Program: Master of Health Administration (MHA)
As a young kid, I remember accompanying my parents and family members to doctor, lab, pharmacy and medical appointments as a “translator.” I saw how much all of these healthcare professionals were able to help my family members get better in a caring and compassionate way. It felt natural and rewarding for me to evolve into a career in this field.
I went back to school after graduating more than 20 years ago and many of the students were half my age! I had a good chuckle, felt “old,” but ultimately enjoyed learning, becoming colleagues and now good friends with many of these bright minds of the future!
Step out of your comfort zone, enjoy the experience and take the opportunity to network. The MHA program encompasses a dynamic array of topics and lectures -all of them so relevant to today’s health environment.
As an unintended consequence of COVID-19, the rapid adoption, acceptance, remote accessibility and convenience of virtual health technologies is a new tool to complement continuous care. I hope this continues to evolve and improve the quality of care for patients.
As for the elderly and vulnerable populations, the added stress of isolating from loved ones can be very stressful and lonely. The gap in equitable access to virtual technologies should be addressed to overcome some of these challenges.
Right now, I’m focusing some time to look after my aging parents. Long term, I hope to combine my clinical and newly refined leadership skills gained from the MHA program to seek new and challenging opportunities to improve healthcare outcomes for all British Columbians.