The USF College of Public Health’s (COPH) master of health administration (MHA) program held its inaugural MHA Pinning Ceremony and Reception to honor and celebrate the commitment of its students on Sept. 22. Sponsored by Tampa General Hospital and MHA Advisory Board members, the ceremony, brought together faculty, staff, alumni and health care industry leaders to recognize the dedication and promise of these future health care professionals.

The ceremony commenced with an address from Dr. Donna Petersen, COPH dean and senior associate vice president of USF Health, emphasizing the importance of preparing professionals not only with the right knowledge and skills, but also the right attitudes and character.

“Accepting this pin is a promise. We’re going to do everything in our power to prepare you to be highly effective, ethical and successful professionals,” Petersen said, “And in return, you promise us that you will honor what you learn here as you go forward and remain a part of our community.”

Next, Dr. Victor Weeden, assistant professor and director of the MHA program, spoke of the vision behind the pinning ceremony.

 “The MHA faculty wanted to do something special for the students to acknowledge an important milestone in their career,” he said. “We believe these future leaders should be publicly recognized for committing themselves to the health care profession and being competitively selected for MHA admission. We hope the ceremony will foster a heightened sense of pride and belonging for this special group of students.”

Alumni representatives played a crucial role in the ceremony, presenting the pins to second-year students. Their involvement highlighted the strong alumni engagement in the MHA program and its continued growth. First-year students were then given their pins from the newly pinned second-year students, a tradition that the program hopes to continue.

After the pinning of the students, two MHA alumni and advisory board members Seena Salyani and Steven Chew gave their remarks.

Salyani, CEO of Gastro Florida, praised the students for their commitment to a health care career and emphasized the importance of professionalism.

“Take pride in what you are doing as you enter a challenging field. It will have its ups and downs, but you will have an impact on people’s lives and making life better. Even after going through COVID-19 here, you are coming back even stronger,” Salyani said.

Sharing valuable insights about the health care field’s challenges and the need for creative problem-solving, Chew, vice president of service lines at Tampa General Hospital, urged the students to see the applicability of their knowledge and embrace the spirit of innovation.

“There are headwinds within health care that are real. You have payers wanting to pay less, patient experience, consumers and the rising cost of health care—and all of those problems need to be solved by thinking outside the box,” Chew said. “You’re going to have to apply and see what makes a difference.”

In closing, Dr. Mark Moseley, president of USF Tampa General Physician, emphasized the need for a collective effort to fix a broken health care system. He encouraged the students to consider their careers as contributing to an infinite game of improving health care, where fulfillment comes from a sense of purpose and giving back to society.

“What we need is a coalition of the willing who are committed to the infinite game of improving health care. We don’t declare a winner and a loser in health care, but you can join us in this just cause,” Moseley said. “Through your hard work and effort, you can contribute to the welfare and benefit of others. It will be all-consuming. It will be joyful. It will be challenging. But at the end of the day, when you’re done with your career, you will look back and you will be fulfilled. And if you’re lucky, you’ll get a chance to bring others along with you.”

View all photos of the ceremony here.

Story by Caitlin Keough, USF College of Public Health