Saleema Karim, Ph.D., M.H.A.
Interim Chair, Department of Health Administration

The fall at VCU Health Administration has reminded me just how much purpose and progress can unfold  — in academia, in health care leadership — when the right people, structures and ideas come together.

We have the right people in the right roles, the infrastructure to support our work and a renewed sense of energy that is showing up across the department.

One of the highlights of the fall was re-establishing our student residency site visits. Before the pandemic, faculty routinely traveled to meet third-year students where they were training, connect with preceptors and gather feedback on how well our curriculum prepared them. Over time, those visits shifted to Zoom and eventually faded away. Now, with a team and clearer structure, we are intentionally rebuilding that tradition.

Residency site visits are deeply valuable. They allow us to understand how our students are doing, how our program is performing, and where we can continue to improve.

Just as much, they keep us connected to alumni and healthcare leaders in the field. Each trip becomes a touchpoint for relationship-building, professional development and conversations about how our community can continue to support the next generation of health administration leaders.

Two new faces make this effort possible: Julie Beales, MD, Ph.D., MSHA, who joined us over the summer as an assistant professor and the department’s director of professional development, as well as Chrissy Bowdren, our new director of outreach and professional affairs. Her role fills the gap left by Beth Ayers, who retired earlier this year but has stayed on to help with the transition.

Chrissy, meanwhile, has quickly become a thoughtful partner in helping us engage alumni, coordinate major events such as the Mick Lecture and the Johnston Memorial golf tournament and ensure our external relationships remain strong. Her background in development at the School of Nursing gave her an understanding of how units like ours navigate alumni, donors and industry partners. She has stepped into the role with confidence and clarity.

Looking ahead, there is much to be excited about academically. We were approved to launch a new undergraduate general-education course on AI in health care, expected in fall 2026. We are also exploring a graduate course that would support the university’s broader AI certificate effort, focusing on the administrative, quality and management implications of this growing and complicated (not to mention controversial) technology.

Across higher education, we’re all navigating what AI means for teaching and learning. My message to our students is consistent: AI is a helpful starting point, but it is not a substitute for critical thinking or professional judgment. As faculty, we continue to evaluate how to incorporate AI responsibly to enhance — not diminish — the educational experience that defines us.

Our student–alumni mentor program continues to strengthen those experiences as well. First-year students who participate consistently describe these relationships as transformative.

Mentors offer guidance, industry insight and often long-term professional connections that extend well beyond graduation. It is one more way our alumni enrich the program and demonstrate the kind of generosity that has sustained VCU Health Administration for decades.

Later in the spring, we will welcome students from our partner institution, Kaohsiung Medical University in Taiwan, for their annual week-long visit focused on understanding health care in the U.S. This experience broadens our own students’ perspectives at a time when global collaboration in health systems is more important than ever.

Amid all of this activity, the work continues: residency placements, interviews for the incoming class, faculty scholarship, grant submissions, teaching and student support.

I am grateful for the privilege of serving this department and excited for what’s ahead in 2026. Thank you for your continued engagement, partnership and belief in this community.