CHHS Alumni

Outstanding Public Health Nurse Award: Kadija Conteh-Barrat, BSN '09, DNP '15

Mary Cunningham — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 14:45:37 +0000

Outstanding Public Health Nurse Award: Kadija Conteh-Barrat, BSN '09, DNP '15 Mary Cunningham Tue, 10/25/2022 - 10:45

Kadija Conteh-Barrat, BSN '09, DNP '15

The School of Nursing is proud to honor Kadija Conteh-Barrat, BSN '09, DNP '15 with the Outstanding Public Health Nurse Award.

The Outstanding Public Health Nurse Award recognizes a nurse who makes outstanding contributions to the field of public health, including social justice, health equity, and the delivery of public health care and services. Conteh-Barrat was honored at the School's Honoring Mason Nurses event in April 2022. Learn more here.

Conteh-Barrat is the founder and CEO of Manak Community Health Organization (MaCHO), founded in 2020 to advance health equity and drive better health outcomes in the most underserved communities in Sierra Leone. Conteh-Barrat’s work to help those in crisis and to increase access to quality health care in Sierra Leone was inspired by her life-changing experiences during Sierra Leone's civil war and as a refugee in Guinea.

“Kadija's medical missions and community clinic are helping to address health care needs in Sierra Leone, advance health equity, decrease mortality, and improve health outcomes in these hard-to-reach communities,” said one of her nominators.

In March 2022, Conteh-Barrat completed her second medical mission in Sierra Leone and established a health clinic in the Yurika community, serving 84 villages. She has partnered with U.S. non-profits and the local health district to ensure sustainability, increase capacity, expand care in isolated communities, and provide lifesaving medications, ongoing chronic disease management, and maternal childcare.

She is working toward a postgraduate certificate in Psychiatric and Mental Health at Mason and is an adjunct faculty member in the College. In 2021, she was recognized as an Emerging Leader in Healthcare by United Health Group.

Topics

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Sharon Lamberton Named American Academy of Nursing Fellow

Mary Cunningham — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 14:13:29 +0000

Sharon Lamberton Named American Academy of Nursing Fellow Mary Cunningham Tue, 09/06/2022 - 10:13

Mason alumna and CHHS advisory board member to be recognized with one of the highest nursing honors.

Sharon Lamberton

The College of Health and Human Services is pleased to share that alumna and Dean’s Advisory Board member Sharon Lamberton (MS, Health Policy '01) has been recognized for her extraordinary achievements by the American Academy of Nursing (AAN), earning the title Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN). Lamberton joins Paula Graling (BSN '82, MSN '96) as the second FAAN currently on the College’s Advisory Board. Lamberton (MS, Health Policy '01) was awarded the Distinguished Alumna of the Year from the College in 2020.

Each year nurses are selected as AAN Fellows on the basis of their contributions to the medical field and nursing as a discipline. FAANs are leaders, not only within the nursing profession, but they also play a part in higher education, conduct research, champion for health care policy, and more. This year’s 2022 cohort of nursing Fellows is the largest class to date.

Previously, Lamberton served as a neurology nurse at the National Institutes for Health. She has worked to improve health policy with the General Accounting Office (GAO), the National Committee to Preserve Social Security, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

Currently, Lamberton serves as deputy vice president of state policy at PhRMA, a trade association of 33 biopharmaceutical companies based in Washington, DC. She is primary liaison for PhRMA to the National Governors’ Association, National Foundation of Women Legislators, Women In Government, and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

“I attribute my success to mentors like Drs. P.J. Maddox, Len Nichols, and Mary Wakefield who took time to help mold me and helped me develop my professional goals early in my career," said Lamberton. “Mason is one of the best kept secrets. We need to get the word out about Mason’s talented faculty and their research that’s making transformative changes. Alumni, potential students, and community leaders should know the quality individuals that the University is attracting and retaining. For me, the driving motivation to attend Mason was their offer to tailor my graduate degree according to my interests and needs. In addition, some of the top health policy experts in nursing were leading Centers, programs, and teaching classes at Mason.”

The Induction Ceremony will be held on in Washington, D.C., Saturday, October 29, at the Academy’s annual Health Policy Conference.

Congratulations again to Sharon Lamberton and all awardees of the American Academy of Nursing Fellowships.

