Health Management and Policy Capstone

All second-year residential Master of Public Health (MPH) and Master of Health Services
Administration (MHSA) students in the Department of Health Management and Policy participate
in the Health Management and Policy Capstone during their final semester. During this action-based integrated learning experience, students work in consulting teams to help address key health services and health policy challenges at partner organizations.

Students

Health Management and Policy Capstone Students
Students presented to Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the former Director and Health Officer for the Detroit Health Department, for their final presentation focused on addressing opioid substance use in Detroit.

Students complete their capstone experience while enrolled in HMP 682: Integrated Learning
Experience in Health Management and Policy. During the Capstone course, students utilize the
skills and competencies that they developed during other HMP courses, projects and internships
to recommend solutions to an actual problem or question within an organization. Capstone
provides a component of the HMP curriculum that helps prepare students for the demands of
their future professional opportunities.

Capstone was the ultimate culmination of my time in HMP. My group benefited from great team dynamics and diversity of thought. We learned the importance of defining project scope and analyzing data without any predefined problems or solutions in mind. Capstone led to newly formed bonds with classmates and was the perfect way to close out two unforgettable years.

Amanda Fakih, MHSA '19

The capstone course was one of my favorite experiences of the HMP program. It enabled me to utilize my learnings from the program's curriculum to solve a real-world challenge facing a SE Michigan FQHC. This hands-on experience underscored for me the importance of being flexible in the face of unforeseen challenges and how trust with your team can drive success. These lessons have already enabled my success in my fellowship.

Philip Cooper, HMP '20

Capstone was among the most impactful applied-learning experiences I participated in. My Capstone team was able to leverage knowledge acquired in the classroom to immediately and directly add value to our client through project work. On an individual-level, this course allowed me to enhance my abilities to utilize systems thinking, balance competing priorities and reflect on my personal strengths, weaknesses and leadership style.

Kendall Huizenga, MHSA '20

Partners

As one of the leading Health Management and Policy programs nationally, our students are
immersed in an educational experience to foster a comprehensive understanding of health
services and policy and to contribute to the improvement of health systems, public policy, health
access, and equity. We source projects from a range of health services providers and policy
organizations – such as hospitals, other healthcare providers, government organizations, health
departments, community organizations, and payors – to cater to the diverse interests of our
students.

To work with a capstone team, contact us at [email protected] to explore partnering or
to propose a project.

Previous Partners

Henry Ford logoStudents worked with Henry Ford Health System, a leading healthcare and medical services provider in Detroit, to develop an analytics dashboard to help analyze claims and referrals data. 

meridian health logoStudents worked with Meridian Health, an insurance provider in Michigan and Illinois,  to develop a business case for integrating behavioral health into the medical benefit for managed care organizations in the State of Michigan.