FOR RELEASE: May 20, 2019
CONTACT: Marketing and Communications at 406.791.5366
GREAT FALLS, MONTANA – The University of Providence (UP) announces an exclusive academic partnership with The Health Management Academy (The Academy)and their flagship leadership development program, The Academy GE Fellows Program. The partnership offers Fellows from The Academy’s program the opportunity to enroll at UP in an Executive Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA), an accredited program through Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).
The Academy GE Fellows Program was founded in 2005 with a grant from GE Healthcare. It is designed to fill a void in practical, collaborative leadership programs for aspiring healthcare executives. The Fellows are high-potential leaders representing the nation’s largest health systems.
“We are leveraging a natural synergy between the healthcare industry and academics,” says Deborah Burton, RN, PhD, and VP, School of Health Professions. “Our goal as a university is to meet the needs of the industry with a targeted curriculum and enable these healthcare executives to strategically advance in their industry with our customizable Executive MHA program.”
The Academy GE Fellows Program has four tracks: administrative, physician, nurse, and financial executive tracks. In order to be accepted into the Fellows Program and qualify for the Executive MHA program, candidates must be nominated by a C-suite executive in their healthcare organization, approved by their CEO, and selected by The Academy’s Advisory Committees.
“This exclusive partnership produces a whole segment of leaders in healthcare who can graduate better prepared for advancement,” says University President Tony Aretz. “The new program reflects our School of Health Professions’ commitment to the future of healthcare.”
Enrolling in the Executive MHA program is an exclusive, but optional offering for participants in The Academy GE Fellows Program. In addition to the typical in-person curriculum, one-on-one coaching and “Action Projects,” in The Academy’s curriculum, participants in the Executive MHA take 39 total credits through UP, with all course work offered online. The faculty are executives in residence and are highly qualified in their areas of expertise. The two-year master’s program has an annual intake with a new cohort starting each July.
“We are delighted to partner with the University of Providence to bring The Academy GE Fellows Program to new heights of academic and programmatic rigor,” said Renee DeSilva, CEO, The Academy. “Their efforts—combined with GE Healthcare’s ongoing commitment to advancing healthcare leadership—positions us strongly to elevate our contributions for the development of rising health system executives.”
The University of Providence is a private Catholic university located in Great Falls, Montana. Founded in 1932, the university includes both a School of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a School of Health Professions.
The Health Management Academy (The Academy) brings together top health system leaders and innovators to collectively address the industry’s biggest challenges and opportunities. By assisting member executives to cultivate their peer networks, understand key trends, develop next-generation leaders, and partner to self-disrupt, they are better positioned to transform healthcare.
