July 23, 2013
Volume 2, No. 41
BSHSA UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ARE THE NEW “SMILE TEAM” AT CINCINNATI JEWISH HOSPITAL
Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati has a group of seven Xavier undergraduate BSHSA students serving as a newly instituted “Smile
Team”. These students are hospital volunteers who administer satisfaction surveys directly to patients and families, enter and
analyze the data, and make recommendations for how to improve processes in keeping with patient satisfaction.
The Smile Team students volunteer throughout the year and each one typically spends around 4 hours/week doing this service.
The benefits are impressive:
Benefits to our students:
1. Provides a significant level of responsibility compared to typical volun-teen positions;
2. Allows students to put into practice concepts they learn in classes;
3. Gets students engaged in collecting and utilizing data for process improvement;
4. Allows students to see hospital operations at a deeper level.
Benefits to the organization:
1. Accomplishes an essential organizational task by an enthusiastic cadre of “representatives”;
2. Connects the organization with students who could potentially become interns or employees;
3. Connects the organization with Xavier faculty who can be engaged in a variety of ways;
4. Provides access to more students who can grow the service or get involved in more services.
THE PLANNING “BEAT” GOES ON
Our MHSA students start early-on becoming familiar with the professional societies and do this through HASPS – Health
Administration Student Professional Society. The leaders for this organization are elected each year by the first-year MHSA class.
Current Co-Chairpersons are Jon-Michael Williams ’15 and J. D. Keighley ’15. These two have been hard at work planning
for a number of events throughout the coming academic year related to professional societies. While most of our students join
ACHE, they learn about and can join HFMA, MGMA, ACHCA. Representatives from these societies come to campus in the fall to
introduce each organization to our first-year students. A variety of other activities occur throughout the year, including “PD After
Hours” in which guest speakers present an executive topic to the students in a casual setting, networking opportunities,
mentoring opportunities, and the ACHE Congress on Administration in the spring.
Speaking of the ACHE Congress this year, incoming Chairperson for 2013-14, Diana Smalley, offered the following poignant
thought in her Chairman’s Address on Monday, March 11, 2013: “It’s not about filling institutions—it’s about fulfilling community
needs.” Yes, this is what we hope our students keep in mind as they take their places in health administration positions.
ALUM-N-I-C-E
Our 1,500 Graduate Alumni are the pride and joy of Xavier and our HSA Department. We applaud your achievements and
commitment to the highest quests in health services administration, we hold you up as models for our students to emulate, and
we happily claim you as “ours”. Celebrate with us this alumni news:
• Barry Cesafsky’s ’80 firm, CES Partners, was ranked for 2013 among the top 30 Executive Search Firms in the country
for the eighth year in a row
• Shawn Haag, JD ’80 has joined the law firm of Edward Voelker and Associates in Pittsburgh PA.
• Jeffrey Armada ’12 is now Chief of Staff to the President of Catholic Health Partners in Cincinnati OH
• Katrina Aukstuolis ’13 is now a practice manager at the Seven Hills Women’s Health Centers in Cincinnati OH
• Carlton Rodrigo ’13 is A Clinical Financial Analyst with Mercy Health Physicians in Cincinnati OH
Men and Women for Others: Thinkers, Inspirers, and Leaders in Health Services Administration