With the rapidly evolving situation and public health concerns involving the novel coronavirus, "THE POWER TO HEAL" screening event is cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience, but our priority is the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff, plus all our family and friends.
Every year the Department of Health Services Administration hosts numerous annual events for students, alumni and supporters. Many of the events are supported through endowments.
To learn more about how you can support current or future programs please contact Randa Hall at 205-934-3332 or
Upcoming Events
- Preceptors' Conference and Career Networking Expo
- ACHE Networking Event
- HSA Research Seminar Series
- InnoHack
- L.R. (Rush) Jordan Distinguished Lecture Series
- MSHA Classic
- Van Zile Scott Lecture
- Webinars
- UAB Health Administration Case Competition
- UAB National Symposium for Healthcare Executives
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Preceptors' Conference and Career Networking Expo
Save the Date
August 29-31, 2023
The annual Preceptors' Conference kicks off the administrative residency search process for UAB MSHA students. It provides a unique two-day opportunity for preceptors, students, alumni, and faculty to network.
Day one includes a Preceptors' Reception where second-year students, faculty, and alumni network in a casual setting with preceptors from across the United States.
Day two the intensity picks up with an all-day Roundtable event. Designed like speed dating, each student spends six minutes at a Preceptors' table answering and asking questions. UAB is fortunate to have 40 – 45 organizations participate each year.
At the end of this day, the preceptors and students each submit their top interests. A sophisticated computer system matches the preceptors and students for longer format interviews on Friday. On that day, students have 6-12, 25-minute interviews with preceptors in an effort to gain an on-site interview for an administrative residency.
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ACHE Networking Event
Join us Virtually
March 23, 2021
You'll have a great time meeting our current GPHA Board Members while we share recipes for favorite cocktails and appetizers and meet others attending during breakout sessions.
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HSA Research Seminar Series
Save the Date
To be determined
The UAB Department of Health Services Administration invites researchers to campus to give presentations on various topics and allows the speaker to spend time with faculty and doctoral students. The purpose of the HSA Research Seminar Series is to build and sustain collaborations with scholars from other universities; learn, stay-up-to-date on research of interest to department faculty and students; showcase UAB faculty and department; and provides opportunity for conversation/dialogue among department faculty and others from UAB research community.
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InnoHack
Save the Date
To be determined
UAB School of Health Professions BuildingBirmingham's first health care hackathon is back and bigger than ever in 2020! This two-day team competition is designed to solve the biggest health care crises facing Alabama.
Everyone will register as an individual and will then be randomly assigned to a team the day of the event. This will create maximum inter-professional collaboration, true teamwork and unique ideas.
For more information, please contact Randa Hall, associate chair for external relations & alumni affairs, Department of Health Services Administration, at 205-934-3332 or at
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
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L.R. (Rush) Jordan Distinguished Lecture Series
L. R. (Rush) Jordan had a distinguished career as a healthcare executive and educator. His vision and leadership fundamentally changed the healthcare delivery system.
From 1987 – 2002, Jordan served as professor of Health Services Administration at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and provided residency/fellowship opportunities for UAB students. When he retired from UAB, the L.R. Jordan Distinguished Lecture Series was established to sustain his legacy of integrating healthcare practitioners into the classroom. This lecture series brings prominent health care leaders to the UAB campus.
In addition to his service to the UAB Department of Health Services Administration, he led the transformation process for numerous healthcare organizations including Duke University Medical Center, Birmingham Baptist Hospitals, Ochsner Clinics and Foundation, Shands at the University of Florida, and Miami Valley Hospital. He contributed significantly to health administration education by serving as Chair of the Accrediting Commission on Education for Health Services Administration.
Jordan's vision for improving the coordination and delivery of health care was evident by being one of the founding members of the Voluntary Hospitals of America. He was an exemplary mentor to hundreds of students who have become today’s senior healthcare executives. And in this capacity, he played a significant role in developing many men and women into leaders who have made important contributions to management of the health services delivery system.
When he retired from active practice in 1987, his friends and colleagues honored him by establishing the L. R. Jordan Endowed Chair in Health Services Administration at UAB, one of the first endowed chairs in the country to be named for a practicing healthcare executive.
