MHA Program and Beyond: Sehrish Mazhar's Career Redefined
“My career in healthcare really began over 15 years ago. I started out in private practice in reception…that was a pivotal starting point in my career journey...being there for many years, I’ve always had a strong desire to take on increasingly greater challenges and responsibilities. The foundation I built there helped me understand the inner workings of a healthcare practice."
From front desk to each incremental rung of management, Sehrish Mazhar has been dedicated to learning and further advancing her skills and leadership in every complex role she has taken in healthcare. She has managed over 75 people and weathered the momentous challenge of balancing family, education, life and work with grace and perseverance. Early on in her professional journey she saw the benefit of continuing her education with a masters. “Continuing my education has always been of interest to me, but I never had the money or resources at the time,” she said. "However, all the programs at the time were full time and in person which made it inaccessible, since I was working full-time and taking care of my family."
“I was really excited to see that the MHA program was part time and remote.''
Remote learning gave her the flexibility, access to the education and experience she had long been looking for to not just further her credentials, but gain valuable industry knowledge, networking and professional support. After COVID she hit a point in her career where she was stuck and “had to proactively work towards specific goals and advancement opportunities.” That is where the Masters of Health Administration (MHA) came into her story.
"Wagner gave me the framework to leverage different work styles, personalities, and how to think about and work with diverse teams."
The MHA program allowed her to develop a broader knowledge base in the healthcare industry from what is happening, to emerging trends, to current challenges. This laid the groundwork for her to truly understand her industry better beyond her extensive professional experience. Participating in the MHA program has been instrumental in reshaping my values and redefining my career goals, providing me with clarity and direction for my professional path. It also validated her lived experience, expanded and formalized her leadership training and broadened her outlook on an industry she has been immersed in for over 15 years. She remembers telling her professor “I have been going through this all this time and I had no idea what it was called…I had a lot of ah-ha moments where I came to the realization that I wasn’t alone in facing the challenges in my various roles,” but really it was indicative of a large industry trend or challenge. Each class gave her more context that directly applied to her day-to-day work. She would bring strategies, concepts and data from school into the workplace and share her work experience in class. The relationship between work and school was symbiotic and complemented each other surprisingly well. As she explored her industry, gained an invaluable education, and accessed professional resources, Sehrish was looking for a way to make a historically exclusionary industry accessible and diverse for all people while utilizing her talents in management, leadership, and revenue systems.
“The importance of networking is one of the most crucial takeaways I gained from the MHA Program”
Dr. Chequeta Allen, introduced Sehrish to the world of networking, connecting her with ACHE and MGMA. “It was the biggest blessing..I didn't even know this whole world and support system existed” she says. “I am still a member of ACHE, NAHSE and MGMA. It was so important for me to get real time industry knowledge after I graduated and stay connected to a community of professionals.” She was connected to her current job at Henry J. Austin Health Center through an ACHE event, where she met the CFO, and her now boss.
Her biggest piece of advice to any prospective student is to use the resources available to you, even if you don’t see the immediate need. “I made every move intentionally...if I saw anything come through my email about a webinar, event or speaker series I would take advantage of it.” The career service center was instrumental in her success, confidence and ability to market herself. “Rachel DuBois is especially amazing” and reframed her resume and application package to better reflect the extensive experience, leadership and education that Sehrish brings to the table. She leaned into the wealth of knowledge her MHA professors had and “did not have one bad experience” and deeply appreciated the passion and individual attention given by each of her professors.
The MHA program ultimately gave her the resources, industry knowledge, confidence and connections to find her niche within the healthcare sector that allowed her to serve others and be true to her commitment to representing and fighting for diversity. It’s important to note that she wouldn’t have been able to achieve this without the unwavering support of her family, and more specifically her husband. Sehrish Mazhar is now the Director of Finance and Revenue Cycle at Henry J. Austin Health Center in New Jersey and when she looks around the room, she is greeted by a diverse team of individuals working to make healthcare more equitable and accessible to all people. “It feels great as a Pakistani American to be able to have a seat at the table where I can contribute to organizational decision making.”