A graduate of the online MHA program, Abby Paulisin MS '23 is using her degree to improve health outcomes at an administrative level.
Fairfield University alumna Abby Paulisin MS’23 aspired to be a reconstructive burn surgeon after visiting a burn center through a family connection in high school. It was an area in which she knew she could do a lot of good for patients. Nevertheless, the biology major's career plans changed when she took a position as a medical scribe just out of college. Gaining exposure to the administrative side of healthcare in that position, Paulisin learned that there are many ways to impact the health outcomes of patients.
As Paulisin helped physicians and specialty surgeons document patient encounters as a scribe, she identified various operational impediments to quality patient care in the healthcare system. Determined to put herself in a better position to address those issues, she enrolled in the master of science in healthcare administration (MHA) degree program at the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies.
One and a half years later, graduate degree in hand, she is putting her education to use and making a difference. “Pursuing a master's in healthcare administration at Fairfield allowed me to approach healthcare from a systemic perspective, aiming to improve patient care at an organizational level," she said.
Currently a health insurance broker for a national insurance and employee benefits firm, Paulisin primarily works with non-profit organizations and independent schools to ensure that compliance standards are met and that benefits align with business strategies. Ultimately, she helps clients provide the best quality care coverages to their employees. She finds the work rewarding.
“Helping people manage care during the most vulnerable times, turning challenging situations into positive outcomes, and enhancing baseline coverage evokes overwhelming joy,” she said.
As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, leadership and administrative skills, like those taught in the interdisciplinary MHA program, are more critical than ever. Paulisin appreciated that her degree combined coursework from two of Fairfield’s nationally ranked graduate schools, the Dolan School of Business and Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies.
The integrative curriculum equipped Paulisin with the tools necessary to navigate the complex world of healthcare management. “The MHA program,” she said, “gave me the foundation I needed to understand and strategize in my industry.”
Paulisin chose the MHA program at Fairfield for its flexibility and supportive environment. The online format allowed her to work full-time while pursuing her degree. That ability to balance work and school, she said, was crucial to her growth, especially the strengthening her time-management skills.
For her practicum, Paulisin secured placement in administrative operations at Hartford Healthcare. The hands-on, immersive experience provided an occasion to apply classroom knowledge to real-world healthcare situations. Though challenging, the practicum was Paulisin’s favorite part of the program. In addition to bridging theory and practice, it developed essential problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication skills, all of which she uses day-to-day in her current position.
The practicum experience also offered the opportunity to see how barriers to delivering effective patient care were addressed at the highest organizational level. “I had the chance to sit on the board of directors in an area hospital and see high-level decision-making in action,” she recalled. “It was an eye-opening experience that reinforced everything I had learned in the program.”
