Pursuing Public Health Solutions in Health Management & Policy
As Chair of the Health Management and Policy (HMP) Department at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, I recently had the distinct honor of being part of the graduation ceremony where we celebrated the graduation of 18 MPH, 17 Executive MHSA, 52 residential MHSA, and 12 PhD students. We are immensely proud of the hard work our students have put in to reach this impressive milestone. Their success is a testament to their hard work and the dedication of our faculty and staff, as well as the unwavering support of our incredible alumni and friends.
I am writing to share some of the exciting developments in HMP and to seek your support in advancing our mission of cultivating leaders dedicated to improving the health of individuals and communities through cutting-edge research and exceptional educational programs.
Our department is home to a vibrant community of faculty, students, and staff, who are dedicated to understanding and addressing the complex challenges facing health systems, public health organizations, communities, and policy makers. HMP faculty research addresses some of the most pressing issues we face today, such as making major contributions to understanding and addressing gun violence (see April Zeoli’s work), improving mental health treatment in communities (e.g., Shawna Smith), understanding the economics of healthcare (e.g., work by Richard Hirth, Edward Norton), and addressing health capacity globally (e.g., work by Scott Greer, David Hutton, Elisa Maffioli), and across the U.S. (e.g., Melissa Creary). As we continue to grow and strengthen our faculty, your support today can help position our department for greater research innovation and impact.
Our students have had some amazing accomplishments this year. We had nine teams from our Residential Master (MHSA and MPH) program compete in Case Competitions with incredible success: semi-finals at UAB, first place at MCACHE, first AND second place at UCLA, first place at Cleveland Clinic. And in our homegrown competition sponsored by the Health Policy Student Association (HPSA) and the Michigan Healthcare Executive Student Association (MHESA), HMP students took first and second place! Alumni support helps us ensure that we can send teams to compete in these incredible learning experiences.
We are so proud of all the teams and all our students who are engaged in research, advocacy, policy analysis, and public health service throughout the year. Thanks to alumni support, we are able to provide vital scholarship aid for students like Hassan Kourani, MHSA ‘23 who recounted: “donor generosity and investment in future health leaders makes a huge difference. I am a second year student, and first in my family to go to college. I am interested in health policy, economics, and administration. I hope to have a career where I can influence policymaking through research and by managing systems, allowing me to make healthcare work better for everyone. SPH has played a large role in shaping these interests, but like many other first generation students, cost of education has been a barrier at times. Your generosity makes a world of difference.” As our graduates embark on their careers, they are well-prepared to make a lasting impact in health care, public health, industry, and government, thanks to the strong foundation they have built while at Michigan. When you give to the department, you can help future students like Hassan on their path towards a successful career.
U.S. News & World Report recently released its “Best of” lists. Michigan Public Health is ranked #5 overall, tied with Columbia University and the University of Washington. Last year, our school was ranked #6 overall. This year’s #5 ranking corresponds to a #2 ranking among public schools of public health. On the list of Best Health Care Management programs that was last done in 2019, we are again ranked #3 and much of the list is unchanged. This ranking does not take into consideration MPH and policy-focused curriculum, which is an important aspect of our department’s offerings. This year, U.S. News included inaugural rankings of five specialty fields within public health, including Health Policy and Management. On this list we are also ranked #3, but you can see that the top programs are a very different group than in the other ranking. To be ranked among the very top departments on both lists is a testament to the strength of our programs. It is an honor that public health leaders across the country recognize our department’s commitment to high quality education, research, and impact.
As we look to the future, we are excited about the ongoing ways our faculty and students can advance the fields of health management and policy. Your support is critical to realizing our goals, and we are deeply grateful for your partnership in our mission.
Please consider making a gift to the University of Michigan School of Public Health's Health Management and Policy Department. Together, we can continue shaping the future of health care and public health through rigorous research and exceptional education.
Go Blue!
Denise Anthony, PhD
Chair and Professor, Department of Health Management & Policy
University of Michigan School of Public Health