The many changes in health care resulting from government administration, new advancements in technology and ever fluctuating populations have created a need for managers who can deal with a multitude of challenges specific to the health care industry. Health care administrators need to understand business concepts as well as health-related aspects of the care delivery. The University of Evansville HSA program offers this diversified learning environment.

Health Care Administrators are employed by a wide variety of organizations including hospitals, managed care companies, outpatient care facilities, pharmaceutical companies, mental health organizations, public health agencies and any organization that has a stake in health care today. The need for health services administrators is projected to increase faster than the average of all occupations through the next 5-10 years.

Alumni Profile

Hailey Pickerel

Hailey Pickerel wanted a career that challenged her and provided her opportunities for growth. “Health Services Administration has allowed me to be involved in something that is a crucial part of society,” she said. “We can no longer ignore the changes and challenges within health care. I want to be a part of these changes and feel I am making a difference in an area that impacts everyone.”

Students are encouraged to participate in many aspects of campus life at the University of Evansville, and Hailey took full advantage of those opportunities by studying abroad at Harlaxton College, shadowing hospital administrators at St. Thomas and Baptist Hospitals in Nashville, Tennessee, and participating in a variety of campus organizations including a sorority, College Mentors for Kids, and UE Leadership Academy. “Becoming involved as a leader in student organizations like College Mentors for Kids provided me with the communication and organizational skills necessary to work with others and succeed professionally,” she said. “My entire UE experience has shaped who I am today."

After graduation, Hailey utilized the networking skills she gained through the University of Evansville’s Office of Career Services and UE Leadership Academy workshops to arrange meetings with health care executives around Nashville. “I went into interviews and meetings confident that my education and leadership experiences at UE would set me apart,” she said. After several months of networking, she began working on the Master Data Management Team at Ascension Health. As part of Ascension Health's Symphony Project, she worked at the system level to streamline operational practices and maintain the consistency and accuracy of master data across Finance, Human Resources and Supply Chain functional areas. In March of 2012, she changed jobs to work at Accenture in Management Consulting within the Health and Public Service Industry.

“The HSA program led by Dr. Stroube is a perfect segue into modern healthcare administrative practices,” she said. “The small classes and attentive professors allowed me to really absorb the material and forced me to be accountable for my work.”