OU Public Health Master’s Graduates Earn Administrative Fellowships With OU Health

Three recent University of Oklahoma master’s degree graduates have been awarded OU Health Administrative Fellowships. This newly created program serves as a bridge from academic life to professional health care administration.

The fellowship is designed to build the next generation of health care leaders through practical and experiential learning opportunities at OU Health, the state’s flagship academic health system. The inaugural fellows, Bethanie Lor, Shawn Long and Safra Shakir, earned master’s of health administration degrees from the Hudson College of Public Health on the OU Health Sciences campus this May.

“As Oklahoma’s employer of choice for top talent, OU Health is investing in the future of our workforce at every level,” said OU Health Chief Human Resources Officer Jimmy Duncan. “The MHA Administrative Fellowship is an unparalleled opportunity that equips fellows for future leadership roles while also developing a leadership pipeline for OU Health, enhancing our capacity for innovation and reinforcing our commitment to excellence in health care delivery and administration.”

The fellowship, an outgrowth of the partnership between OU and its clinical partner, OU Health, will cultivate the “OU Health Way” – to form a strong foundation of values and competencies demonstrating a commitment to excellence in health care delivery, health care management and health promotion.

During the 12-month program, fellows will engage in health system initiatives through a series of rotations that center on the tripartite mission – emphasizing the integration of the patient care, education and research missions of an academic health system. They will learn under the mentorship of executive leaders at OU Health, becoming proficient in project management and developing analytical, leadership, networking and interpersonal skills. Additional placement after completion of the fellowship is dependent upon fellows’ performance and availability of positions within OU Health.

“The MHA Administrative Fellowship Program at OU Health will foster a new generation of leaders committed to excellence in health care delivery and management,” said Dale Bratzler, D.O., MPH, dean of the OU Hudson College of Public Health. “We are confident that the contributions of our fellows will significantly impact health care systems and improve patient outcomes.”

The three MHA graduates chosen for the fellowship bring a variety of skills to the program and a desire to improve the health and well-being of people across Oklahoma.

Lor, from Vinita, Oklahoma, graduated from OU with a bachelor’s degree in community health before earning her MHA at the OU Hudson College of Public Health. With a passion for improving health care systems, she aspires to become a chief operating officer, where she can lead transformative initiatives, optimize operational efficiencies, and enhance the overall health care experience for patients and their families.

Long, from Chandler, Oklahoma, graduated from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah with a bachelor’s degree in health and human performance and health care administration, followed by earning his MHA at the OU Hudson College of Public Health. His goal is to be in a senior leadership position where he can improve processes and make changes that benefit patients, families and employees.

Shakir, from Oklahoma City, earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from OU. While obtaining her MHA at OU Hudson College of Public Health, she completed an internship with Unity Clinic, an interprofessional team of health profession students who care for patients at locations across Oklahoma. Her goal is to achieve a leadership position focused on health care quality so she can positively influence the care patients receive and the operations that drive health care in the hospital.

The fellowship is part of OU Health’s broader strategy to build a robust and dynamic workforce capable of meeting current and future health care demands. It aligns with other initiatives such as Health Care Career Exploration Day, a joint effort with OU that allows high school students to explore various health care careers. OU Health also expands school-to-career pipelines by engaging with high schools and colleges and by providing scholarships, internships and job opportunities for students.

For more information about OU Health career opportunities, visit www.OUHealth.com/careers.