MSU-Meridian positions HCA students to service value-based systems

Contact: Marianne Todd

MERIDIAN, Miss.—As value-based systems emerge onto healthcare landscapes, Mississippi State-Meridian’s Department of Healthcare Administration continues to position students to the top of the field.

“Administrators are playing a major role in that transition,” said Mary Smith, an assistant professor in MSU-Meridian’s HCA program. “This is a system where providers are paid based on value and quality metrics rather than a set fee for services. While providers are delivering direct care, administrators are assessing metrics, evaluating performances and tweaking processes to ensure reimbursement is high and that we have good patient outcomes.”

Smith said Meridian’s program is unique by offering a bachelor’s degree in HCA, which can springboard students into the administrative pipeline, providing them with a competitive start in the field.

While direct care roles are often described as remaining crucially short, Smith, a board-certified nurse practitioner in psychiatry and family practice, said the need for administrative roles is just as critical.

She earned her Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from MSU in 2024 and joined the HCA program at the start of this year. This spring, she witnessed HCA’s first two graduates join the fifth graduating Master of Physician Assistant Studies students to be the first-ever graduates from the university’s School of Health Professions.

Serving as an adjunct professor for two years prior, she developed HCA’s entry-level introductory courses to U.S. Health Policy, U.S. Healthcare System and U.S. Healthcare Law.

Jamesa Bias of Newton, who graduated summa cum laude this spring, said she is particularly concerned with the lack of quality healthcare among underserved populations.

“Being a consumer of healthcare myself and bearing witness to and learning more about the inequities that exist in healthcare—along with the bare minimum quality of care most patients receive—is what led me to pursue the degree,” Bias said.

While some students are traditional, most are in their 30s or 40s, have full-time jobs and families, Smith said. Currently, there are 25 students enrolled.

“HCA is becoming increasingly important in modern healthcare, especially in light of financial challenges and regulatory concerns,” said Paul Spurlin, interim program director for Healthcare Administration and associate professor of finance.

David Buys, associate vice provost for Health Sciences and interim head of campus, said the dedication to filling critical shortfalls in healthcare further advances the mission of MSU as a land-grant university.

“We are charged with caring for our state’s most vulnerable populations, and the creation of this program, and others like it at MSU-Meridian over the last decade, demonstrate our ongoing commitment to that mission,” Buys said.

According to data from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, there are about 4,000 jobs in medical and health services management in Mississippi with an average salary of more than $100,000 per year. Job growth in this area is expected increase 29% nationally over the next decade, faster than the average expected job growth.

For more information on the Department of Healthcare Administration, visit www.meridian.msstate.edu/hca.

Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.