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CHHS Alumni Board Hosts School Supply Drive

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 13:06:20 +0000

CHHS Alumni Board Hosts School Supply Drive Mary Cunningham Mon, 08/08/2022 - 09:06

CHHS alumni work to break down lack of access to educational resources as a barrier to health

In preparation for the upcoming school year, the CHHS Alumni Board is collecting school supplies to donate to low-income children in the Northern Virginia area. The supply drive will be gifting paper, pencils, and other supplies to the College's MAP Clinics for children who otherwise may not have the ability to purchase supplies, many of whom are new to the United States.

“The College's MAP Clinics play an important role in Northern Virginia's community health, and we as alumni can also support the Clinics and local low-income children who are going to school,” said CHHS Alumni Board President Kathi Huddleston. “As alumni of CHHS, we understand that health can be boosted by a bookbag full of new school supplies to brighten that first day of school.”

The Mason and Partners (MAP) Clinics aim to elevate the health of underserved populations by providing health care access to uninsured patients. With service projects like this drive, CHHS alumni are actively working to do their part in improving population health alongside the MAP Clinic, with a specific focus on elevating education in relation to overall health. This project supports the efforts of our nurse-run clinics, which are headed by Professor Rebecca Sutter, DNP, APRN, BC-FNP and the School of Nursing Interim Director Cheryl Oetjen, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC.

Donated supplies can be dropped off in boxes located in the School of Nursing located on the third floor of Peterson Hall. The Board will be collecting supplies through the end of September. Additionally, if you would like to make a charitable donation to the CHHS Alumni Chapter for service projects like this, please visit this webpage.

Information about the CHHS Alumni Board and how to support more service efforts can be found on the CHHS Alumni Chapter Board page.

Topics

CHHS

MAP Clinic

Mason and Partners (MAP)

CHHS Alumni

Alumni Mentorship Program Boosts Students’ Career Readiness

John Brandon Cantrell — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 13:00:23 +0000

Alumni Mentorship Program Boosts Students’ Career Readiness John Brandon C… Fri, 08/05/2022 - 09:00

The pilot program increased graduating students’ confidence in navigating their careers after graduation.

Students graduating with a Master of Public Health (MPH) or a Master of Science in Global Health degree are met with many career prospects; however, navigating today’s job market can be daunting. The Mason Public Health Mentor Program pilot aims to support graduating Global and Community Health (GCH) graduate students by pairing them with GCH alumni mentors, who provide professional guidance and career advice in the public health field.

The pilot mentorship program had successful outcomes for both students and alumni. Students reported increased confidence in their academic and professional endeavors, while alumni valued the chance to give back to their Mason community by sharing insight into the public health field with future graduates.

Kelly Beckwith

“The program is designed to connect Mason students with someone who also graduated from Mason–who has been in their shoes and can provide guidance on an individual level,” said Kelly Beckwith, assistant director of academic programs for GCH and organizer of the mentorship pilot. “I’ve been at Mason for nearly six years and have seen so many of our graduates become accomplished alumni. I wanted to provide them with an opportunity to connect with current students, which strengthens the Mason Nation and the field of public health.”

In collaboration with other GCH faculty, Beckwith paired students with alumni working in the students’ desired field and supplied the pairs with a workbook to help lead the discussion on professional development and understanding the current job market.

The pilot program during the 2021-22 school year allowed students and alumni mentors to explore topics on career readiness, such as practicing mock interviews, incorporating work-life balance in careers, confronting imposter syndrome, and identifying workplace bias.

Reena Rhim

Reena Rhim, a 2022 MPH graduate, found the mentor program helpful with her job search.

“I am so thankful for this [mentorship] program,” Rhim said. “I was able to build a deeper connection with my mentor and [explain] what I was going through. The mentorship allowed me to ask questions and gain honest feedback —specifically on what to expect during my practicum, outside of graduation, and when working in the public health field. I had several concerns about job searching after graduation, and my mentor addressed my concerns with open and honest advice, which genuinely helped me succeed in finding a job.”

After graduating, Rhim accepted a position as a health policy project analyst at Discern Health, where she conducts research on health care topics as well as analyzes and interprets health care legislation and regulations related to federal value-based payment programs.

