With a goal of enhancing the business of health care in northwest Ohio and beyond, The University ofToledo has established the School of Healthcare Business Innovation and Excellence.

“Tremendous advances in health care have been achieved through a variety of activities, such as newmedications, breakthrough surgical procedures, medical devices, high-tech diagnostic equipment, innovative treatments, and progressive approaches to delivering care,” said Dr. David Dobrzykowski, director of the school. “There are additional opportunities to significantly improve the efficiency, effectiveness and quality of health care by understanding and improving thebusiness aspects of health care. We can further enhance the quality of health care while eliminating waste, increasing productivity and reducing costs.”

The UT College of Business and Innovation (COBI) and the College of Medicine and Life Sciences have taken a leadership role in establishing the new school.

“Utilizing interdisciplinary expertise from a variety of business fields, including finance, management, information technology, operations management, processimprovement, marketing and more, the faculty of the UT College of Business are ready to help you and your medical team enhance your operations and achieveyour business goals,” explained Dr. Thomas Sharkey, interim dean of the College of Business and Innovation.

“Through research, community engagement and educational endeavors, this school serves as a premier resource for directly impacting quality health-care delivery,” he added.

Dr. Jeffrey P. Gold, dean of the College of Medicine and Life Sciences, said the college’s participation in establishing and supporting the School of Healthcare Business Innovation and Excellence is a natural extension of its longstanding mission.

“The UT College of Medicine and Life Sciences is a world-class educational institution for those interested in becoming physicians. We do an excellent job providing students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to practice medicine in a wide diversity of communities. It is becoming increasingly important that that education must include components of the business of health care,” Gold said. “Working with the UT College of Business and Innovation, we believe we can help prepare tomorrow’s physicians to best serve their patients, not only by providing the best medical care, but by practicing optimal business practices.”

“The School of Healthcare Business Innovation and Excellence is also for administrators, nurses, therapists, professionals working in hospitals, and nonprofit organizations, and others working in the health-care field,” Gold added. “We know that we can play a pivotal role in enhancing care, not just in northwest Ohio, but throughout the United States and beyond.”

Gold also expressed his gratitude to Dr. Tom Gutteridge, senior vice provost and dean of academic administration, for his work on the school’s creation while Gutteridge was dean of COBI.

As the school expands, other UT colleges and programs may become involved; these may include the College of Business and Innovation’s Executive Center for Global Competitiveness, UT Medical Center, Judith Herb College of Education and Health Sciences and Human Service, and the colleges of Engineering, Law, Nursing, and Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

“Establishing the School of Healthcare Business Innovation and Excellence is a timely and relevant step for The University of Toledo,” noted UT President Lloyd Jacobs. “The health-care arena is experiencing tremendous change on many fronts, and it is appropriate that UT brings its information and expertise into the community to benefit all involved. Collaborative efforts with health-care providers, business leaders, government policy makers and others will produce breakthrough enhancements that increase efficiencies, reduce costs, and, ultimately, provide better, more patient-centered care.

“Furthermore, the school will partner with businesses and organizations beyond the University, such as health-care providers, labor unions, governments, business and economic development agencies, and insurance providers, which will provide direction for educational, research and outreach programs,” Jacobs added.

A variety of undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs focused on skill development at the intersection of health care and business are available through the school. Contact Dobrzykowski at 419.530.2342.

Tags: College of Business and Innovation, College of Medicine and Life Sciences