“You Have to Chase Your Dream”: One OT’s Journey to Leadership in Healthcare Administration
After Bria Mitchell-Gillespie, MHA ’25, graduated with a doctorate in occupational therapy in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, she entered a workforce defined by uncertainty. Her first job—a short-term assignment as the sole occupational therapist in a rural Texas unit—was eye-opening and exhausting. “It was only a three-month placement, but I was supervising six certified occupational therapy assistants with no real [work] experience,” she says. She learned a lot, “but I burned out quickly.”
As she worked in a variety of clinical and project-based roles, Bria’s interests shifted toward leadership, change management, and data-informed decision-making. “Working in a lot of different settings in New York City, I came to realize that I wanted to be involved in shaping systems that affected my patients’ care,” she says. She felt limited in her ability to influence the field. “I didn’t have the knowledge or skills to create the change that I wanted to see in healthcare.” She decided to go back to school because, while she wanted a career pivot, she didn’t want to do it without structure and preparation.
Bria originally explored business schools. But a conversation with an MBA student helped her home in on what she truly wanted. “When I told them I was interested in healthcare delivery, they recommended I look into master’s programs in healthcare administration.” After researching part-time options that would allow her to continue working full-time, Northwestern’s MS in Healthcare Administration (MHA) stood out. “The curriculum was strategic and patient-centered—which is where my interests lie.”
Eye-Opening Coursework and Supportive Faculty
One course that particularly impacted Bria was “Leading Quality Care and Ethical Compliance” with faculty member Cindy Barnard. “I remember going in thinking that I knew what there was to know about quality as a care deliverer, an occupational therapist,” she says, but she quickly became aware of her knowledge gaps regarding quality control, legal and ethical issues, and quality and safety protocols. “I received a lot of help from Professor Barnard throughout the course. Incentivizing quality care, implementing system-wide changes for quality care, and monitoring those programs are things I'm excited to take forward in my career.”
In a course on change management and leadership, faculty member David Ruhland walked the class through the implementation of a hypothetical protocol that is met with hospital staff resistance. “The way my professor walked through the system and the structure of managing change and how that could lead to a successful initiative, drive future programs, and ultimately improve patient care, really clicked for me,” she says.
Faculty support played a critical role in Bria’s experience, as she felt valued for her background in occupational therapy. “I also felt validated in the growth that I was looking to achieve and the pivot that I was hoping to make, which was important to me,” she says. “In large part, that came from the faculty that I met with. They were extremely approachable, experienced, and deeply invested in my success. They made things so easily applicable to real-world challenges that they saw in the office every day."
While enrolled in the MHA program, Bria continued to balance her work as a full-time occupational therapist with a part-time project management role. It wasn’t easy, but the program’s flexibility made it possible. “I could take one or two courses at a time,” she says. “I’ve always been good about time management: staying organized, maintaining a schedule, and keeping the end goal in sight.”
A Launchpad for the Next Chapter
Shortly after graduating from the MHA program, Bria relocated from New York to Chicago to participate in the prestigious Northwestern Medicine Harrison Administrative Fellowship program. The fellowship is an intensive, hands-on experience designed to accelerate leadership growth within healthcare organizations.
“From the moment I started the MHA program, I was intentional about securing a fellowship,” Bria says. “I saw it as a high-impact way to accelerate my growth in a new field. It was also a structured way to explore my career path through hands-on work and direct exposure to executive leadership, strategic planning, and operational development and transformation.”
Though she’s stepping away from direct patient care for now, Bria keeps her clients’ care in mind as she contemplates her future. “I want to work in historically marginalized communities and bring a human-centered design and data-informed decision-making approach to everything.”
Bria will miss her current occupational therapy clients, who she says have been positive and encouraging about her next steps. “Some of the older adults that I still work with tell me, ‘You have to chase your dream.’”
Northwestern University School of Professional Studies offers many degree and certificate programs, with evening and online options available. To learn more about how the Northwestern University Master's in Healthcare Administration prepares graduates to advance their careers in healthcare administration, fill out the form below, and we will be in touch with you soon.