HPA e-Newsletter

Alumni News
Social Event for Philly Area Alumni on April 26th
The HPA APG is teaming up with the Biobehavioral Health and Nutrition alumni groups to host a social event for alumni in the greater Philadelphia and southern New Jersey region. Join us for an evening of fun networking on Wednesday, April 26 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Ten Stone Restaurant and Bar, which is located on the corner of 21st and South Streets in Philadelphia. Appetizers will be provided. In an effort to recoup some of the costs associated with hosting this event, we will be asking those in attendance for a $5 donation. Please contact Alyson Rosenfeld if you have any questions. We hope to see you there!
Alumnus Places 2nd in National Competition
Recent MHA alumnus Joshua Malecki received an impressive 2nd place finish (out of 48 entries) in the VA GHATP (Veteran Administration Graduate Health Administration Training Program) poster competition which occurred at ACHE Congress on Health Care Leadership in March. Judging was based upon aggregate scoring of the poster, a verbal presentation, and a question and answer session. The judges included individuals from the VA as well as the private sector. Josh's poster, "Creating Alignments to Overcome Clinical Inertia and Improve the Effectiveness of Diabetes Management," detailed ways the VA Western New York health system is redesigning how it approaches and thinks about diabetes care.

Nominees Sought for HPA APG Board of Directors
Do you want to become more involved with the HPA department but are not sure how? Join our alumni board! The Health Policy and Administration Affiliate Program Group (HPA APG) will be holding elections to replace its treasurer and one member-at-large position. Additionally, the board continually seeks alumni to join one of several committees including mentoring, communications, awards, and social/professional.

If you are interested in running for an office, please contact Greg Cullison by April 28th. If you are interested in becoming involved with a committee, please contact Doug Callenberger any time. We look forward to your participation!

HPA APGBuilding Relationships That Matter…
A critical mission of the Health Policy and Administration APG is to engage students and alumni by providing means to join them together for the advancement of the department, students and alumni alike. The HPA-APG board is committed to creating and facilitating these opportunities through professional education, networking, and mentoring programs. At the end of January, the HPA APG, in conjunction with the department and College, hosted a series of events that focused on career development and mentoring. To learn more click here.

Alumni Reception in Chicago
Nineteen undergraduate HPA students and three MHA students participated in the annual ACHE Congress on Healthcare Leadership in Chicago, March 26 – 30. In addition to the many interesting sessions at Congress, the students participated in several pre-conference preparatory sessions and in April will present a “mini Congress” to fellow HPA students, faculty and local healthcare providers. The highlight of the conference was an alumni reception on Tuesday, March 28 in the Hyatt of Chicago. Many ACHE-affiliated alumni and friends took advantage of the opportunity to meet the students along with HPA Department head Dr. Dennis Shea and faculty member Mike Meacham.

Updating Your Information is Just a Click Away
Have you recently moved? Got promoted? Changed companies? The HPA department would like to hear from you! Click here to update your profile information, share your news, and find out ways you can get more involved. Also, we encourage you to send this e-newsletter to HPA friends and alumni who may enjoy being more connected to the department.

Student News
Alison Rice Named Student Marshal
Alison Rice was selected as the HPA undergraduate student marshal for spring commencement. Rice is a 2001 graduate of Penn Manor High School, near Lancaster, PA. She maintains a 3.96 grade-point average and has made the Dean’s list every semester at Penn State . She is enrolled in the BS/MHA program, the Schreyer Honors College, is a recipient of the Stanley and Virginia Mayers Scholarship, received the Alumni Recognition for Student Excellence award, and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. She is active in the Women’s Leadership Initiative, was a THON dancer in 2002, and has worked with the Telehealth Research Project, which employs technology as a supplement to ongoing home health visits for people with diabetes. She has also completed internships at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Riddle Memorial Hospital and various projects at Mount Nittany Medical Center and Geisinger Medical Center. 

MHA Program Travels to the Nation’s Capital
The MHA program made its annual field trip, this year venturing to Washington, D.C. for a whirlwind of tours, presentations and receptions. The 30+ students began with a stop at the Washington Hospital Center, where Megan McKeown, MHA Class of 2005, is serving as this year’s Administrative Resident. Students were treated to a presentation on cardiac services (WHC has one of the most active cardiac care programs in the U.S.) and a tour of the cath lab. From there it was on to the Department of Health and Human Services where 3-time Penn State alum Steve Sheingold (and dad of current 1st year MHA student Joel) who serves as the Director, Division of Health Financing Policy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, gave a fascinating presentation on Pay for Performance and Health Savings Accounts over lunch. Then it was on to the National Institutes of Health for an excellent presentation on Change Management and its relationship to quality of care initiatives. Winding up the day was a reception at the Bethesda Marriott to meet and greet D.C. area alumni.

Co-chairs Recap THON 2006
This year, the HPA Club once again participated in the Penn State Dance Marathon raising over $8600 which significantly surpassed last year’s impressive total of $5800! We raised funds through letter solicitation, pledgebooking, and canning trips to Long Island, Syracuse, Virginia, Altoona, and Pittsburgh. To read more click here


 
Mock Interview Day
The MHA student club (Master of Health Administration Association) hosted its second annual Mock Interview Day and luncheon on Friday, January 27. This year’s event took place at the MBNA Career Services Center . Nine interviewers participated in a total of 34 interviews with 17 students. Each student received two interviews, and was placed with an interviewer based on the student’s interest in a specific health care sector or domain within an organization. Each interviewer provided feedback using student assessment forms, and provided coaching while discussing strengths and areas for improvement with their respective interviewees. The MHAA Mock Interview Day concluded with a luncheon including the interviewers, faculty members of the Department of Health Policy and Administration, and additional MHA students. If you are interesting in volunteering your time to interview students during next year’s mock interview day, please contact Mike Meacham.

