Five Questions With: Jay Flanagan

With 25 years of experience as a medical resource management executive, Richard “Jay” Flanagan recently became assistant dean for Health Programs in the School of Professional Studies at Brown University. He oversees the Executive Master of Healthcare Leadership program, of which he is a recent graduate.

PBN: Where is the Executive Master of Healthcare Leadership program based – do you get a chance to enjoy campus at all?
FLANAGAN:
The Executive Master of Healthcare Leadership program is based at Brown University’s School of Professional Studies in the heart of the Jewelry District. The school is anticipating future needs by adding new executive programs to our current portfolio that includes the Executive Master in Healthcare Leadership and the IE Brown Executive MBA. In 2016, executives will enroll in Brown’s new Master of Cybersecurity and Master of Science and Technology Leadership programs. I enjoy being in the Jewelry District, and my colleagues, our students and I are regularly on College Hill for meetings, classes, and public events Brown offers.

PBN: You’re giving up your practice in the private sector for a role in academia. What made the pull at the Executive Master of Healthcare Leadership program so strong?
FLANAGAN:
As an alumnus of the Healthcare Leadership program, I know firsthand that we are building leadership capacity. The outstanding Executive Master in Healthcare Leadership alumni are already having an impact on the industry, and the incoming students are committed to transforming and improving the system.
It’s an exciting time to join the School of Professional Studies. Karen Sibley, Dean of the School, was recently named Brown’s Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, demonstrating the growing importance of executive education. Given the demands of globalization, the “typical” professional will have many careers, and Brown’s School of Professional Studies is educating those leaders.

PBN: What is the approximate size of the program in terms of administrative staff, teaching staff, and students?
FLANAGAN:
The School of Professional Studies is a “university within the university.” We have enrollment, marketing, finance, online learning experts, and the support of university colleagues to serve this new population of Brown students. Executive programs are taught by full-time Brown faculty and accomplished practitioners who are leaders in their fields. Instructional designers work with faculty to build highly interactive courses delivered jointly online and face-to-face to the 30 students in each cohort. The students form a cohesive learning community and become a powerful lifelong network. Our executive students come from 22 countries and have 15 to 20 years of work experience.

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PBN: What was the most exciting course you took while you completed the program yourself?
FLANAGAN:
The Healthcare Policy course was my favorite. The changes we’re seeing in US policy are radically altering the way healthcare is delivered, who has access to care, and how money moves in the system. This course helped me develop a deeper understanding of how policy sets the foundation for health outcomes and shapes the “business” of healthcare, both nationally and globally.
Answering this is not easy, though! Each course is designed to serve a critical role in the experience. In addition to the faculty’s considerable insights, classes reflect the energy and vision of the students, which adds another degree of depth to the dynamic and presents diverse perspectives on today’s healthcare challenges.

PBN: Who are some ideal candidates, in terms of career background, to benefit from the program the most?
FLANAGAN:
Ideal candidates come from across the health industry. They are clinicians, insurers, policy makers, hospital executives, lawyers, patient advocates and more. Each one wants to make a difference, address the challenges in this fast-paced healthcare environment, and leverage the experience of a professionally diverse cohort. These students transfer new knowledge in real time through their Critical Challenge Projects and create innovative, sustainable solutions. The students in the program see themselves as transformational leaders and have the drive to achieve their goals.

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