Elizabeth Bramhall

Elizabeth Bramhall, a 2014 MPH alumna and Rhim’s mentor in the program, enjoyed sharing professional guidance and building a professional relationship with Rhim.

“Having the opportunity to give back and make even a small difference in someone's career is extremely rewarding,” said Bramhall, who works as a biological safety officer for the U.S. Army. “My goals for entering the mentorship program were to engage with the current MPH program and to be a sounding board for my mentee. I believe I met these goals and would like to continue to participate in the mentorship program in the future.”

Bramhall encourages Mason students to seek support from alumni members when entering the professional workforce.

“Many alums love to find ways to give back,” Bramhall said. “They may not be able to get you a job directly, but they may be able to set you up with more contacts and open your eyes to new career paths that you didn't know existed before.”

For Beckwith, the pilot program gave her the opportunity to help more students advance their professional development and career prospects.

“I hope that future students see this as an exciting opportunity for them to get a leg up on the job market as they leave Mason and go out into the public health workforce,” Beckwith said. “By strengthening their career development skills, as well as strengthening the connection between students and alumni, I hope we can make an even bigger impact on the public’s health throughout the area.”

For questions about the Fall 2022-Spring 2023 Mason Public Health Mentor Program, please reach out to Kelly Beckwith at kbeckwi2@gmu.edu.

Topics

Master of Public Health

Global Health

Alumni Spotlight

College Honors Class of 2022 Graduates at Degree Celebration

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 23 May 2022 17:17:35 +0000

College Honors Class of 2022 Graduates at Degree Celebration Mary Cunningham Mon, 05/23/2022 - 13:17

In This Story

Kimberly Holmes, PhD, MEd

Congratulations, Class of 2022!

Graduates of the College of Health and Human Services Class of 2022 were honored during an in-person Degree Celebration at EagleBank Arena on May 22. We are pleased to resume the tradition of hosting in-person Degree Celebrations, and the celebration was live-streamed for those who could not attend.

Kim Holmes, associate dean for academic affairs, hosted the celebration and welcomed the graduates and their loved ones during opening remarks, followed by comments from Dean Germaine Louis, keynote speaker Karen Dale, and student speaker Deniz Lopez-Jimenez.

Holmes opened the program by acknowledging all the hard work that led students to this moment.

“Our graduates have made their mark on Mason and their neighboring communities. Many have spent countless hours working and training in local clinics, researching topics that will improve the health of others, leading student organizations, serving the community, and other important causes,” Holmes said. The College conferred 469 bachelor’s degrees, 270 master’s degrees, 34 doctoral degrees, and 21 graduate certificates, boasting a total of 794 spring 2022 graduates who received their degrees across six departments.

“Today, we want you to know that we see your efforts, we’ve seen you in the building on early mornings putting the finishing touches on assignments, meeting classmates; we see the challenges you’ve overcome, juggling work, family commitments, classes, internships, clinical hours; and in the end you all shared a common goal of helping and serving others by proving health and services can support health and wellness,” she continued. “Whether you know it or not, you challenge all of us to be better, push harder, and to chase our dreams. After all your hard work, today is our day to honor and celebrate you.”

Dean Germaine Louis and Keynote Speaker alumna Karen Dale

Dean Germaine Louis took the podium next to share that it was the students who inspired her to overcome her writing block and complete this speech only a few days ago.

“My block was because of the many challenges in the world that are facing our current graduates as well as future ones. And to me, at times, these challenges feel insurmountable,” said Louis. “How do we overcome global hunger, housing instability, health disparities driven by social inequities, hatred, violence, trauma, climate change, in over one million lives lost from COVID-19 infections in the US alone? I asked myself, are these challenges curable? Is it reasonable to ask today’s graduates and the ones to follow to be able to solve these problems that certainly my generation has not done?”

“I thought about our students in the college, across all disciplines...I easily remembered how incredible they are; Something their parents, family, and friends already know and know well,” Louis continued. “As health professionals, our students show up when need arises. Words cannot come close to expressing the great pride I have for our graduates and the faculty and staff who stand with them.”

“I found my renewed sense of hope in you. You can and will correct the wrongs of the world to innovate new paths forward and to deliver health equity irrespective of remaining challenges,” said Louis.

She also offered a few words of advice and hope.

