Health Management and Policy Capstone
All second-year residential Master of Public Health (MPH) and Master of Health Services
Administration (MHSA) students in the Department of Health Management and Policy participate
in the Health Management and Policy Capstone during their final semester. During this
action-based integrated learning experience, students work in consulting teams to
help address key health services and health policy challenges at partner organizations.
Students
Students complete their capstone experience while enrolled in HMP 682: Integrated
Learning
Experience in Health Management and Policy. During the Capstone course, students utilize
the
skills and competencies that they developed during other HMP courses, projects and
internships
to recommend solutions to an actual problem or question within an organization. Capstone
provides a component of the HMP curriculum that helps prepare students for the demands
of
their future professional opportunities.
Capstone was the ultimate culmination of my time in HMP. My group benefited from great team dynamics and diversity of thought. We learned the importance of defining project scope and analyzing data without any predefined problems or solutions in mind. Capstone led to newly formed bonds with classmates and was the perfect way to close out two unforgettable years.
Amanda Fakih, MHSA '19
The capstone course was one of my favorite experiences of the HMP program. It enabled me to utilize my learnings from the program's curriculum to solve a real-world challenge facing a SE Michigan FQHC. This hands-on experience underscored for me the importance of being flexible in the face of unforeseen challenges and how trust with your team can drive success. These lessons have already enabled my success in my fellowship.
Philip Cooper, HMP '20
Capstone was among the most impactful applied-learning experiences I participated in. My Capstone team was able to leverage knowledge acquired in the classroom to immediately and directly add value to our client through project work. On an individual-level, this course allowed me to enhance my abilities to utilize systems thinking, balance competing priorities and reflect on my personal strengths, weaknesses and leadership style.
Kendall Huizenga, MHSA '20
Partners
As one of the leading Health Management and Policy programs nationally, our students
are
immersed in an educational experience to foster a comprehensive understanding of health
services and policy and to contribute to the improvement of health systems, public
policy, health
access, and equity. We source projects from a range of health services providers and
policy
organizations – such as hospitals, other healthcare providers, government organizations,
health
departments, community organizations, and payors – to cater to the diverse interests
of our
students.
To work with a capstone team, contact us at hmpcapstone@umich.edu to explore partnering or
to propose a project.
Previous Partners
Students worked with Henry Ford Health System, a leading healthcare and medical services provider in Detroit, to develop an analytics dashboard to help analyze claims and referrals data.
Students worked with Meridian Health, an insurance provider in Michigan and Illinois, to develop a business case for integrating behavioral health into the medical benefit for managed care organizations in the State of Michigan.