Mallala pursued opportunities that gave her insight into just how impactful technology can be—not just for hospital operations but also for training the next generation of health care providers.

Michelle Vassallo (MHA '15) led a team of infectious disease prevention specialists, physicians, pharmacists, and researchers at Inova Health System to develop and execute a plan to distribute 100,000 vaccines in just 53 days. To do this, Vassallo and her team of nearly 30 public health professionals reimagined how their hospital system could fight the pandemic while keeping everyone's safety top of mind. In recognition of her achievements and contributions, Vassallo has been named 2022 College of Health and Human Services Alumna of the Year.

Students in the Rising Health Care Leaders at Mason gained critical leadership experience by hosting a successful 2022 RHLM Spring Symposium. President of RHLM, Akshaya Chinnathevar Ramesh, reflects on how leading others to plan and organize the event further prepared her for a career in health leadership.

MHA alumni credit their capstone internship and research experiences with preparing them for their careers in public health.

The $2 million three-year cooperative agreement will create a Health and Public Safety Workforce Resiliency Training Program at Mason to support the mental health and well-being of the current health care workforce and preserve and enhance the psychological well-being of future health professionals.

Mason Alumna Nhien Ho joined the Master of Health Administration program to help improve health care accessibility, affordability, and availability for underserved communities. Read how her MHA practicum project prepared to work toward her goal as a health care consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton.

Tarang Parekh, PhD candidate in Health Services Research in the Department of Health Administration and Policy (HAP), received a 2021 American Public Health Association (APHA) Career Enhancement Student Scholarship Award for his outstanding peer-reviewed abstract submission, which was selected for an oral presentation by the Disability Section abstract review committee. The virtual oral presentation occurred on Sunday, October 24, 2021.

The Department of Health Administration and Policy partnered with Health Technology Network and Arlington Forward to create a cybersecurity event that informed attendees on the top concerns in federal, state, and private sectors as well as provided networking opportunities for local cybersecurity and healthcare professionals.

On Thursday, September 16, the student alumni organization Rising Healthcare Leaders at Mason (RHLM) hosted its first in-person networking event since March 2020. Both the graduate student leadership team and undergraduate students in the Department of Health Administration and Policy (HAP) worked together to make the event a successful networking opportunity for attendees.

Preparing aspiring health care providers is no small task and requires a true partnership between academic instructors and internship preceptors. The value of partnership to successfully prepare students for a career in health administration is exemplified by the relationship between Anastasia (Stacey) Schaab, senior director of nursing rehabilitation at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital, and John (Jay) Shiver and Virginia (Ginny) Blair, associate professors in the Health Administration program in Mason’s Department of Health Administration and Policy.