Mara Bloom

Can you tell us a bit about your job responsibilities?

As Senior Vice President at Massachusetts General Hospital, I oversee the Cancer Center, Radiation Oncology, and Dermatology departments. I have a broad role with strategic and operational oversight for all clinical and research operations, as well as oversight for our affiliated networks in New England and international collaborations. In addition, I serve as Co-Director of the Harvard Medical School Master in Clinical Service Operations, which is a 1-year executive Master's degree for healthcare leaders to advance their careers in clinical operations and enhance leadership skill sets. When I was creating the Master’s program for Harvard Medical School, I reflected on the superb experience I had at NYU Wagner, and how the leadership skill sets I learned and professional connections I made were pivotal to my career.

Why did you choose NYU Wagner for graduate school?

After attending law school, I was planning to enter into a career focused on public interest or non-profit law which is why I sought NYU’s public administration master degree. Additionally, I chose NYU Wagner because I wanted to build my professional network in NYC after relocating from Florida. Wagner provided me with a great foundation in public administration and service. It gave me the skill sets in finance, strategic planning, management, and operations, which were not part of the law school core curriculum. I was able to leverage these skill sets in my first very first job at New York Health & Hospitals Corporation, which I found through an NYU Wagner career fair, and I launched my career in healthcare management. Everything I learned at NYU Wagner is part of my personal DNA and has been a real anchor for me to learn and to grow.

What advantages have you found to being a part of the NYU Wagner alumni network?

I was honored to volunteer for the alumni association for many years and to keep that valuable network from NYU Wagner even in Boston, today. I have so many wonderful colleagues who I have stayed in touch with over the years. I have worked with many of these colleagues and have hosted internships, or partnered on projects together in national associations, so I continue to be involved with this really vibrant community. Whenever I meet a fellow Wagner alum, I know they're going to be a substantial human being and mission driven. NYU Wagner students are passionate about making the world a better place whether advancing diversity and equity, improving operations in non-profit organizations, and delivering overall value and results. I am grateful that NYU Wagner took a chance on me because I didn’t have a lot of work experience at the time, but I had a strong commitment to public service. I never dreamed of becoming senior vice president of a healthcare organization, but I always knew that I wanted to make an impact on people’s lives in a substantive and tangible way.