HAP Students

George Mason’s Health Services Research PhD students and faculty share policy research at AcademyHealth 2025

Mary Cunningham — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 14:46:55 +0000

George Mason’s Health Services Research PhD students and faculty share policy research at AcademyHealth 2025 Mary Cunningham Wed, 06/18/2025 - 10:46

In This Story

Alison Evans Cuellar, PhD, MBA

Debora Goetz Goldberg, PhD, MHA, MBA

Gilbert Gimm, PhD, FGSA

Y. Alicia Hong, PhD

Jeah Jung, PhD, MPH

Health Services Research PhD students and faculty from the Department of Health Administration and Policy (HAP) in George Mason �鶹��’s College of Public Health presented their research at the 2025 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting (ARM), held June 7 to 10 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

As the nation’s premier forum for health services research, AcademyHealth’s Annual Research Meeting brings researchers and health system leaders together to examine how policy, payment, and technology affect cost, access, and quality of care.

HAP PhD students and faculty delivered a range of presentations, covering healthcare worker burnout, digital health interventions, and Medicare policy. Their participation underscores HAP's commitment to applied research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and real-world impact.

PhD student presenter, Ge Song, reflected on her experience at the conference, where she presented her recent research on using circadian patterns in vital signs to improve hospital mortality prediction:

“Presenting my findings at the 2025 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting was a rewarding experience. I had the opportunity to connect with clinical researchers who offered thoughtful suggestions, particularly around clinical interpretation and modeling, that will shape the next phase of my analysis.”

Yiwen Li shared her perspective as a first-year doctoral student:

“Attending AcademyHealth ARM 2025 has been a wonderful experience. In my session, I was honored to present our WeCare 2.0 outcome evaluation and share how culturally tailored digital health interventions can support underserved family dementia caregivers. Beyond my own session, I also learned a lot from other presentations focusing on innovative care models and methods addressing health disparities, especially among aging, minority, and high-need populations.”

Why It Matters

Presenting at AcademyHealth is a vital part of advancing the field of health services research. It reflects the mission of Mason’s Health Services Research PhD program to train future scholars who can generate evidence and effectively communicate findings to improve healthcare delivery and policy. By presenting research in person, HAP students, faculty, and alumni engage with national thought leaders, foster interdisciplinary collaborations, and shape healthcare systems.

“By showing up in person to share our work, the HAP department is contributing to a growing field that aims to improve access to health care services and, in turn, the well-being of families and individuals,” said Gilbert Gimm, director of the Health Services Research PhD program. “It’s also a fun way to build new connections and potential collaborations.”

George Mason faculty and PhD student presenters at the 2025 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting

Alison Cuellar, PhD, George Mason �鶹��
Panel Speaker: Opportunities for Improving and Learning from Transparency in Coverage Data
Gilbert Gimm, PhD, George Mason �鶹��
Poster Presentation: Assessing Cannabis Smoking, Vaping, and Edible Use Among U.S. Adults by Disability Status in 2022
Debora Goldberg, PhD, MHA, MBA, George Mason �鶹��
Poster Presentation: Exploring Job Satisfaction and Burnout Among Healthcare Workers Using the Surgeon General's Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being
Session Chair: From Burnout to Retention: Bridging Individual Struggles and Systemic Solutions
Y. Alicia Hong, PhD, George Mason �鶹��
Podium Presentation: Evaluation of Stronger2 Project: A Community-Government-Academic Partnership to Enhance Resilience and Reduce Health Disparities
Jeah Jung, PhD, George Mason �鶹��
Poster Presentation: Use of Low-Value Cancer Treatments in Medicare Advantage Versus Traditional Medicare
Yiwen Li, MPH, PhD student, George Mason �鶹��
Podium Presentation: Evaluation of WeCare 2.0: A Digital Health Intervention for Chinese American Dementia Caregivers
Ge Song, PhD student, George Mason �鶹��
Poster Presentation: Integrating Circadian Rhythms of Vital Signs into In-Hospital Mortality Prediction Models

Beyond the Conference

Mason’s engagement with AcademyHealth extends beyond the ARM. The university is home to an official AcademyHealth Student Chapter, offering students year-round access to leadership opportunities, national events, and professional development in health services research.

Looking Ahead

Involvement in national conferences such as AcademyHealth, the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA), and the American Public Health Association (APHA) affirms Mason’s growing presence in research on health policy, informatics, and public health. With each presentation, the HAP department is preparing the next generation of leaders in health services research.

Topics

PhD in Health Services Research

Transforming learning into practice during Inova Fairfax Trauma Center visit

Heather Carroll — Fri, 09 May 2025 16:55:12 +0000

Transforming learning into practice during Inova Fairfax Trauma Center visit Heather Carroll Fri, 05/09/2025 - 12:55

Aspiring health care leaders get vivid lesson on the role of leadership in trauma care

Students in George Mason �鶹��’s Master of Health Administration (MHA) program recently had an unforgettable opportunity to step into the heart of one of Northern Virginia’s premier emergency care facilities. MHA students from change management and strategic planning classes class visited Inova Fairfax Hospital’s state-of-the-art trauma center, gaining firsthand insight into how top-tier health care organizations operate at the intersection of clinical urgency and administrative excellence.

