Brandon Cantrell

Sindhu Mallala's mission to study health informatics fueled her move to America to gain a deeper understanding of how technology can transform the way health systems operate, especially in storing, managing, and accessing critical patient data more quickly and securely. While at Mason, Mallala pursued opportunities that gave her insight into just how impactful technology can be—not just for hospital operations but also for training the next generation of health care providers.

Michelle Vassallo (MHA '15) led a team of infectious disease prevention specialists, physicians, pharmacists, and researchers at Inova Health System to develop and execute a plan to distribute 100,000 vaccines in just 53 days. To do this, Vassallo and her team of nearly 30 public health professionals reimagined how their hospital system could fight the pandemic while keeping everyone's safety top of mind. In recognition of her achievements and contributions, Vassallo has been named 2022 College of Health and Human Services Alumna of the Year.

Students in the Rising Health Care Leaders at Mason gained critical leadership experience by hosting a successful 2022 RHLM Spring Symposium. President of RHLM, Akshaya Chinnathevar Ramesh, reflects on how leading others to plan and organize the event further prepared her for a career in health leadership.

Mason Alumna Nhien Ho joined the Master of Health Administration program to help improve health care accessibility, affordability, and availability for underserved communities. Read how her MHA practicum project prepared to work toward her goal as a health care consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton.

A team of #MasonCHHS researchers designed an app to combat the growing mental health concerns affecting undergraduate students due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers created a predictive health app that detects when undergraduate students are exhibiting behavioral, emotional, and academic concerns and connects the students to appropriate resources, such as Mason's Counseling and Psychological Services.

Master of Health Administration (MHA) students recently had the opportunity to speak with J. Stephen Jones, president and CEO of Inova Health System, one of Virginia’s largest hospital systems. Jones shared his leadership philosophy and advice with MHA students as part of the HAP 704 Executive Speaker Series, where students meet highly-respected leaders in the industry.

Members of the Master of Social Work Student Association (MSWSA) honored survivors of domestic violence during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month by organizing a donation drive competition. The month-long college-wide donation drive collected approximately 357 items across the College of Health and Human Service’s (CHHS) five departments, a testament to the CHHS community’s commitment to helping those in need.

Patricia Tran became interested in health informatics while working as a nurse. She is now pursuing a Master of Health Informatics degree at Mason, where she obtained an internship with Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) over the summer to research how 5G-enabled technology can transform telehealth care.

Mason alumna Joni Brady (DNP, '15) reflects on how her time at Mason further prepared her for a career in nursing leadership. As the Chair of the International Collaboration of PeriAnesthesia Nurses, Brady incorporates multicultural insights she gained through years of living abroad and the skills she learned at Mason to advance the nursing practice of perianesthesia for nurses across the world.