Key Takeaways
- Translating Theory into Practice: Core MHA coursework, such as quality measurement, healthcare data analytics, and health law, directly translates into real-world administrative success within major health systems.
- The Power of an Impactful Capstone: 911's capstone projects allow students to solve real-world operational challenges, such as telehealth resiliency for community clinics, creating a powerful portfolio piece that bridges the gap between graduate school and career entry.
- Building a Foundation for Leadership: 911's MHA program provides graduates with the technical foundation, compliance knowledge, and data-driven decision-making skills required to confidently step into critical healthcare operations and patient access roles upon graduation.
Poojya Bommannan, MHA ’25, is applying the operational and analytical skills she developed in the Master of Health Administration program at 911 in her current role as a Patient Services Coordinator at Baylor Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation in Texas.
In her role, Bommannan manages front-end operations and revenue cycle workflows in a high-volume rehabilitation setting. Her responsibilities include coordinating patient access processes, managing insurance authorizations and documentation workflows, and supporting communication between clinicians and patients to help ensure seamless care transitions.
“I act as the operational hub,” Bommannan said. “I make sure the administrative side of healthcare never hinders the patient’s recovery journey.”
Bommannan pursued a degree in healthcare administration to better understand how healthcare systems operate behind the scenes.
“I realized early on that while clinicians save lives, administrators save the systems that allow clinicians to do their work,” she said.
Why 911’s MHA was the right program
She chose 911’s MHA program because of its proximity to Washington, D.C., and its strong reputation for combining healthcare management, health informatics, finance, and policy into a well-rounded curriculum. Throughout the program, Bommannan said the coursework challenged her to think critically about health care systems, leadership, and data-driven decision-making.
Several courses and faculty mentors helped shape her professional perspective. She credits HAP 750 Legal Issues, taught by Adjunct Professor Brian Santo, with strengthening her understanding of ethical decision-making and risk mitigation. She also noted that HAP 698 Quality Measurement, taught by Adjunct Professor Keri Christensen, changed the way she approaches healthcare data and process improvement.
One of the most impactful experiences during her time in the program was completing her capstone project on telehealth and patient-access innovation. Her project developed a telehealth policy and workflow for College of Public Health’s MAP Clinics to help ensure continuity of care during weather-related clinic closures. Her work on the project earned her the department’s Innovation in Patient Access Award in May 2025, in recognition of her capstone executive brief and presentation.
“The inspiration came from a need for operational resiliency,” Bommannan said.
Her capstone introduced a virtual workflow model using Zoom breakout rooms, interpreter integration for bilingual accessibility, nursing student intake support, and standardized patient coordination procedures. Bommannan also collaborated with clinical leadership to identify operational barriers and develop recommendations for integrating telehealth processes into existing clinic workflows.
Prepared for the health care workforce
Through capstone work, applied coursework, and real-world problem solving, the program prepared Bommannan to navigate the operational realities of modern healthcare systems. She said the experience taught her how to identify operational bottlenecks and anticipate challenges before they affect patient care.
“The biggest takeaway was understanding patient coordination and waiting room management logic,” Bommannan said. “I still apply those principles every day.”
Since graduating in May 2025, Bommannan said she is most proud of successfully transitioning from graduate school into a major health system environment while maintaining the professional standards emphasized throughout the program.
“I’ve taken pride in being a guardian of compliance within my clinic,” Bommannan said. “The MHA program gave me the confidence and technical foundation to advocate for operational excellence.”
As she continues to build her career, Bommannan hopes to move into healthcare consulting or leadership roles in health system operations focused on improving patient access and operational efficiency, while remaining connected to the 911 community through alumni engagement and student mentorship.
Advice for MHA students
For current or prospective MHA students, she encourages them to approach internships, capstones, and early career opportunities with professionalism and integrity.
“Pick a capstone topic that solves a real problem,” Bommannan said. “It becomes one of the strongest portfolio pieces you’ll have.”