VCU to host 2026 OTHC Conference

Next summer, the VCU Department of Health Administration will welcome leading scholars from across the country to the 2026 Organization Theory in Health Care (OTHC) Conference. OTHC, the nation’s only association dedicated exclusively to research on health care organization and management, convenes invited experts each year for in-depth discussion of cutting-edge empirical research, methodological innovations and emerging themes within organizational theory. VCU last hosted in 2015.

The event — scheduled for June 24–26, 2026 — offers an opportunity to highlight the department’s nationally recognized programs, as well as its expanded faculty and the state-of-the-art College of Health Professions building. “It’s going to be a really wonderful time to show off everything we have accomplished in the past decade,” said Laura McClelland, Ph.D. Planning is underway, with McClelland, Shoou-Yih Daniel Lee, Ph.D., and John McHugh, Ph.D., leading a team of doctoral students.

Abstract submissions will open in the spring semester, with full paper sessions, a poster walk, networking events and panel discussions scheduled for the conference. “It’s very competitive to secure a presentation at this conference, so you get the best of the best: the top minds in our field from the top universities,” McClelland said. Registration will open soon, with attendance capped at around 50–60 participants.

VCU makes waves and claims awards at VHHA summit and DMV Case Collaborative

VCU Department of Health Administration recently participated in two signature annual events: the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Leaders Summit and the DMV Case Collaborative. These events offered students and faculty the opportunity to connect with current and future health care executives across Virginia and build meaningful skills alongside peers from other programs.

At the VHHA Summit, held November 5–7 in Hot Springs at The Omni Homestead Resort, department representatives joined health system leaders and policymakers for programming focused on innovation, strategy and workforce development. VCU maintained a strong presence throughout the event, reconnecting with alumni and strengthening ties with organizational partners.

“VHHA has always been an incredibly strong supporter of our department, and we love maintaining and strengthening that relationship at events like these,” said MHA and MSHA program director M. Paige Powell, Ph.D., MHA. The Summit also saw the ACHE Regent’s Student Award go to third-year MHA student Madison Espiritu, who Powell called “a very special young woman” who “leads with her heart.”

The following weekend, three first-year MHA students, Alex Santoli, Jay Rainey and Lauren Ma, represented VCU at the DMV Case Collaborative, hosted this year by Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. The event brought together six accredited MHA programs from across Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, with students assigned to mixed-school teams to analyze a real-world case focused on patient experience.

“It was great to see our students show up as professionals in this context, demonstrating their critical thinking, leadership and communication skills,” said assistant professor Kristin MacDonald, Ph.D. VCU’s students excelled, with each placed on a top-three team.

VCU will continue its partnership with VHHA, especially as the association approaches its 100th anniversary next year. The Health Administration Department will also host the 2026 DMV Case Collaborative.

Visiting alums and other industry experts bring insights to the classroom and beyond

This fall, the Department of Health Administration hosted a rich slate of visitors — including many department alumni — who brought frontline experience and current industry thinking into classrooms, — while one faculty member shared his expertise on a national platform.

Steve Gravely, founder and CEO of Gravely Group

MHA students heard from visitors who have attained executive status in well-regarded health care systems or started their own businesses in the space. These included department alumna Kelly Cassidy Sweet, Pharm.D., MSHA (VCU ‘15), director of medication policy and safety at Bon Secours Mercy Health, who visited Health System Organization, Financing and Performance (HADM 602) to unpack recent information technology developments in areas like pharmaceutical tracking. In Information Systems for Health Care Management (HADM 612), MHA alumnus and healthcare attorney Steve Gravely (VCU ‘80), founder and CEO of Gravely Group, walked students through the impacts of data sharing on health system performance and patient care.

Brett McMillan, vice president of revenue cycle operations

Speaking engagements for MSHA students included an alumni panel during On-Campus Weekend, featuring Sweet and fellow alumnus Jonathan Artiles, MSHA (VCU ‘25), quality coordinator of preoperative services at VCU Health. The pair discussed the importance of saying “yes” to opportunities while being intentional about collaboration and growth. Artiles’ VCU Health colleague, vice president of revenue cycle operations Brett McMillan, MBA, was among several visitors to Health Care Managerial Accounting (HADE 606) later in the semester.