“Remain intellectually curious with a willingness to learn to advance knowledge and deliver health innovations,” she said. “Remember together we can make health visible a reality for all. In the words of Mason’s president Gregory Washington, ‘It’s Mason’s Time and it gives me hope.’”

Bachelor of Nursing alumna Dale spoke to graduates about the importance of purpose. She is the market president and chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer for AmeriHealth Caritas’ Medicaid managed care organization (MCO) in Washington, D.C. Dale was originally scheduled to address graduates at the May 2020 Degree Celebration which was canceled due to COVID-19, but returned this year to encourage graduates to find their individual motivations.

Dale shared that clarity of purpose helps us to be more resilient and have greater life satisfaction. She recommended these steps to find that clarity: Identify your unique gifts, have courage, be inclusive, and make decisions based on what’s right.

“This is the beginning of an opportunity for you to leverage your unique gifts, to find your purpose, to be a catalyst for good,” Dale said. “I wish you immense success in all your endeavors; and I hope you leave this ceremony with positive emotion in your heart, a focus on intentional engagement in all your relationships, a magnificent sense of urgency to define your meaning and purpose, and that you have the courage, the renewable courage, to lead in ways that help you to achieve yet unimagined accomplishments.”

Student Speaker Deniz Lopez-Jimenez

Lopez-Jimenez is a first-generation U.S. college student, who wanted to share his story of hope with his fellow graduates. He thanked his family and asked graduates to give their support networks and themselves a round of applause for all they have accomplished.

“In your future endeavors, I urge you to keep advocating for and helping others, persevering, and holding dear the value of the Mason experience. Go out there and make the world a better place! If you’re a first-generation college student, know that ‘Si se puede!’ You can do it! We can do it.”

After the ceremony, graduates, their families and friends, faculty, and staff were invited to a celebratory reception at Peterson Hall.

Congratulations to our newest alumni!

Check back in a few days for a slideshow of event photos.

To stay connected, all alumni are encouraged to become a part of the public health dialogue on the College’s social media channels: chhs.gmu.edu/news | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram

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Michelle Vassallo Honored as CHHS Alumna of the Year

John Brandon Cantrell — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 20:43:25 +0000

Michelle Vassallo Honored as CHHS Alumna of the Year John Brandon C… Tue, 04/19/2022 - 16:43

Topics

Health Administration

Inova

Department of Health Administration and Policy

Alumni Spotlight

Master of Health Administration alumna led effort to get 100,000 people vaccinated in just 53 days.

When faced with fighting an unfamiliar and contagious virus, Mason alumna Michelle Vassallo rose to the occasion. Vassallo led a team of infectious disease prevention specialists, physicians, pharmacists, and researchers at Inova Health System to develop and execute a plan to distribute 100,000 vaccines in just 53 days. To do this, Vassallo and her team of nearly 30 public health professionals reimagined how their hospital system could fight the pandemic while keeping everyone's safety top of mind. The team reevaluated many components of the hospital system, such as establishing trusted communication channels for patients seeking information on vaccines and redesigning their treatment centers to accommodate a large number of socially-distanced patients. The team also faced ethical considerations when determining which groups would receive the vaccination first based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

In recognition of her achievements and contributions, Vassallo has been named the 2022 College of Health and Human Services Alumna of the Year.

Vassallo began her career as a registered nurse at Inova. Having graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, she advanced in her career by accepting nursing leadership positions at Inova. As a graduate of Mason’s Master of Health Administration (MHA) program, Vassallo not only learned about health systems, she also learned about leadership and problem-solving. This knowledge served her well in her current role as vice president, clinical platform service line at Inova.

"It's very humbling," Vassallo said on being named the CHHS Alumna of the Year. "The work I am being acknowledged for is something that has saved my life, my family, and all the people I interact with. I can't imagine there will be something else that impactful to my community and the people I care about as that endeavor was."

The process of reworking how the hospital system would operate in the wake of the pandemic required Vassallo to hone her leadership abilities and work with a group of interdisciplinary professionals on critical projects in just a short amount of time.

"Everybody took on a different role and chipped in,” Vassallo said. “We had to fall back on the fundamentals of what are the right ways to engage, influence, and empower team members to make the decisions that are right in the moment. You, as a leader, had to pivot kind of moment by moment based on what the needs were of the situation."

