The American College of Healthcare Executives recognizes outstanding healthcare leaders who have made a significant impact on our community. This year, two of our students received the ACHE-NJ Early Careerist Award – Justin Deonarine (PH/MPH ’26) and Jack Hemphill (MHA ’22, DHA ’27).
Topic
health administration
EJB Talks: Lifelong Learning and Leadership in Healthcare
With nearly four decades of healthcare administrative experience, William Tuttle explains how his journey began with his decision to shift from medicine to hospital management. He talks about his 38 years with Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, where he advanced through multiple roles from managing service departments to leading a rural hospital and later overseeing physician recruitment and large construction projects.
Where Health Meets Policy: A Vision for Equitable Care
“Growing up, I witnessed firsthand the challenges many people faced in accessing healthcare due to limited resources and personnel, and I aspired to work in healthcare. As a research fellow with the Ralph W. Voorhees Fellowship Program in Public Service and intern at the New Jersey State Policy Lab, I had the opportunity to explore person-centered care, maternal health disparities, and policy impacts on community well-being. These experiences solidified my passion for policy research and shaped my academic focus on the social determinants of health.”
Leading in Healthcare from Behind the Scenes
“I realized leadership was something I wanted to pursue in the future. Health administration combines my leadership abilities with my desire to improve healthcare systems and have a positive influence on the larger organization. I’ve made wonderful connections with Bloustein School professors who have helped me in various ways, from suggesting internships to interacting with people in healthcare systems. These opportunities have shaped my aspiration to become a healthcare leader who understands the system from multiple angles—clinical, administrative, and corporate.”
Real Problems Inspire Real Solutions: Transforming Healthcare
“I really like when professors make you think critically and apply real-world situations to the lectures. Healthcare is complicated, and making things easy isn’t doing anyone any favors. Thinking critically is important in this field. Independent doctor offices are being swallowed up by corporate medical chains, and running a medical practice has become so convoluted and confusing that it’s almost impossible to be independent. I want to make things better and make healthcare more accessible, affordable, and fair—for doctors and patients alike.”
Exploring the World, Improving Healthcare Systems
“Growing up in a business-focused household, I developed a strong foundation in business. Health administration is the perfect blend of that background in business and my passion for healthcare. In my internship, I had the opportunity to utilize Lean and Six Sigma tools and methodologies to assess and improve current state processes. It solidified my interest in healthcare consulting and performance improvement.”
Public Health with Purpose: An Athlete-to-Advocate Journey
“I always wanted to be in a career where I felt like I was genuinely helping others. After my sophomore year, I realized that I wanted to be involved in the healthcare sphere but I didn’t necessarily want to practice medicine. I switched my major to public health, picked up a minor in business administration, and learned about the seemingly hundreds of career paths outside of medicine that I had never considered before. Eventually I hope to combine my background in public health with a law degree and work in healthcare administration.”
From Public Health Research to Real-World Impact
This week on EJB Talks we talk to Melinda Rushing, a new faculty member in the school’s health administration program, and her winding journey from social work to public health and how her passion for research, particularly around sickle cell disease and healthcare access, shaped her academic journey.
Healthcare, Policy, and the Opioid Crisis: Bridging Gaps in Access
This week on EJB Talks Assistant Professor Zoe Lindenfeld talks to Dean Stuart Shapiro about her research on substance use disorders, particularly the opioid crisis, and its ties to healthcare access and policy. She explains how her interest in the field was sparked by the opioid epidemic’s emergence as a public health crisis.
Matthew Rivera (MHA ’25) Wins ACHE Student Associate Award
Matthew stated, “I’m looking forward to continuing my dedication and passion to the healthcare industry, as well as my commitment and participation in ACHE-NJ.” The awards were presented at the 2024 Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner on December 9, 2024 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.