For his tremendous contributions to the field of health administration, Rush Jordan was inducted into Modern Healthcare’s Health Care Hall of Fame in 2000.
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MSHA Classic
Every year, our Residential Master of Science in Health Administration students host the MSHA Classic. Traditionally it is held in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn about the next event at the MSHA Classic website.
In addition to being a wonderful day of networking, the event provides leadership opportunities for our students and a chance for all of us to give back to our students as well as to our greater Birmingham community.
Scholarships
The main purpose of the MSHA Classic is to provide a scholarship fund for students who are interested in attending healthcare conferences for professional development and networking opportunities, such as the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Conference, Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), and the National Symposium for Healthcare Executives.
Philanthropy
In addition to providing a scholarship fund, the MSHA Classic also supports a local philanthropy each year. The host Class chooses a group making an impact in our area. In the past, they have supported Magic Moments, Christ Health Center, and M-POWER Ministries – to name a few.
We hope you will consider participating in our tournament, donating to our fund or sponsoring this event. We sincerely appreciate your consideration and your efforts and look forward to our next successful tournament in the Spring.
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Van Zile Scott Lecture
Save the Date
To be determined
The Van Zile Scott Lecture was endowed by a gift to the University of Alabama at Birmingham from Dr. and Mrs. Edward Van Zile Scott. The lecture enables the Department to bring outstanding speakers to campus who represent health services research and health administration practice.
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Webinars
Available Webinars
UAB's Department of Health Services Administration (HSA) along with the Alumni Association of the Graduate Programs in Health Administration (GPHA) are committed to prividing pertinent programming for our graduates. We are currently hosting webinars from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm CST on the 2nd Tuesday each month, focusing on topics that impact healthcare leadership, informatics, quality and safety and simulation. We ask that you register for each webinar.
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UAB Health Administration Case Competition
Save the Date
February 22 - 24, 2023
The UAB Health Administration Case Competition provides graduate students from CAHME-accredited programs an opportunity to put what they have learned into practice with a real-life, real-time case. It is designed to be a capstone experience for graduate students across the United States and Canada.
Graduate student teams travel to Birmingham, Alabama every year to present on their recommendations before a national panel of judges. The first, second, and third place teams receive cash awards at the final ceremony.
For more information visit the Case Competition website.
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UAB National Symposium for Healthcare Executives
Save the Date
October 19-21, 2022
The Club, BirminghamWe have set the theme for this year's event - "Courageous Leadership for a Changing Future" - and we have already booked some great speakers for the 40th edition of this event. We are also working on developing a daytime schedule that will once again offer you ACHE Face-to-Face Education Credit, as well as an evening schedule that is sure to entertain.
More Events
UAB’s Department of Health Services Administration (HSA) has a long history of training rising and experienced healthcare leaders and developing the discipline of health care administration around the world. We are privileged to have accomplished teaching and research faculty and to be situated within a thriving medical center that is home to the 3rd largest public hospital in the U.S. We are dedicated to developing leaders with a broad worldview and commitment to global citizenship.
Ranked Nationally
Our academic programs at all levels are nationally recognized for their exceptional research and service learning opportunities. U.S. News & World Report 2015 “Best Graduate Schools” lists 12 UAB programs in the Top 25 and we are proud to say HSA is home to the highest ranked UAB program.
- U.S. News & World Report: #1 in the nation for healthcare management graduate schools
- Highest ranked program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
- TheBestSchools.org: #1 in the U.S. for an online healthcare management degree
- U.S. News & World Report 2015 “Best Graduate Schools” lists 12 UAB programs in the Top 25
Respected Globally
Alumni and current students of UAB’s health administration programs are leading major hospitals and health systems around the world. Graduates of our programs hold a world-class degree from an institution that has gained global recognition and respect in the field of health care management from Europe to the Middle East to Asia.
Our graduates have also been named among the “100 Leaders of Great Hospitals in America” and “50 Experts Leading the Field of Patient Safety.” Our accomplished faculty members have worked globally for decades, conducting collaborative research, developing institutional partnerships, serving on the editorial boards of numerous European journals, and leading international professional associations.