Job Placements – MHA Class of 2006
This year’s graduating class has set a record pace for job placements as well as residency and fellowship placements. Of 18 graduating MHAs, 16 have full time placement as of this writing (April 20). Of those 16, ten will be in Administrative Residencies or Fellowships for the coming year at locations including: University of Minnesota Health System, Wake Forest Health System, Children’s Hospital of Denver, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Veterans Administration National Office, Veterans Administration – Buffalo, Veterans Administration - Palo Alto, the Washington Hospital Center, and the Henry Ford Health System. Full time placements include Johns Hopkins Hospital, Geisinger Health System, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte Consulting.
Faculty News

Dr. John Moran Joins Faculty
John R. Moran, Ph.D., joined the HPA faculty as an assistant professor in January 2006. Moran earned his doctorate in economics from Penn State in 1997. Upon receiving his doctorate, Moran worked as a research fellow in the Department of Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan. Prior to joining the HPA faculty, he was an assistant professor of economics and senior research associate in the Center for Policy Research, both at Syracuse University. Moran’s research interests include health economics, risk and insurance, and applied microeconomics. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Moran to our faculty.

Governor Names Professor to Health Care Reform Panel
Dennis Scanlon, associate professor, has been appointed by Gov. Ed Rendell to serve on the cost-containment panel, one of four panels of consumer, business, labor, industry and legislative representatives that will work with the Governor's Office of Health Care Reform on ideas to expand access to affordable, quality health-care coverage for every Pennsylvanian. To read more click here.
 

MHA Program Restructures
The HPA Department has recently restructured its Master of Health Administration (MHA) program’s leadership. Diane Brannon has assumed new responsibility as Curriculum Chair.  In this capacity, Dr. Brannon will focus on curriculum quality and integration and will assist faculty in progress toward competency-based teaching and assessment.  Michael Meacham will assume administrative responsibilities for the MHA program as the Executive Director.  In this capacity, Meacham will serve as Chair of the MHA Program Committee as well as be responsible for enrollment management, development of co-curricular initiatives, all administrative functions, and external / industry relations. 

Cancer Survivors Require Distinct Care, Report Says Citing shortfalls in the care currently provided to the country's 10 million cancer survivors, a new report recommends that each cancer patient receive a "survivorship care plan." The report, by the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council of the National Academies, said such plans should summarize information critical to the individual's long-term care, such as the cancer diagnosis, treatment, and potential consequences; the timing and content of follow-up visits; tips on maintaining a healthy lifestyle and preventing recurrent or new cancers; legal rights affecting employment and insurance; and the availability of psychological and support services.

HPA faculty member Pamela Farley Short is a member of the committee that wrote the report, which also called for new evidence-based clinical guidelines and standards to assure the quality of care given to cancer survivors, as well as for better coordination between specialists and primary care providers. To read more click here.
Study Examines Long-Term Care Needs of Seniors With Americans living longer, they face risks of needing long-term care (LTC) as they age. According to a new study led by HPA faculty member Peter Kemper, individuals currently turning age 65 face an average of three years of need for LTC some time before they die, with one in five expected to need five years of care or more. Much of the care will be provided by family members. Though half of today's retirees will incur no out-of-pocket expenses for LTC, 1 percent will need more than $250,000 of their own money set aside and invested at age 65 to pay for their future care.

The analysis, "Long-Term Care Over an Uncertain Future: What Can Current Retirees Expect?," examines the LTC needs, use and cost of care 65-year-olds face over the rest of their lives in the current (winter) issue of the journal Inquiry. To read more click here.


Events and Announcements
Staff Assistant Recognized
Beverly Fahr, HPA's graduate staff assistant, was selected to receive the 2006 Staff Appreciation Award from the College of Health and Human Development Alumni Society. This award honors one college staff member who actively promotes relationships among students, faculty, and alumni above and beyond the demands of his/her job. Over the years, Bev has dedicated herself to making HPA a great place for graduate students. She is frequently described by students as “caring,” “compassionate,” and “welcoming.” One student summed up Bev’s accomplishments perfectly. Whether by assisting faculty, staff, students or alumni, “She truly represents the best of Penn State".
New Faces  
HPA has two new staff members involved with its undergraduate advising. Susan Sanders is the department's academic counselor and will be responsible for undergraduate advising.  She comes to the department from the South Hills School of Business and Technology where she was an admissions representative for nearly ten years. Susan can be contacted at 814-863-2900 or sts11@psu.edu. Donna Panasiti recently joined HPA as the undergraduate staff assistant.  She brings a wealth of experience/knowledge from a similar position within the College. Donna can be reached at 814-863-2900 or dlp18@psu.edu.

Annual Pennsylvania Rural Health Conference to be Held on June 26 - 27 2006
The 14th Annual Pennsylvania Rural Health Conference, "Preserving Pathways to Rural Health" has been announced by The Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Penn State Cooperative Extension. For more information on the conference click here .


9th Annual Stanley P. Mayers Endowed Lecture Held on April 5, 2006
In conjunction with National Public Health Week, the 9th Annual Stanley P. Mayers Endowed Lecture was held on April 5th at the Penn Stater Conference Center. Carolyn Clancy, M.D., Director of the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), delivered the evening's keynote address. Dr. Clancy was appointed Director of AHRQ in February 2003. A general internist and health services researcher, Dr. Clancy holds an academic appointment at George Washington University School of Medicine and serves as Senior Associate Editor of Health Services Research. Dr. Clancy's remarks focused on AHRQ's policy and research agenda with a particular emphasis on access to care and health disparities. Program attendees left the evening with a sense of how AHRQ views access and disparities challenges as well as Dr. Clancy's views on how local providers and researchers can respond to these challenges.

Past News