Jewish Healthcare Fellowship Helps M.B.A. Student Expand Knowledge of Health Policy Thursday, October 22, 2015
Meet Monet R. Miller
Fellowship: Patient Safety Fellow for the Jewish Healthcare Foundation
Job title: Medical Assistant
Employer: Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC
Degree pursuing: M.B.A. with concentrations in health systems management and international business
Expected graduation: May 2017
Grad school activities: Member of the Urban League Young Professionals of Pittsburgh and the National Black M.B.A. Association, Pittsburgh Chapter
Degree earned: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Fisk University, 2007
Hometown and current residence: Pittsburgh, Pa.
High school: Schenley High School
Hobbies/interests: Reading vampire fiction, Cosplay and Tekko Con in Pittsburgh, volunteering at Children's Hospital and being involved with my church
Why did you decide to do a fellowship with the Jewish Healthcare Foundation?
I became a part of the fellowship program at the Jewish Healthcare Foundation to gain additional experience that would be advantageous to me as an M.B.A. student concentrating in health systems management. I also was curious to learn about new innovations in patient safety and how that knowledge could impact my patients in my daily role as a health care professional.
Tell us about what you learned at your fellowship this past summer.
My fellowship was focused on how to eliminate waste in the health care industry and how to use the Toyota Production System Model and LEAN Startup methodology to solve systematic problems that arise in health care. I also learned how to correctly participate in site observations using tools such as target condition, process mapping and root cause analysis.
At the end of my fellowship, my teammates and I presented our analysis to real-world business partners of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation. Our team's goal was to effectively create proposals that will ultimately be implemented in the site communities in which we observed.
Why did you choose Point Park's M.B.A. program?
I adore Point Park University! I chose Point Park for the caliber of professors with real-world knowledge of current business practices. Point Park has real passion for the City of Pittsburgh and it shows through the different community opportunities that are available through the M.B.A. program and the University as a whole.
How did you effectively balance your time being a fellow, grad student and UPMC employee?
Honestly, I don't know how I survived this past summer! I put my volunteering duties on hold for the summer and set aside specific evening and weekend times to study and complete homework. Also, my employer was flexible and allowed me to leave work early to attend my fellowship.
What have been your favorite Point Park M.B.A. classes so far and why?
Health Care Policy Analysis and Health Economics have been my favorite classes so far because I really enjoyed looking at health care systems in other countries and understanding how and why those countries are managing health care costs better than the United States. I also loved how Dr. Archish Maharaja has such a vast knowledge and passion for health care systems.
What are your career goals?
My career goals are to make positive changes in the health care industry for patients and their families in regards to overall quality of care through the standardization of care. At this point, I am unsure of which sector of health care I want to work in to create this type of change. However, I do know that I really enjoy the field of health care policy.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Pursuing my M.B.A from Point Park University has been one of the best decisions I have made for my career. I wouldn't entrust my future to any other university.
Photo by Victoria A. Mikula, junior mass communication major
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