(L-R) Greg Chang, Jessica Moore and Michelle Sonia accept first prize in a national case study competition.
(L-R) Greg Chang, Jessica Moore and Michelle Sonia accept first prize in a national case study competition.
Three graduate students from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health’s Department of Health Policy and Management have won first place in a national health care case study competition hosted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham on Feb. 19.
Team members included master’s students Greg Chang, Jessica Moore and Michelle Sonia.
In January, Chang, Moore and Sonia were provided with a case study scenario about a safety-net hospital, defined as a hospital that provides a significant level of care to low-income, uninsured and vulnerable populations. They were asked to prepare an analysis and make recommendations to improve leadership, staffing, operations, design, finance and marketing at the hospital.
At the event in Birmingham, teams presented their findings and fielded questions from a panel of 10 nationally recognized health administration professionals. Five teams, including UNC, were selected as finalists and presented their cases for a larger audience.
The competition was a valuable part of her professional development, Sonia said. She said the event expanded her professional network by introducing her to students and faculty in health management from across the country and to key leaders who work in safety-net hospitals. The experience also “afforded us the opportunity to use our classroom skills in a real-world situation,” she said.
“The team’s success was due in large part to our experiences at the Gillings School of Global Public Health,” said Chang. “The faculty and staff at the Department of Health Policy and Management gave us the tools necessary to succeed not only in the case competition, but in whatever career path we might choose to pursue.”
Moore was specific about the many ways the department prepared the team for the competition. “Our Department of Health Policy and Management provided us with structured methodologies for problem-solving and strategic planning and with a solid understanding of health care finance,” she said.
Moore said the most important preparation was “the consistent group work we do throughout our two years in the program and the presentations we make inside and outside the classroom.” When they entered the competition, Moore said, the team “already had the tools and skill sets to foster collaborative group meetings and to create and deliver a compelling final presentation.”
Chang agreed. “Carolina’s team-based approach to learning and its highly engaged staff gave us the foundations for success. The final outcome would not have been possible without our unique Carolina experience.”
Twenty-five other colleges and universities competed in the event, including George Washington University, University of Michigan and Virginia Commonwealth University.
The UNC team received a $9,000 cash prize for its winning performance. Second place, with a $6,000 prize, was awarded to Rush University, in Chicago, Ill.; third place and a $4,500 prize were won by St. Louis University, in St. Louis, Mo.
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, director of communications, (919) 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu.
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