When Joxel Garcia, M.D., first heard about the new Executive MBA program for health care professionals (EMBA-HCP) at the Barney School of Business, he thought it would help him in his career as assistant director of obstetrics and gynecology at Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford.
Little did he know that the program would play a significant role in establishing him in a brand-new career as Connecticut's top public health official.
When Garcia picked up his degree in May this year as a member of the program's first graduating class, he did so not just as a physician, but also as Connecticut's newly appointed Commissioner of Public Health. The administration and public policy training that Garcia received through the program at Barney was a key factor in his appointment as commissioner, he said.
"I think it (enrolling in the EMBA-HCP program) was one of the best decisions in my life. It changed my life significantly," Garcia said. "One of the reasons that I am commissioner is because of the program, there is no question about that."
The Executive MBA program -- the only program of its kind in Connecticut -- provides health care professionals with the business and management skills necessary to remain competitive in today's rapidly changing health care environment. The program is specifically geared toward busy, high-level professionals like Garcia. Classes are scheduled on Friday afternoons and Saturdays, and participants can earn their MBAs in just 21 months while remaining in their careers full time. Classes are taught by Barney faculty and leaders in the health care field.
The program is designed to accommodate a broad range of health care professionals, including physicians, dentists, nurses, physical therapists, research scientists, and insurance and HMO managers. The curriculum is unique among MBA programs in that it teaches business and management skills with a specific focus on the health care industry.
Garcia, 37, was born and raised in Puerto Rico. He received his undergraduate education at the
University of Puerto Rico and earned his medical degree at the Ponce School of Medicine in Ponce, Puerto Rico. In addition to his other roles, Garcia is an assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.
He first came to the attention of Connecticut officials earlier this year, when Gov. John Rowland nominated him for the state Board of Medical Examiners. Shortly thereafter, then-Public Health Commissioner Stephen Harriman withdrew his nomination for a second term, and Rowland nominated Garcia as his successor. The state legislature confirmed the appointment in April. At the time, Garcia was just weeks away from earning his MBA, and that combination of clinical and administrative background was exactly what state officials were looking for.
One of the EMBA-HCP program subject areas that Garcia regularly draws upon in his new role as commissioner is marketing. "What I'm doing right now is essentially marketing the department -- I'm trying to educate people about how the agency works," he said. The Connecticut Department of Public Health, which has more than 900 employees and an annual budget of about $200 million, has an enormous range of responsibilities, including regulating all health care providers in the state, promoting education and disease prevention, setting public health policy, and maintaining vital statistics.
One of the factors that makes the Executive MBA program so effective is the quality of the faculty and staff, Garcia said. The program's administrators were extremely supportive of the MBA students, and the instructors were both challenging and inspiring, he said.
He cited James Fairfield-Sonn, associate professor of management, as one of the program's many outstanding educators. "He inspired the leader in each one of us," said Garcia.
He also had high praise for attorney John Day, who coordinated the classes related to health care law. Day brought in some of the state's top lawyers as guest speakers, and his lecture on constitutional law was so inspiring that several students actually talked about attending law school, Garcia said.
"The program enables you to interact with guest speakers and visiting professors who not only know their subject material, but also have worked in the corporate world, and they have extremely valuable experience to share," Garcia said.
Another unique aspect of the program is its students, Garcia said. A talented and highly motivated group of professionals with diverse backgrounds brings a stimulating mix of perspectives to the classes. "We learned from each other and we brought out the best in each other," said Garcia, who still is in touch with many of his former classmates.
Garcia's fellow students included: a Bristol Hospital pathologist; the manager of the Eating Disorders Program at Hartford Hospital's Institute of Living; the director of Adult and Trauma Services at Elmcrest Hospital; a dentist; several registered nurses; a physical therapist; an executive for United Healthcare; and a research center administrator.
As the first graduates of the EMBA-HCP program, Garcia and his classmates provided program organizers with a tremendous amount of feedback. Garcia believes the program will become even more effective as it grows and matures in the years to come. And, as administrative skills become increasingly important in the health care industry, the University is poised to play a leadership role in training the medical professionals of the 21st century, Garcia said. "The program is really, really good -- and I think it's going to become even better."