College of Public Health students learn at Inova Fairfax Hospital
Photo by Michelle Thompson/College of Public Health

This visit was much more than a tour—it was a vivid demonstration of how George Mason’s MHA program prepares future leaders for complex, high-stakes environments. The experience underscored three key themes: the transformative education George Mason provides, the powerful partnership with Inova Health System, and the inspiring potential of George Mason’s future health care leaders.

Translating classroom learning to real-world practice

For Vinay Bhakthan, who will graduate in spring 2026 from the Bachelor’s to Accelerated Master’s program, the visit was eye-opening. “From coordinating nurse staffing levels and ensuring patient bed availability, to triaging critical cases to trauma rooms and overseeing room turnover after discharges, all while making sure the emergency department is following all regulations and organization policies is an immense task. Seeing these things in person gave me a clear perspective about the realities of the job,” said Bhakthan.

Similarly, Pratyusha Satpathy, who will graduate in December 2026, found herself connecting academic concepts to operational excellence. “This visit brought many classroom concepts to life,” she said. “It also reminded me how essential leadership is in shaping an environment where clinicians can focus on patients while everything else runs smoothly in the background. Everything was thoughtfully planned out—from how easily accessible supplies were, to how rooms could transition into emergency pods instantly with oxygen and suction systems already in place. It really showed how administrators are not only managing systems but enabling life-saving care through intentional design and coordination.”

For Taveion Mickens, the visit bridged his growing academic knowledge with the emotional reality of health care leadership. Mickens, a United States Marine, will graduate from the Bachelor’s to Accelerated Master’s program in December 2026. “Seeing administrators lead with both precision and empathy reinforced how indispensable they are in creating an environment where health care professionals can thrive and patients can receive timely, quality care. Emergencies don’t follow a script leaders must be able to pivot quickly and make informed decisions under pressure. Communication becomes a lifeline, not just between staff, but also with patients and families who may be in crisis. Most importantly, empathy must guide every decision. When administrators lead with compassion, they uplift both their teams and the patients they serve,” said Mickens.

A strong partnership with Inova Health System

MHA students tour Inova Fairfax's trauma center
Photo by Michelle Thompson/College of Public Health

The tour also spotlights George Mason’s longstanding relationship with Inova. Through access to real-world settings like Inova Fairfax’s trauma center, George Mason students experience how leading health care organizations integrate systems thinking, workforce management, quality assurance, and emergency preparedness into seamless patient care.

“As a former trauma nurse, I know the value of exposing graduate students to the world of health care beyond the walls of a classroom and textbooks. My hope is that students who seek an MHA degree will become leaders that are consistently engaged with clinicians and staff as patient care partners, rather than detached bystanders. There is simply no substitute for being present,” said Professor Brenda Helen Sheingold, PhD, RN, FNAP said division director of Health Administration Programs and an associate professor in the Department of Health Administration and Policy.

The Inova trauma center’s forward-thinking infrastructure—emergency pods, integrated technology systems, and strategically organized resources—left a lasting impression on the students. It demonstrated how thoughtful administrative planning directly enhances clinical outcomes and staff resilience, particularly in high-pressure emergency environments.

Inspiring the next generation of health care leaders

Each of the three students came away with renewed passion and clarity for their future careers. Bhakthan, who is motivated by the desire to solve health care’s systemic challenges, affirmed that the visit “strengthened [his] commitment to being part of the solutions” in health care administration.

Satpathy, who blends a clinical background as a doctor with administrative aspirations, left the visit feeling more empowered: “As someone who trained in medicine before coming to the U.S... I want to build environments that make health care safer, smoother, and more responsive.”

For Mickens, whose goal is to lead change in underserved communities, the experience provided both affirmation and inspiration. “This visit didn’t just confirm my career goals; it gave them new direction and deeper purpose,” he said.

Thanks to the immersive experiences provided through the College of Public Health’s MHA program—and strong partners like Inova Health System—students are graduating ready to lead the future of health care, not just react to it. For these aspiring health care leaders, the trauma center visit wasn’t just an assignment. It was a vivid reminder of the critical role administrators play in ensuring every life-saving second counts.

From left, MHA students Vinay Bhakthan, Pratyusha Satpathy, Taveion Mickens

Learn More About �鶹�� Health Administrations Programs

Students Experience the Pitt—A Real-World Trauma Center

For fans of the hit medical drama The Pitt on Max, the high-stakes, fast-paced world of trauma care is both riveting and emotionally charged. But for three George Mason �鶹�� Master of Health Administration (MHA) students, a recent visit to Inova Fairfax Hospital’s Trauma Center offered a firsthand look at the real-life complexities behind the scenes—where administrators play a crucial role in orchestrating life-saving care.

Inova Fairfax Hospital houses Northern Virginia’s only Level 1 Trauma Center, a designation it has held since 1983. This elite status signifies the hospital's ability to provide the highest level of surgical care to trauma patients, with a multidisciplinary team available 24/7. The center treats a wide range of critical injuries, from car crashes and falls to industrial incidents and acts of violence.

For MHA students Vinay Bhakthan, Pratyusha Satpathy, and Taveion Mickens, the visit to Inova's Trauma Center was more than an educational tour—it was a transformative experience that bridged classroom learning with real-world application.