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Signature Programs
UAB provides customized instruction tailored specifically to each partner’s needs, delivered at the partner’s site, or delivered at UAB’s state of the art campus in Birmingham, Alabama.
Years of teaching experience has allowed UAB to provide meaningful content within the classroom setting that incorporates theory and practice to create the maximum possible impact within your institution.
UAB’s signature global programs seek to create a vibrant global forum to build partnerships, share best practices, and improve healthcare around the world.
Academic Programs
Executive Master of Science in Health Administration - The executive format of the program uses a blended model of education that contains significant face-to-face educational content along with enhanced distance education. The program prepares practicing professionals for executive leadership positions across the full spectrum of health care settings.
Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Quality and Safety Programs - The program, which offers a Master's and a Graduate Certificate, prepares individuals to provide leadership in the design, implementation, and evaluation of clinical and non-clinical process improvement and patient safety activities in complex healthcare environments.
Customized Professional Development
Continuing Education Courses - Delivered in partnership with the Center for Healthcare Management & Leadership, courses span diverse topics such as Leadership, Health Policy, Healthcare Finance, Healthcare Quality Improvement, Strategic Management, and Conflict Management. Customized courses are available.
Personalized Leadership Development - Each experience is tailored to help executives, clinicians and scholars develop their maximum leadership potential. Activities may include rotations with health care executives, applied projects with faculty mentorship, personal leadership assessments and development plans, and executive coaching.
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Global Partnerships
The UAB Department of Health Services Administration’s first foray into international education began in the 1980’s with partnerships in China and the Middle East.
Our diverse partnerships include:
- China - HSA has partnered with Tsinghua University Shenzhen Graduate School for faculty and student exchange. HSA is also working with Southern Medical University in Guangzhou to deliver health management education to Chinese students and to develop exchange programs.
- Italy - HSA has a long-standing relationship with SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan, Italy. Our partnership includes faculty exchange and research collaboration. Our partners have also hosted our US-based executive students for an in-depth study of the Italian health system.
- The Netherlands - HSA has an agreement with Radboud University for faculty and student exchange. Our partners have also hosted our US-based executive doctoral students for an in-depth study of the Dutch health system.
- Turkey - As part of a broader agreement between our two universities, UAB has hosted PhD students from Hacettepe University for an eight-week research residency. Students were paired with HSA faculty mentors for a cultural immersion experience that expanded their research portfolio.
- Saudi Arabia - HSA is actively involved in shaping the discipline of health care management across the Kingdom through several programs. We offer an executive Master of Science in Health Administration program with multi-hospital participation in partnership with King Fahad Specialist Hospital in Dammam. Our alumni have established a national professional association in the field of healthcare management and work with UAB faculty to offer networking and continuing education for leaders from across the Kingdom.
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Health System Visits
UAB is committed to developing global citizens and expanding the worldview of healthcare’s future leaders. Our executive Master’s and Doctoral programs incorporate a unique capstone experience through in-depth visits with institutions, practitioners and policy experts to learn how healthcare is organized, financed, and delivered in another country. This valuable experience offers an unparalleled, rich environment for the study of comparative health systems.
Trip highlights from previous visits can be found for the following locations:
Contact Us
We look forward to starting the dialogue about how we can partner to create a vibrant global forum to advance the field of health care management. We welcome you to contact us with your questions or ideas.
S. Robert Hernandez, DrPH
Professor and Senior Associate Chair for Global Health
1-205-934-1665
Leandra Y. Celaya, MSc
Director of Operations, International Education Programs and Executive Doctoral Program
1-205-934-3588
Our Mission is to develop leaders to shape tomorrow’s health care.
Our Vision is to be recognized as the global leader in health services administration and research.
Our Values
As a department, we value:
- Excellence: We are driven to do our best, learn from our setbacks, and tenaciously seek to improve.
- Collaboration: We value partnerships and recognize that our success is due to the talent and time of the entire team.
- Respect: We honor and appreciate the traditions, beliefs, and individuality of all.
