By Sara A. Mayo
As a Master of Health Administration (M.H.A.) student at the University of Florida (UF), Geoffrey Silvera, Ph.D, M.H.A. (’10) would not have expected to pursue a career in academia.
Fifteen years later, Silvera is an associate professor of health services administration and program director of graduate programs in healthcare quality and safety at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
Today, one can often find Dr. Silvera walking around the UAB campus with colleagues, discussing healthcare’s challenges and teaching students as part of his role.
In short, teachers can be influential.
“I was in that ‘hospital CEO-or-bust’ mindset,” recalls Silvera.
“One of my professors during my M.H.A. asked me when I was going to transition to a Ph.D. program, [after explaining] that the types of questions I asked were not the types of questions that most M.H.A. students were concerned with… and the rest is history.”
Most M.H.A. students are familiar with leadership roles in hospitals or healthcare organizations. Fewer realize that teaching and improving healthcare delivery through education is also a viable and meaningful path.
After earning his M.H.A. from UF, Silvera pursued his Ph.D. at Pennsylvania State University, where he applied his administrative knowledge to research questions and projects related to strategic management of health care organizations.
He returned to the SEC to accept his first academic position as an assistant professor at Auburn University. After five years, he transitioned to his current role at UAB where he has reconnected and worked alongside many of the professors who taught him during his time at UF.
Silvera says that he loves the deep-thinking aspects of his career.
But most of all, he loves teaching students.
“Early in my career, I realized how influential teachers were in shaping the future of healthcare. We are helping to equip the workforce with the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to improve health care organization performance and ultimately population health outcomes. As healthcare attracts lifelong learners it has been a real privilege to train students at various career levels.”
To current M.H.A. students, he encourages an open mind about career trajectory and focus.
“With no shortage of problems in the healthcare system,” he says, “there are lots of different ways for smart and talented people to contribute.”
Hospital administration is still the major employer in the field of health administration, but Silvera notes that other emerging areas of growth such as telehealth, home health, long-term care, and artificial intelligence deserve student attention.
Lifelong learning is a fundamental theme for Silvera, both personally and professionally.
“In my role, I read a lot to stay current. It reminds me to stay humble and stay curious. There’s always more to learn. The minute you think that you have nothing left to learn, you will soon find yourself obsolete. I try to echo this line and instill it in my students.”
Outside of work, Dr. Silvera spends time with his wife (also a Gator, bachelor of arts ‘08) and two young children having fun, traveling, and watching Gator games.