Despite the challenges faced, Vassallo and her team embraced the adversity through strong leadership, organization, and trust in one another.

"We took the opportunity to function well as a system in a way that we never had before," Vassallo said. "We were able to quickly make decisions that were very important to patient care and for team member safety. It was hard work, long hours, and difficult times, but it was also incredibly inspiring and motivating. It's affected our work in a positive way as we have moved through the pandemic."

Vassallo said that the training she received in the MHA program had particularly helped her lead others through the pandemic. Having a clinical background as a nurse and experience in hospital system operations, she saw an MHA degree as a way to develop further her understanding of business management and leadership. These skills resulted in saving many lives through the successful vaccination outreach.

"Almost every class was applicable to this crisis," Vassallo said. "I really think the best benefit was that [the MHA program] gave a broad foundation of knowledge for theory, for business, for leadership skills themselves. The leadership principles and those foundation elements were important to lean back on. When you have a moment to breathe, you can think about them and do them a little more purposefully, and then in the times of crisis, you're just glad you have that muscle memory."

When asked what advice Vassallo would give to graduating CHHS seniors, she encouraged new graduates to pursue assignments that can advance their exposure in their organization, even if the tasks are not a part of their job description.

"The best advice is if someone asks you to do something, it's because they think you're going to be successful and you can do it," Vassallo said. "So, take that opportunity and have confidence in yourself and take that stretch assignment or project because you never know where it will lead you. I think that has been the number one key to my success."

Vassallo was honored as the CHHS Alumna at the Year in April during the Honoring Mason Nurses event. The School of Nursing invites all faculty, staff, students, and alumni to join the celebration. She will also be given the CHHS Distinguished Alumni Award at Mason's Celebration of Distinction on October 21. Learn more here.

Karen Dale Announced as College’s Degree Celebration Speaker 2022

Mary Cunningham — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 14:59:28 +0000

Karen Dale Announced as College’s Degree Celebration Speaker 2022 Mary Cunningham Tue, 04/19/2022 - 10:59

Nationally-recognized health care leader and School of Nursing alumna Karen Dale, RN, MSN, will be the keynote speaker at the College of Health and Human Services’ 2022 Degree Celebration on May 22 at Eagle Bank Arena. Dale, who received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Mason, will address the next generation of leaders based on her two decades in the health care industry.

The College is pleased to resume the tradition of hosting in person Degree Celebrations at Eagle Bank Arena this May and to welcome Dale as our honored speaker. Dale was originally scheduled to address graduates at the May 2020 Degree Celebration which was canceled due to COVID-19.

Dale is the market president and chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer for AmeriHealth Caritas’ Medicaid managed care organization (MCO) in Washington, D.C. She is responsible for leading key initiatives to strategically position the MCO as a market leader offering innovative solutions for the critical challenges faced by its members.

Learn more about CHHS’ Degree Celebration and Brunch here.

Dale was appointed to AmeriHealth Caritas’ newly created position of chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer (CDEIO). As CDEIO, Dale leads the planning and implementation of diversity and inclusion strategies across the organization to link workforce, workplace, health equity, and supplier diversity with measurable business and cultural outcomes.

Having held multiple positions of leadership for two decades, Dale has worked with a broad group of stakeholders to address policies and other key factors impacting the delivery of health care services. In addressing the range of needs experienced by the nation’s vulnerable populations, Dale has cultivated a focus that has helped AmeriHealth Caritas concurrently innovate, while meeting the highest levels of quality and service. These efforts include the use of digital tools to aid in the management of chronic diseases, peer-to-peer outreach using community health workers and peer specialists, and the use of a human-centered design member engagement approach. Dale’s vision is notably reflected in key programs addressing Black maternal health, racism, housing, transportation, violence interruption, and food insecurity. In addition, her philosophy that health care must evolve into a health ecosystem that promotes, wellness, without barriers, starting where people are, has led to several collaborative relationships with providers, community partners, philanthropists, and businesses to implement sustainable, scalable solutions with high impact.

Dale holds a Master of Science degree in psychiatric mental health nursing from The Catholic University, Washington, D.C., and a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Mason. She was a member of the Leadership Greater Washington Class of 2003. She serves as a board member for Volunteers of America, the Institute for Medicaid Innovation, and the Access to Justice Commission.

