Business, MBA Degrees Help Alumnus to Excel in Health Care Management Career Alumni Profile
Meet Michael Gartland
- Job Title & Employer
- Project Manager, Healthcare Management Solutions, LLC
- Majors/Programs
- Business Management, M.B.A.
- Minor
- Health Systems Management concentration
- Graduation
- 2008, 2010
- College Activities
- Alpha Chi Honor Society
- Hometown
- Plum, Pa.
- High School
- Plum Senior High School
- Now Living In
- Plum, Pa.
- Hobbies & Interests
- Spending time with my wife, Sandy, and four children, performing with the local church’s music ministry (guitar and bass), home improvements and reading
"In addition to the skillset that he acquired during the course of his career, Michael brings a fresh perspective, maturity and emotional intelligence which allows him to come up with elegant solutions to complex problems. I believe that his ability to analyze and dissect problems using his out-of-the-box thinking and come up with unorthodox and simple solutions, can be attributed to the skills that he acquired at Point Park University."
"Earning my MBA with a concentration in health systems management at Point Park University provided the perfect balance of managerial and financial concepts with practical applications in the health care arena."
How has your MBA degree helped you achieve success in your health care career?
Earning my MBA with a concentration in health systems management at Point Park University provided the perfect balance of managerial and financial concepts with practical applications in the health care arena. This balance allowed me to build upon my experiences in diagnostic medical laboratory billing, health plan operations and Medicare cost report auditing to make a positive impact in hospital revenue cycle, post-acute care compliance and quality and most recently in supporting and overseeing compliance activities for federal health payor programs.
Tell us about the work you do.
I currently serve in two roles at Healthcare Management Solutions. First, as a project manager, I lead efforts related to Bundled Payment for Care Improvement model compliance and monitoring and Comprehensive End-Stage Renal Disease Care model adherence to quality metrics.
I am also a senior reviewer for the Marketplace Plan Management Compliance Reviews contract that ensures Qualified Health Plan Issuer compliance with federally facilitated exchange requirements. My focus in this program is designing and conducting ad-hoc reviews, protocol testing and coordinating special project and report requests.
Additionally, I am a member of HMS’ proposal team and have served as subject matter expert on multiple awards. Prior to joining HMS, I directed the compliance & ethics and quality programs of a network post-acute care provider where I was responsible for implementing a seven-element compliance program, as well as overseeing privacy and quality assurance activities throughout the organization.
This role included assessing risks to non-compliance in billing, manufacturing, and care delivery, designing and executing internal audits and evaluations for compliance with federal and state laws and regulations and ensuring quality standards were met and maintained as related to Medicare, Medicaid, Food and Drug Administration, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, HAZMAT, National Transportation Safety Board, as well as The Joint Commission accreditation for home care.
What factors made you choose Point Park for graduate school?
I chose Point Park for graduate studies because of its MBA concentration in health systems management, the University’s accreditation with the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE), the convenient location near my office in Downtown Pittsburgh and my experience as a Point Park University undergraduate business alumnus.
I graduated from Point Park University with my undergraduate degree in business management in 2008 and was looking for a graduate program with a focus in health care. Point Park happened to be promoting its recently developed MBA concentrations and touting its accreditation with the IACBE during my search. I had such great experiences in the undergraduate program, so I knew Point Park was my top choice.
What are your favorite Point Park memories?
Some of my favorite memories at Point Park include the classroom discussions with experienced and knowledgeable professors that kept those incredibly long Saturday lectures interesting and engaging! Hitting the University Center for research and study time was also enjoyable and, of course, lunchtime at the Point Café with my classmates.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I am glad to find myself working with fellow Point Park alumni at Healthcare Management Solutions!