Other speakers included the following:

• Shu-Fang Shih, Ph.D., MBA, VCU Health Administration assistant professor, spoke to HSOR Ph.D. students.
• Karen Cameron, MHA (VCU ‘87), VCU senior health policy analyst, visited HADM 602.
• Samantha Weed, VCU enrollment coordinator, visited HADM 612.
• Robert Carden, Ph.D. (VCU ‘03), Commonwealth Transfusion Foundation president and CEO, spoke to MHA students.
• Michael Gesme, VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center senior program manager for community outreach and engagement, visited Population Health Management (HADM 609).
• Coleen Santa Ana, MHA (VCU ‘05), multi-business owner and University of the Philippines adjunct professor, spoke to MHA students.
• Damond Boatwright, MHA, Hospital Sisters Health System president and CEO, spoke to MHA students.
• Lizzy Magrath Ucci, MHA (VCU ‘18), Patient First director of value-based care, and Dennis Morales, MHA (VCU ‘14), DaVita Kidney Care market director, visited HADE 606.
• A virtual panel for MSHA students, “Beyond the Degree: Alumni Paths in Health Administration,” featured Katherine Fowler, MHA (VCU ‘01), Vanova Health chief operating officer; Benjamin Reigle, MHA (VCU ‘01), Tarpon Health co-founder and CEO; and Sarah Kleinhample, MHA (VCU ‘20), CBRE Healthcare senior consultant.

Outside the classroom, associate professor John McHugh, MBA, Ph.D., reached a broad audience with a segment on Yahoo! Finance’s “Decoding Retirement” video series. Host Robert Powell interviewed McHugh about his recent study, which covers the increased financial and emotional stress that elder care places on families amid a continuing health care worker shortage.

MHA student receives ACHE award at VHHA summit

Third-year Master of Health Administration student Madison Espiritu received the American College of Healthcare Executives Regent’s Student Award at the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Leaders Summit, hosted by the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association in Hot Springs November 5–7. Selected for her leadership, excellence and commitment to advancing health care management, Espiritu said the honor was “a complete surprise” and that receiving it was “a surreal experience.”

Espiritu is currently completing her administrative residency at Piedmont Healthcare, a statewide system in Georgia. During this experience and throughout her MHA education, she has honed her relational leadership skills, which she believes contributed to her recognition. “I put a lot of value in developing relationships, not only with my peers, but with leaders and with frontline staff,” she said.

None of Espiritu’s achievements would be possible, she said, without the collective investment of the VCU Department of Health Administration and its students and alumni: "Everyone cares about the development of students and believes in the process to create compassionate and business-savvy leaders." After graduating in May, she is interested in contributing to hospital operations in areas like oncology or women’s services.

Johnston Memorial Golf Classic returns in April

The Johnston Memorial VCU MHA Golf Classic will return Friday, April 17, 2026, at The Golf Club at the Highlands in Chesterfield. Founded by the MHA Class of 2023, the tournament honors the legacy of the late Ann Johnston, Ed.D., MHA, and supports the VCU Health Administration Department. The four-person scramble will begin with a 9 a.m. tee time, with players encouraged to arrive by 8:30 a.m.

Proceeds benefit the VCU MHA Professional Development Fund, which helps students offset costs associated with conferences and other professional development opportunities. Alumni, students, faculty and community supporters are all invited to participate, sponsor a student golfer or spectate. Registration details will be shared soon.

VCU alumni to gather at ACHE Congress in Houston

The American College of Healthcare Executives’ 2026 Congress on Healthcare Leadership will take place March 2–4, 2026 in Houston, gathering over 7,000 health care executives for learning, networking and leadership development opportunities. A premier leadership event in the health care space, the Congress features hundreds of sessions with nationally recognized speakers and programming tailored to leaders at every career stage.

VCU Health Administration alumni attending the Congress are invited to a reception on Tuesday, March 3 at 6 p.m., held in conjunction with the conference’s evening networking events. The reception welcomes graduates to connect with fellow alumni, students and faculty while engaging with the broader ACHE community. Additional details will be shared as the event approaches.