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Alumna Nurse Melissa Harvey Selected as Keynote Speaker at Honoring Mason Nurses Event

John Brandon Cantrell — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 14:22:30 +0000

Alumna Nurse Melissa Harvey Selected as Keynote Speaker at Honoring Mason Nurses Event John Brandon C… Tue, 03/22/2022 - 10:22

Tickets now available for Honoring Mason Nurses to be held on April 28 at Fairfax Country Club.

Melissa Harvey, MSPH, BSN, RN

Mason alumna Melissa Harvey, MSPH, BSN, RN, assistant vice president for Enterprise Emergency Operations for HCA Healthcare, will be the keynote speaker at Honor Mason Nurses: Past, Present, and Future event on April 28. The event will recognize the achievements and impact of Mason School of Nursing graduates, like Harvey, for all they do to support the health and well-being of Northern Virginia residents and beyond.

“Melissa is a Proud Patriot and we are looking forward to welcoming her back to Mason recognize her accomplishments and the contributions of all Mason nurses,” said interim Director of the School of Nursing Cheryl Oetjen. “Melissa embodies the values of a Mason nurse. She has an extensive background in nurse management and emergency preparedness, which uniquely positions her to share insights on the resiliency of nurses, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and what the future might hold for the profession as a whole.”

The College is excited to welcome back Harvey and all graduates, students, and friends of the School of Nursing at this event. Tickets are now available here for the Honor Mason Nurses.

Harvey is also an advisor to the COVID Commission Planning Group, which is preparing the way forward for a nonpartisan National COVID Commission that could be initiated by the White House. In her current role at HCA Healthcare, Harvey is responsible for advancing healthcare system preparedness across the organization and developing next-generation response capabilities to ensure a more resilient healthcare enterprise. HCA Healthcare is the nation’s largest health system which is comprised of 185 hospitals and 2,000+ sites of care in 20 states and the United Kingdom.

Previously, Harvey served in various roles at University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and Nebraska Medicine, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Central Intelligence Agency, and Northwell Health in New York. She has clinical experience as an RN and an EMT. She attended Harvard University (MSPH), Boston College (BA), and ��AV (BSN).

AARP is a platinum sponsor of Honoring Mason Nurses, Inova Health Services is a gold sponsor, and Kaiser Permanente is a sliver sponsor. Learn more about the event at chhs.gmu.edu/honoring.

Melissa Harvey Bio

Melissa Harvey is the Assistant Vice President for Enterprise Emergency Operations for HCA Healthcare, the nation’s largest health system, comprised of 185 hospitals and 2,000+ sites of care in 20 states and the United Kingdom. She is responsible for advancing healthcare system preparedness across the organization and developing next-generation response capabilities to ensure a more resilient healthcare enterprise.

Harvey also serves as an advisor to the COVID Commission Planning Group, which is preparing the way forward for a nonpartisan National COVID Commission that could be initiated by the White House, chartered by Congress, or privately funded, to preserve the lessons learned during the crisis and recommend solutions to safeguard the nation from future threats.

Previously, Harvey served as the Director of Strategic Projects at the Global Center for Health Security at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and Nebraska Medicine, where she developed public-private partnerships to advance the nation’s health security. She has more than a decade of federal healthcare experience, most recently at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where she served as the Director of Health Systems. In this role, Harvey oversaw the Department's emergency care, electronic health records, and health security portfolios. During the COVID-19 response, she was detailed to the FEMA-HHS Healthcare Resilience Task Force, where she led the Hospital Team.

Until 2019, Harvey served as the Director of National Healthcare Preparedness Programs in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she developed and advanced the implementation of policies, capabilities, and performance metrics that aimed to improve the nation’s overall healthcare emergency readiness. She led ASPR’s domestic healthcare system response to Ebola, including developing a regional and tiered infectious disease strategy for the nation’s healthcare facilities. She also concurrently served as the ASPR Chief of Staff, facilitating the Office’s policy and legislative priorities and its $1.5 billion budget.

Previously, Harvey served at the Central Intelligence Agency, and was the Manager of Emergency Management for Northwell Health in New York. At Northwell, she was responsible for all-hazards planning and response for New York State’s largest healthcare system. Melissa has clinical experience as an RN and an EMT. She attended Harvard University (MSPH), Boston College (BA), and ��AV (BSN).

