Philip Hails

Master of science student, Department of Health Policy and Management

Born in Bogota, Colombia, Philip Hails studied mathematics, with an emphasis on economics and finance, at Duke University. After that, he says, “I embarked on a journey to identify a career that I could feel passionate about.” In his first position, at the Ellen Riegner Cancer Foundation in Bogota, he began to understand how a health system works, or does not work, and the impact of poverty on health. By “sheer chance,” he then found a job with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative in Rwanda. That experience, he reports, taught him about the dynamics and challenges faced by NGOs in translating donor resources into effective services. His most recent move has been to Boston. Philip says that the professors in Health Policy and Management have been outstanding but the real highlight has been his fellow students. While at HSPH he has worked with Network Health, a local health plan providing coverage for Medicaid populations. “It’s been inspiring to be part of such a mission-driven nonprofit organization.” Philip is also the president of LAC Health, a student organization focused on analyzing and improving health problems in Latin America and the Caribbean. Upon graduation Philip will take up a position in the Strategy and Operations practice of Deloitte Consulting: “I want to gain firsthand experience in the problems and opportunities faced by the management of health care organizations.”

Monisha Machado

Master’s student, Department of Health Policy and Management

Trained as a dentist, Monisha Machado always knew that she wanted to be part of the health care industry. While helping to run a clinic in the city of Mumbai, India, Monisha discovered her passion for health care management. She moved with her husband to the United States four years ago and came to HSPH for the master’s degree program in health policy and management (HPM): “I liked the fact that the program required previous work experience, and students could bring these experiences into the classroom.” The president of the HSPH Student Government, Monisha mentions as other strengths the school’s international student body, the real-world orientation of the HPM faculty, and the opportunity to take business classes at the Harvard Business School and MIT. In the final year of her program, Monisha is completing her practicum at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where she is a Lean Program intern in the Office of the President: “By identifying and reforming the non-value-added aspects of the patient care process, we’ve been able to increase efficiency, productivity, and patient and staff satisfaction.” Monisha has already landed a job with McKinsey and Company. She says, “As a consultant I’d like to study strategy and operations in a variety of industries and ultimately apply those skills to improve health care delivery globally.”