Healthcare leaders sharpen their skills with an Oakland University Executive MBA

Today’s complex healthcare industry and ever-changing regulatory environment requires healthcare executives to be well-versed in business knowledge and to possess strong, fundamental leadership and management skills.

The Executive Master of Business Administration program provides a solid understanding of business methods, analytical tools and leadership skills.

First year EMBA student, Usamah (Sam) Mossallam, M.D., has worked at Henry Ford Hospital and Health System for 16 years. Intrigued by medicine, Mossallam earned his medical degree at the State University of New York health sciences center at Brooklyn, but always had a business mindset and thrived in leadership roles throughout his career. In 2012, he was appointed Henry Ford Hospital’s associate chief medical officer, and most recently became the health system’s vice president and medical director of international initiatives.

“I’m pursuing my MBA to better understand business management,” Mossallam said, who chose Oakland’s program because of its convenience, cost, and relationship building opportunities. “This degree will add credibility to my work as a physician executive.”

The same sentiment is felt amongst executives in other facets of the healthcare industry, especially nursing executives. It is increasingly important for leaders to understand the conceptual frameworks that help to develop effective strategies and manage the complex business issues faced by health systems.

Applying theory to practice

Fellow first-year student, Shawn Levitt became the senior vice president and chief nursing officer of the Detroit Medical Center, a division of Tenet Healthcare Corporation that is one of the largest systems in the country in 2012. From a young age, she wanted to work in a hospital and provide direct care to patients and their families. She pursued this passion by earning a bachelor's degree in nursing from Wayne State University, and later a master's degree in health services administration from Central Michigan University.

“In order to navigate and lead, nurse executives need to be educated across diverse academic theories and frameworks,” Levitt said. “The theoretical basis for many concepts that I have encountered in the workplace is now being clarified which allows me to proactively apply them in my practice.”

Levitt and Mossallam are already leaders in their organizations, but by acquiring additional proficiencies in business knowledge, these EMBA students are gaining further advantages in their management capabilities, including a professional network with their classmates and an impressive group of alumni. 

“Students are able to immediately apply what they learn through the program in their careers,” said Janell Townsend, EMBA director and associate professor of marketing and international business. “Graduates emerge from the Executive MBA program with a solid understanding of business methods, analytic tools, and leadership skills that can be applied to the healthcare industry.”