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Capstone Practicum Helps MHA Alumni Provide Better Results for Patients

John Brandon Cantrell — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 14:46:34 +0000

Capstone Practicum Helps MHA Alumni Provide Better Results for Patients John Brandon C… Mon, 03/21/2022 - 10:46

MHA alumni credit their capstone internship and research experiences with preparing them for their careers in health administration.

Winter MHA 2021 capstone practicum students.

For students who want to solve real-world health care problems like helping a hospital system create a disaster management plan or developing a security plan for a location health department, Mason’s Master of Health Administration (MHA) in Health Systems Management program is the place to practice and gain those skills with guidance from professionals.

Whether in person or online, the MHA program culminates in a real-world capstone practicum project where students solve a health care problem for an organization or company they are interested in, all with the guidance of a preceptor who is a professional in the field. Projects have included improving a COVID-19 testing and vaccination initiative, creating an improved patient intake plan, creating a strategy to reduce falls at a senior living facility, identifying the impact a hurricane had on suicides in Puerto Rico, and developing an online dashboard for a medical center, among others.

Recent alumni from the program agree that the capstone, which comes at the end of two years of coursework, and the program provided them with well-rounded health care skills that have helped them succeed in their careers.

“My capstone project taught me to be confident in my skills. I knew my perceived worth at my place of employment already so chose to do my project at a different location. Meeting new people, networking, and collaborating to produce a project that was centered on their needs helped me realize that I can step out of my comfort zone and still be successful,” said Kathy Hubbard, MHA ’21, whose project assessed injury prevention at a retirement community.

The field-based capstone practicum provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned in class and through faculty collaboration to key health care executives while conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to inform an executive decision regarding a complex problem.

"The most important lesson I learned from my capstone is to ask ‘why’ and strive for better results for our patients and providers."

Jake Rodriguez, MHA '21

“The most important lesson I learned from my capstone is to ask ‘why’ and strive for better results for our patients and providers. I was able to completely change the way my team outreaches to patients and leveraged the data analysis in the project to improve the accuracy of our patient panel attribution, greatly improving our cost of care metrics,” said Jake Rodriguez, MHA ’21. For his capstone, Rodriguez’s looked at a health care system’s highest cost “unengaged” patients to improve preventative health outcomes and the total cost of care.

Jake Rodriguez, MHA '21, discusses his practicum project.

Capstone projects can help students prepare for their future jobs, and sometimes lead to a job after graduation. The projects always provide students with growth, development, and help them learn something new about health care or their desired specialty.

“The capstone opened my eyes to the world of data analytics and its critical role in the health care setting. [I developed] a relentless determination and will to seek out and create opportunities for professional development and personal enhancement,” said Rehan Saeed, who now works at his dream job as a staff consultant at Federal Advisory Partners.

Experienced Preceptors, Supportive Networks

From hospitals, health care clinics, and private practices to government agencies and departments of health, preceptors mentor students in all types of health care facilities and organizations in the private and public sectors. Each student identifies a mentor to help guide them to create a worthwhile project for the host organization and the student and support the student in their research.

“My preceptor was an experienced Registered Nurse (RN). She helped prepare me by giving me opportunities to ask questions but then challenged me to answer them through reflection. This was important to me because I truly believe there is more value in presenting a solution than a question in many circumstances,” said Hubbard, currently the RN Clinical Supervisor for the Internal Medicine Department at Eastern Virginia Medical School. “In health care, we know what the problems are, we have asked all the questions before and done the research again and again. Like the MHA program, my preceptor instilled in me a sense of urgency to create and implement the solutions to the problems we identified.”

Preceptors have included administrators at Inova Fairfax Hospital, Office of Strategic Policy, Mason and Partners Clinic, Sunrise Senior Living, National Institutes of Health, Medical University of South Carolina, Kaiser Permanente, Maryland Department of Health, and Healthcare Sustainability and Relief Effort, and many more.

Career-Ready and Always Learning

Kathy Hubbard, MHA '21 presents her practicum research findings.

