Blog: Celebrating Rising Rankings

The Department of Health Policy and Management is doubly celebrating the 2019 U.S. News and World Report rankings, which are concrete evidence of our school’s commitment to top-notch public health and health administration education. Both the Milken Institute School of Public Health and our department’s Master of Health Administration program are now ranked #12 in the country. The Milken Institute SPH rose two spots and our MHA program jumped four spots.The Milken Institute SPH excels at translating public health policy into practice and conducting world-class research on some of the most difficult health problems facing the world today. As the school’s largest department, the Department of Health Policy and Management plays a key role by carrying out a broad portfolio of research that is widely respected by policymakers, legislators, healthcare providers, administrators, payers and consumers navigating our country’s complex and evolving healthcare system.Our MHA program has continued to grow and attract an increasingly talented group of students who go on to highly sought-after fellowships and residencies across the country. The program’s leaders and faculty work tirelessly to support our MHA students in their academic and professional pursuits. Those efforts have paid off in steadily rising rankings. In 2004, the program was ranked at #28. It rose to #22 in 2009 and to #16 in 2014. Douglas Anderson, PhD, MHA, FACMPE is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Services Management and Leadership. Until last October, he served as the Director of the school’s residential Master of Health Administrationprogram. For the past 30 years, he successfully managed and directed both physician group medical practices, serving as a Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer for a number of practices.Robert Bonar, DrHA is the Gordon A. Friesen Professor of Healthcare Administration and Director of Master of Health Administration program. His 40 years of experience in health care management and health care leadership roles include clinical service, middle management, senior leadership with direct board of governance exposure, and teaching at the graduate and undergraduate levels.Leonard H. Friedman, PhD, MPH, FACHE is a Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management and is the Director of the Executive Master of Health Services Administration (MHA@GW) program. A Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, he is an expert on the mechanisms of organizational change and strategic decision-making in health service organizations. Jane Hyatt Thorpe, JD is the Interim Chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management. She also serves as the Director of the Healthcare Corporate Compliance Program. She specializes in healthcare law and policy in the areas of Medicare, Medicaid, health care delivery systems and financing, health information exchange and technology, and corporate compliance.