- Integrity: We are committed to honesty and authenticity, adhering to strong moral & ethical principles in everything we do.
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: We believe our diversity is a source of our strength and strive to understand, value and involve all.
Our Commitment to Inclusive Excellence
As a university, UAB is committed to creating an environment that can serve as the model for the kind of society it strives to build – one of inclusion, fairness, civility and mutual respect. As a department, we have also made a concerted effort to examine and promote these ideals. Among some of our department activities:
- We created the UAB Academy for Addressing Health Disparities through Healthcare Leadership with a goal to decrease health disparities in the United States, increase the diversity of health care leadership in U.S. healthcare organizations and increase the diversity of qualified applicants who apply and are admitted to HSA graduate programs.
- We helped found the National Center for Leadership Excellence (NCHL) Graduate Education Health Management Collaborative (GEHM LENS) with 10 other top programs; working to enhance diversity and inclusion in programs across the country.
- Our faculty lead research projects focused on implicit bias, cultural competence, social determinants of health and other topics.
- We created a department DEI Task Force, which leads activities like “Inclusive Excellence in Action” training, creating a department quilt which includes visual representation and symbols of our nearly 60 faculty and staff’s cultures, beliefs, values and backgrounds, movie and book discussions and other self-assessment activities.
Jessica Hillman Williams, PhD, MPH
Susan Packa Dawson
Pam Armstrong
Amy Yarbrough Landry
Heather Lee, MPH
Amy Yarbrough Landry
Sue Feldman, RN, MEd, PhD
Allyson Hall, PhD
Ashleigh Allgood
Michelle Brown, PhD
Ashleigh Allgood
S. Robert Hernandez, DrPH
Leandra Celaya, MSc
K. Ria Hearld, PhD Deztanity Williams Robert Weech-Maldonado, PhD
Eta S. Berner, EdD Patrick A. Grusenmeyer, ScD, FACHE
Allyson Hall, PhD Patrick A. Grusenmeyer, ScD, FACHE
BS in Health Care Management
Program Director
205-975-2925,
Director of Operations
205-934-5173,
MS in Health Administration - Residential
Administrative Assistant
205-934-1583,
PhD Director/Academic Lead
205-996-7767,
MS in Health Administration -
Executive
Director of Operations
205-996-6593,
PhD Director/Academic Lead
205-996-7767,
MS in Health Informatics
Program Director
205-975-0809,
MS in Healthcare Quality and Safety
Program Director
205-934-1672,
Director of Operations
205-934-3529,
MS in Healthcare Simulation
Program Director
205-934-9617,
Director of Operations
205-934-3529,
Executive Doctor of Science (DSc) in Healthcare Leadership
Director
205-934-1665,
Director of Operations
205-934-3588,
Administration - Health Services, PhD (Residential)
Director
205-934-1670,
Center for Health Organization Transformation (CHOT)
Program Manager
205-996-0176,
205-996-5838,
Center for Health Informatics for Patient Safety/Quality (CHIPS/Q)
Director
205-975-8219,
Center for Healthcare Management & Leadership
Director
205-996-5773,
Graduate Certificate for Healthcare Quality and Safety (Quality Academy)
Program Director
205-934-1672,
National Symposium for Healthcare Executives
Director
205-996-5773,
With more than 4,000 alumni across the world, graduates from our department continue to make a difference – improving health care delivery and inspiring future leaders. Come to UAB and you will join an elite group making contributions that improve health, health care, and quality of life for patients and communities.
We offer tailored, specialized instruction and forge relationships with our students that last a lifetime. You will learn from world-renowned faculty and seasoned practitioners to ensure you have the most marketable skills upon graduation.
For a quick overview and details of all we offer, please read our department booklet.
Our Degree Programs
Undergraduate
Healthcare Management
Fast-Track Programs
BS in Healthcare Management to MS in Occupational Therapy
BS in Healthcare Management to MS in Health Informatics
Graduate Certificate
Graduate Certificate in Clinical Informatics
Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Quality & Safety
Ready to Learn More?
The Department of Health Services Administration website offers a glimpse of how each of our programs can help you further your knowledge and career. If you have any questions, please contact us at