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During the course of a workweek, Worth Saunders wears many hats: negotiator, salesman, financier, mediator, regulatory guru, IT guy, and occasionally, cat herder.

Saunders is the chief administrative officer of Mid-South Imaging and Therapeutics, where, as the group practice administrator, the demands of his job are broad: He communicates the direction of this 30-member radiology group practice to its board of directors and keeps the doctors and other staff appraised of changes in the regulatory environment and the impact it will have on their business. He scans the horizon in search of growth opportunities for the group. And he makes sure the physicians (this is where cat herding comes in) stay abreast of their twin duties of patient care and providing direction for the company.

A decade or two ago, managers like Saunders might have risen from the ranks of a medical practice, moving from the front desk to eventually become a group's CAO. But in today's increasingly complex healthcare environment, the job of practice or hospital administrator requires much more business savvy. That's why the University of Memphis' School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy has been strengthening its ties to the healthcare community, to ensure those students who graduate with a Master's degree in health administration are well-qualified to tackle the complex job that awaits.

Even though the University of Memphis has offered a master's in health administration degree program since the mid-1970s, school leaders have worked diligently over the years to make sure the program keeps pace with the ever-changing healthcare climate.

The 51-semester hour degree program gives students a flavor for the most pressing healthcare issues, with coursework covering health policy and regulation, finance, management, and information technology. But this year's new group of graduate students will also take part in the Day One program, where one day each month is dedicated to experiential learning, bringing medical and business professionals into the classroom to teach everything from business writing and leadership skills to etiquette and protocol. The program is designed to dovetail with the college's emphasis on developing leadership and critical thinking skills.

"As technology improves, boomers age, and health care evolves, it ups the needs for critical thinkers," said La Don Jones, interim director for the MHA program. "Our students have to understand coding, billing, how to handle different insurance payers. On a global scale, they have to be good critical thinkers, strategic planners, and team builders."

Before joining the University of Memphis, Jones was a longtime administrator for Baptist Memorial Health Care. His involvement with various aspects of healthcare administration over his 30-year career gives him a unique perspective on administrative issues.

"I've seen things through the (eyes of the hospital) as well as the physicians," he said, which is why Jones is adamant about forging alliances with the Memphis medical community, so students can hear from industry leaders about the challenges they face.

For example, said Jones, "One thing we've done is develop a think-tank comprised of administrators running outpatient clinics. The university has always had a course that looked at ambulatory care but this will yield ideas of things we can do together."

To that end, Jones has united with the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), seeking their input and anticipating ways health administration students can work more closely with outpatient clinics, either doing internships or pilot projects with groups.

"I think that would be wonderful," said Dan Hein, president of MGMA and administrator/executive director with Memphis Orthopaedic Group. "Students need to see outside of the hospital-care setting because it represents such a high volume of healthcare providers. They often don't know this world exists."

With a greater emphasis on team work, the class will start the semester with a trip to Team Trek, the team-building program run by Gary Gore in Heber Springs, Ark. During the weekend course, students must step out of their comfort zone as they complete a ropes challenge course. It demands — and builds — trust in themselves, and their teams.

The correlation to the year's work ahead is clear: "We work closely with students on skill areas but also on global people skills," said Jones. "They'll be working with physicians, nurses, and other allied health professionals. It's a diverse group of individuals and professionals, so they need to be good team builders."

Why is that important for practice administrators? "You have to have an entrepreneurial mindset, but also be effective at your job," added Saunders. "It's not just about being politically savvy with relationships, but getting things done — setting objectives and meeting them. You must be a small business manager and be ready for the small business dynamic."

In other words, be comfortable wearing all those hats.

In addition to coursework, Jones said he wants the graduate students of this program to be a resource to the healthcare community. Through internships and special projects, students will get a chance to work in a variety of settings, from hospice and hospitals to private practice and outpatient offices. "If students have done project work at a practice level, they'll be miles ahead of their peers," said Hein.

At the end of the program, students complete a capstone course, akin to a thesis but with an experiential emphasis, where they study and recommend solutions to a health care problem. Jones cited one project where the student did a feasibility study for creating a dialysis center. To complete the project, students don't just write about it, but must also give a presentation of their study and findings. Jones sees this component as being another way of bridging the gap between the academic and business world. The net result, he hopes, will be self-evident.

"We want our students uniquely qualified and heads above the other programs," maintained Jones. "We want to know that they can put together a business plan, be polished, have great business skills, provide leadership and understand the community of Memphis so they really will stand out."
In the viewpoint of Saunders and Hein, they're on the right track. "It will enhance their marketability, I think," said Hein.

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