Student Spotlight: Dhara Shukla (MHA 2024)

Online MHA student, Dhara Shukla, has long been passionate about improving the accessibility and quality of care. Her accomplishments and drive to improve healthcare were recently recognized by Healthcare Leaders of New York (HLNY), the New York City chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). She recently reflected on her experience at Wagner as well as the meaningfulness of receiving HLNY’s 2022 Achan and Achievement Award of Distinction. 

What motivated you to attend the Wagner School of Public Service and pursue its Online MHA program?

I wanted to pursue my Online MHA at Wagner School of Public Service because I wanted to advance in my career and have more of a leadership role in healthcare delivery while also pursuing my MHA degree. I knew receiving this degree from Wagner would allow me to learn from renowned faculty and provide me a network of a wide range of experienced and accomplished individuals in the healthcare field.

Reflecting on your experience thus far, how has your Wagner education impacted your understanding of the health field? How did it prepare you for the next steps in your career?

My Wagner education has helped me implement my learnings into my full-time job at NYU Langone. It has allowed me to look at, understand, and challenge workflows that could improve access, quality and cost of care. I have been able to become a better critical thinker, decision maker, and problem solver, which are all skills needed to advance to the next level in my career.

You’re currently working in hospital operations at NYU Langone, can you tell us about your responsibilities, projects, and goals as it relates to health?

At my role in NYU Langone, I work closely with clinical engineering, clinical teams, central sterile processing department, MCIT, and other key stakeholders to ensure standardized and efficient equipment flow through the hospital system. I ensure medical devices are properly inspected, maintained and replaced whenever needed to guarantee patients’ safety and quality of care. One of my main projects is replacement planning for medical equipment. I work with finance, clinical stakeholders, and clinical engineering to analyze the capital requests for devices and ensure we are purchasing quality equipment whenever necessary and allocating our inventory so all departments’ needs are met.

You were recently recognized by Healthcare Leaders of New York (HLNY) with their 2022 Achan and Achievement Award (congratulations!). What does this honor mean to you and how might it support your future career goals?

I’m very grateful to receive this award and it’s an honor to represent NYU Wagner. I hope to continue to make an impact as a healthcare leader and improve the accessibility and quality of care provided for patients through healthcare management and policy analysis.

Any advice for healthcare professionals who are interested in pursuing a master's degree?

My advice for healthcare professionals who are interested in pursuing a masters would be to go for it! Having a master’s degree in healthcare administration will allow you to advance your professional qualifications and career skills. Like any master’s degree, be prepared to work hard and stay driven. Try to make the most of your graduate education by interacting with your professors and classmates and getting involved in organizations.