UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Master of Health Administration (MHA) program recently took a trip to Washington, D.C., to provide students with an opportunity to meet and engage with Penn State alumni and individuals working in government relations, advocacy and research in and around the Capitol.
“The trip was designed to expand our students’ horizons on their career options,” said Chris Calkins, teaching professor of health policy and administration and professor-in-charge of Penn State’s MHA programs. “We hope that meeting recent health policy and administration alumni has inspired our students and provided a sightline to the variety of roles available to them outside of traditional institutional settings.”
Students spent two days in Washington, D.C., visiting different organizations and meeting with individuals who are serving in a variety of leadership roles. The trip started with a visit to Capitol Associates Inc., a government relations and advocacy organization started by alumnus Bill Finerfrock. The group was hosted by Sarah Hohman, who received a bachelor’s degree in health policy and administration in 2021.
Students met with multiple members of the organization, with discussion focusing on policy making and how the policy expertise of Capitol Associates Inc. is leveraged on behalf of key constituents. The visit exposed students to the behind-the-scenes work that goes into informing health policy legislation.
“My biggest takeaway from our visit was the importance of advocacy, especially for underserved populations in rural areas,” said Sarah Manna, MHA class of 2025 student. “One of the reasons I am so passionate about healthcare is because I want to give a voice to those who do not have one. This experience further piqued my interest in lobbying and healthcare advocacy and make me excited to explore those career opportunities further.”
Students also visited the American Academy of Family Physicians, a medical organization dedicated to promoting and maintaining high-quality standards for family medicine. There, they met with Yalda Jabbarpour, director of the Robert Graham Center, and David Tulley, vice president of government relations at the American Academy of Family Physicians.
“Visiting the American Academy of Family Physicians taught me about the challenges family physicians face in the American healthcare industry,” said Michael Clark, MHA Class of 2025 student. “Those challenges include relatively low reimbursement rates for their services, shortages due to an aging workforce and a low number of physicians going into the field because of the heavy focus on specializations.”
Jabbarpour, whose research centers around maternity care deserts, and the impact of family physicians on access to maternity care, shared some of her research findings with the students.
“Family physicians are the gateway to other specialized physicians and must be made a priority in the healthcare industry,” Clark said. “The advocacy and lobbying that the American Academy of Family Physicians does for family physicians across the nation stuck with me, and I hope to further explore careers in this area of the industry.”
The following day, students spent time visiting Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Total Health. The Center for Total Health is an interactive learning destination for the public, policymakers and the healthcare industry designed to showcase advances in health care and its delivery in the United States. Students toured the center and heard presentations on Kaiser Permanente’s initiatives around social drivers of health.
“The visit to Kaiser Permanente taught me more about preventative health and how deeply understanding and considering the social determinants of health that affect a person’s life can completely change their health trajectory,” said Faye Bui, MHA class of 2025 student. “It has made me more excited about my future and effecting positive change in the healthcare landscape.”
The students were joined by Bailey Spates, regulatory affairs specialist for the National Association of Community Health Centers. Spates, who received a degree in health policy and administration from Penn State in 2021, shared her journey post-graduation and lessons she learned along the way.
“Bailey talked about her professional journey and was notably candid about her ups and downs as an early careerist,” Bui said. “Navigating the possibilities of my future can be nerve wracking. It was reassuring to hear that people who were in my shoes not long ago, like Bailey, had the same fears and have had life plans not work out exactly the way they thought they would and still end up being extremely successful.”
Students ended the trip by attending an alumni networking reception sponsored by the College of Health and Human Development Alumni Society in collaboration with the Health Policy and Administration Alumni Group.
The event was hosted by Theresa DeAngelis. DeAngelis, who is currently an associate attorney at Quarles & Brady LLP, received her juris doctor and MHA degrees from Penn State in 2018 and was the first person to graduate from the joint J.D./M.H.A. program. Local alumni currently working in the healthcare industry attended the reception, meeting with and answering questions from students.
Bui said, “Penn State alumni are always eager to be mentors and a support system for current students and fellow alumni.”
Learn more about the Penn State Master of Health Administration programs, offered both in-resident and online via the Penn State World Campus.