MELVILLE, N.Y. – George Mason University’s Master of Health Administration program was recognized earlier this year by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) with an award supported by Canon Solutions America, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc. As a result of that recognition, and with the scholarship grant awarded to the Program faculty to further research of sustainability in healthcare, Mason held a first-of-its-kind case competition collaborative in November, with a focus on bringing together CAHME-accredited programs to teach first-year Masters in Healthcare Administration (MHA) students the skills to compete in future case competitions.

CAHME is an accrediting body for academic programs that offer a professional master’s degree in healthcare management education. For the past seven years, the organization has collaborated with Canon Solutions America to recognize educational institutions that strive to instill ideals of sustainability and social responsibility in future healthcare leaders.

The case competition collaboration was created by Dr. Brenda Sheingold, Mason’s Director for the Master of Healthcare Administration at the Department of Health Administration and Policy. Four-member teams encompassing students from five universities accredited by CAHME—Mason, George Washington University, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Uniformed Services University Health Sciences, and Virginia Commonwealth University—were provided a topic focused on the expansion of a nonprofit senior living organization. Each student was assigned to a separate group to pitch their idea to a panel of judges, comprised of members from Canon Solutions America, LeadingAge, and other selected judges.

The event, hosted by Mason, also featured panel discussions hosted by George Washington University’s Dr. Robert Bonar, offering insights and best practices when choosing various career paths. Also participating in the discussions were Dr. Anthony Stanowski, President/CEO of CAHME, as well as members of the healthcare vertical team at Canon Solutions America including Paul Murphy, vice president of major accounts and vertical marketing, William Knight, healthcare business development executive, and Debra Gillmeister, healthcare business development executive.

“Healthcare and education are priorities for the Canon Solutions America team, and we are very proud to be part of this unique case competition collaborative. We were pleased to meet with the talented CAHME-accredited university participants and are thankful for the opportunity to participate in panel discussions,” Murphy said. “We thank the leadership at George Mason University for the opportunity to participate in this exciting event and for working with us to provide this opportunity for the next generation of healthcare leaders.”

Added Stanowski: “We extend our gratitude to George Mason University for hosting this unique event and thank all the participants from the CAHME-accredited programs who took part and the Canon Solutions America team who provided their time and expertise to make this program such a success. We look forward to building on this event for the future.”

The CAHME awards ceremony, presenting the winners for 2023, precedes the American College of Healthcare Executives Congress in Chicago in March.

CAHME accredits 145 programs in the United States and Canada, and has programs outside of North America working toward accreditation. The CAHME award signifies the critical role education plays in inspiring future healthcare leaders to enact positive change incorporating the ideals of cultural competency, community involvement, environmental focus, and sustainability.

About CAHME
Since 1968, the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) has served the public interest by advancing the quality of healthcare management education globally. CAHME accredits 145 academic programs in management which have been broadly defined to include healthcare quality and safety, and population health.

CAHME works with leading academic programs and numerous healthcare practitioners to ensure that graduates entering the healthcare field have undergone an educational process meeting rigorous, measurable standards for effectiveness. The result is a formal academic education focusing on key competencies, plus practical experiences. This enables new graduates to quickly add value to an organization and grow into future leaders. CAHME is the only organization recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation to grant accreditation to individual academic programs offering a graduate degree in healthcare management. For more information, visit cahme.org.