Just as medical and nursing school students participate in hands-on clinical care as part of their schooling, the same is true for those studying to earn a Master of Health Administration (MHA). By working in real-world settings, these students become better prepared to fill their professional roles.
Torrance Memorial's president and CEO Keith Hobbs believes strongly in educating the next generation of health care administrative leaders. In fact, Hobbs has been mentoring MHA students at his workplaces since 2008. He formalized the practice by creating the Torrance Memorial MHA residency program in 2022. Each year, the hospital chooses two or three MHA residents.
“I think training MHA residents is a great way to give back and help leave a legacy of future leaders in health care,” says Hobbs. “It also creates a pipeline for filling positions that help us move our organization forward.”
Hobbs and Chief Operating Officer Derek Berz co-lead the program and serve as the students’ preceptors—a combination of supervisor and mentor. Since the program began, 11 MHA students have completed their residencies at Torrance Memorial.
Torrance Memorial CEO Keith Hobbs is pictured with this year's team of interns working towards their Master of Health Administration(MHA) degrees. Pictured (left to right): Keith Hobbs, Alyson Turner, Leeann Lee and Evan Holly.
Evan Holly, one of this academic year’s three MHA residents, says, “Torrance Memorial is the perfect balance of getting high-level exposure into day-to-day operations as well as being part of a bigger health system through Cedars-Sinai. It’s been great to be privy to how senior leadership collaborates.”
Holly has worked on a variety of projects during his time at Torrance Memorial. One involved a financial comparison of two AI tools that predict heart attacks. Another resulted in having doctors and nurses do rounds together to increase communication and coordination.
He has enjoyed seeing the new emergency department come to fruition. Torrance Memorial will be the only hospital in California to have a two-story emergency department, and Holly has participated in leadership meetings addressing how to distribute resources between the two floors.
Lauren Bauer, a participant in the 2022 cohort, is one of four previous MHA residents to advance to a full-time position with Torrance Memorial. As finance manager, Bauer’s responsibilities include overseeing the annual hospital operating budget, leading the Decision Support Finance team and participating in long-range financial planning.
When she arrived at Torrance Memorial for her MHA residency, Bauer knew she wanted to work in hospital operations but didn't know which specific area. Working with different departments and leaders allowed her to see where her skill set and preferences best matched the hospital’s needs.
She appreciated getting exposure to departments including marketing, supply chain, pharmacy and the independent physicians association. And when it came to finance, she clicked with both the leadership and the daily responsibilities of that discipline.
“I learned so much in the residency,” she says. “All the leaders, directors, executives and vice presidents were so willing to teach me and include me in their thought processes. That culture of support and investing in the next generation really made me want to stay here. The residency was my foundation, and now I’ve been able to grow each day as a Torrance Memorial team member.”
