Published on June 25, 2018 by Sarah Waller  
Keith Elder with AUPHA
Dean Keith Elder (left) receives the AUPHA award on behalf of Samford.

The Association for University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) named Samford University’s Department of Healthcare Administration in the School of Public Health the 2018 New Program of the Year. 

This honor comes two years after the School of Public Health established the department and its two degree programs: a Bachelor of Science in healthcare administration and an online Master of Healthcare Administration. 

“Healthcare needs leaders. It needs leaders on the clinical side, but it also needs leaders who can handle operations like human resources, finance, quality improvement and more,” said Ashley Robertson, assistant professor in the Department of Healthcare Administration. “At Samford, we are meeting this need by preparing students in a Christian environment to address healthcare’s increasing complex issues.”

The school received the award at the recent Association for University Programs in Health Administration annual meeting in Philadelphia. The AUPHA's Board of Directors voted for the New Program of the Year award, based upon qualitative and quantitative measures, including faculty involvement with the association.

“In the School of Public Health, we strive to have the highest quality degree offerings. When peers within health administration education’s leading professional organization, AUPHA, recognize our work and commitment to our students and the profession, it is validation that the Department of Healthcare Administration has a strong and promising foundation,” said Keith Elder, dean of the School of Public Health. 

The award is also a reflection of the school’s faculty, who invest time and energy to ensure student success for those who are called to serve through dynamic leadership. In demonstration of the school’s commitment to interprofessional education, faculty from other departments within the schools, including public health and health informatics and information management, contribute teaching and insights to the healthcare administration curricula. 

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.