Preparing Future Healthcare Leaders Today at UAB!

I talked with you last month about some of the things we are doing to reach our goal of becoming a “destination“ program for both exceptional students and employers throughout the southeast region. As we work in that direction, we are developing a collaborative, interdisciplinary culture that thrives on pushing boundaries, surpassing expectations and creating exciting learning opportunities.
As a national leader in healthcare education and research, UAB has a wealth of expertise to offer the multi-faceted healthcare industry. The School of Business is highly involved with collaborations that provide healthcare professionals with the business skills required in today’s healthcare environment and business students with the knowledge they need to succeed in the healthcare industry. Here are a few examples of what we are doing:
In 2008, the School of Business, in a joint effort with the School of Medicine (and with the very generous support of the Doré Family), initiated The Healthcare Leadership Academy to provide strategic management training for key healthcare faculty and staff members identified as possessing the potential to take on more demanding leadership positions in the near future. Retired scholar and faculty member Dr. Jack Duncan played a key role in designing and implementing the curriculum for the successful first class of 2008/2009.

The School of Business is a much better place of scholarship and teaching because of the long and positive impact of Dr. Jack Duncan. All that have interacted with Jack know that a kind and genuinely caring teacher scholar has touched them. We will honor Jack and extend our historical involvement in healthcare management by bringing new scholars to UAB who will continue his exceptional work. In addition to a national search for a focused senior scholar position in healthcare, the school is also engaged in eight other faculty searches---with many of the new positions having an opportunity to enhance our healthcare related research.
In addition to The Healthcare Leadership Academy, the School of Business works closely with UAB healthcare professionals to insure the Industrial Distribution Program in Medical Equipment and Supplies meets the ever-changing needs of the healthcare industry. The school also collaborates with the Schools of Nursing, Health Related Professions, and Public Health to offer dual degrees and areas of concentration for our MBA students.
As Dean, I am committed to our School playing a growing role in research that will have a real impact on healthcare management and future healthcare leaders. I welcome your ideas on how Business can work more closely in the many areas of healthcare to provide additional advantages for the university and its students to flourish in the collaborative environment we enjoy here at UAB!

The Destination: UAB School of Business

The School of Business is engaged this year in an intense strategic planning process----with the focused goal to become a “destination“ program for both exceptional students and employers throughout the southeast region. With monthly faculty meetings with assigned projects, led by faculty task forces, we are setting forth plans leading to recognition for excellence in both our programs of student learning and our exceptional faculty research. We have a simple initial 3-5 year “destination” goal--- when high-achieving high school students are seeking an undergraduate business education, the UAB School of Business will be top of mind. We will be top of mind for quality faculty scholars and respected programs of study and top of mind for internships and long-term employment opportunities. To these ends, we are implementing programs of support for: (1) enhanced faculty development and scholarship, including expanding research grants and (2) recruitment of eight new faculty scholars for fall 2010---three in accounting, two in marketing, two in management/quantitative methods, and one in healthcare management. These efforts are matched with major reviews/updates of academic programs and a material growth in external PR and news releases on excellence in programs and research---we will be doing a better job of telling the story of excellence in Business education and research at UAB.