“The work I did throughout the MHA program triggered my interest in a career change toward consulting. I had always worked in administrative roles – HR, business management, operations. The capstone work pushed me harder toward the career change and I ultimately decided to ask for a position as a consultant [at my current company],” said Sara Hodgson, who is a double Mason alumna with an MHA and a Bachelor of Science in Health Systems Management. Hodgson is a partner at The Moran Company, a health care research and consulting firm. “It is a complete career switch, but one I am glad I made and perhaps would not have made (or been qualified for) without working through the MHA program and my capstone project.”

The MHA program and its capstone practicum prepare students to thrive in the field of health care as administrators in a variety of roles. Students leave the program ready to take on the challenges of health equity and the health care system.

“The best thing that I learned from my capstone is that there is still work to be done. Health care is an industry that is constantly evolving,” said Jose Vazquez, who currently works with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He aims to be a health care administrator within the federal health care system. “Also, I learned that adaptability has to be crucial for health care professionals because in times of crisis we have to respond and provide concrete solutions to deliver the best care possible.”

And Mason students are prepared and excited to do the work.

Learn more about Mason’s on-campus MHA program. Learn more about Mason’s online MHA program.

Topics

CHHS Alumni

HAP Alumni

HAP Research

Health Administration

Department of Health Administration and Policy

CHHS Research

internships

Practicum

Nutrition Department Hosts Eating Healthy on a Budget

John Brandon Cantrell — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 14:40:15 +0000

Nutrition Department Hosts Eating Healthy on a Budget John Brandon C… Tue, 03/08/2022 - 09:40

In This Story

Kerri LaCharite, PhD

In collaboration with the College’s Office of Student Affairs, the Department of Nutrition teaches students to make a homemade healthy and delicious meal.

Bacon. Ranch. Chicken. “Yum” for many college students, but do they know how to make a healthy meal from these ingredients? Students who attended the Eating Healthy on a Budget event now do. The event, hosted by the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies and the College’s Office of Student Affairs, was open to students enrolled in Nutrition Department as well as non-nutrition students and was held in the Nutrition Kitchen, located on the first floor of Peterson Hall.

Adjunct professor and Mason Master of Nutrition alumna Jaianna Johnson taught students in two cooking events to create a chicken, bacon, ranch bowl with brown rice. In addition, she demonstrated how to make a kale salad that even kale-skeptics would like. Assistant Professor of Nutrition Kerri LaCharite acted as Johnson’s sous chef for the event.

“It was very enlightening how things like vegetables can taste great if you know what to do with them—Kale can really taste delicious,” said Minoo Samuel, Nutrition Graduate Certificate student. Johnson showed students how massaging lemon juice into kale changes the texture and makes the cabbage more delicious and versatile.

Johnson shared tips on knife safety and how to incorporate vegetables into other meals, such as cauliflower rice, chickpeas, and kale chips. She recommends that cauliflower is an easy and adaptable vegetable to start with.

Nutrition is a fundamental part of public health and living a well-rounded, long life. The College is dedicated to learning and sharing more about the nutrition of college students through the Mason: Health Starts Here study. Recently, the study found that college students are exceeding U.S. dietary guidelines for added sugar, refined grains, sodium, and saturated fat, which are all nutrients that should be limited.

“These demos not only give me a chance to practice my teaching skills, but also teach people a few basic cooking skills that they will carry with them and use in their lives day-to-day. Food is important to me because of the positive connotations surrounding the word,” said Johnson, who has a degree from the Culinary Institute of New York and now teaches Mason’s Fundamentals of Cooking class. “Teaching people how to cook allows me to encourage more of those home-cooked meals, which is important in reducing resource consumption (i.e. fast food, take-out, etc.) as well as creating more positive experiences around food.”

The Nutrition and Food Studies Department has hosted a variety of events since the Nutrition Kitchen in Peterson Hall opened in the spring of 2018 to help raise awareness of the role healthy eating, nutrition, and food systems can play in the public’s health. In conjunction with Alumni Relations and the Office for Advancement, the Department held monthly online cooking classes, called Patriots in the Kitchen, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, that were open to the Mason community and the public.

The Nutrition and Food Studies Department focuses on teaching and training students to address public health issues involving nutrition and food access. It offers undergraduate and graduate courses in cooking, nutrition, food and culture, food systems, and food studies.

Topics

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies

Nutrition Events