CECI News
From internship to CEO: MHA student gains a fast track to healthcare leadership
July 27, 2026
A student in CECI’s Master’s of Health Administration program is on a fast track to becoming a CEO thanks to a unique internship that the MHA program earned through its strong reputation.
Sharon Pani is spending her summer interning with Select Medical in Grand Rapids. Select Medical is the largest provider of post-acute care in the United States and runs a 36-bed critical illness recovery hospital located within Corewell Health’s Blodgett Hospital in Grand Rapids.
Pani’s internship is part of a new effort by Select to organically grow their future leaders. Upon completion of the internship, participants like Pani have the potential to move into a yearlong administrative fellowship under a CEO. If all goes well, Pani could be the CEO of a Select facility in as little as four years.
“It’s an exciting opportunity and I’m thrilled to be working with leadership and looking for solutions to improve the patient experience” said Pani. "Growing up in India, I witnessed firsthand the disparities in access to healthcare and the impact they had on individuals and families. Those experiences inspired me to pursue healthcare administration because I want to be part of creating systems that improve patient care and expand access to quality healthcare."
With the number of healthcare management jobs projected to grow 23 percent between now and 2034, there’s an urgent need to cultivate future leaders.
“Select is continuing to grow and evolve which heightens our need for strong leaders,” said Matt Campbell, Chief Executive Officer, Select Medical Corewell Health Grand Rapids.
Pani learned about the program after MHA Program Director Raymond Higbea, PhD, had a team from Select come to an MHA program revenue cycle class and talk about the internship opportunity.
“Connecting our students with real-world experiences is a key part of our program,” said Higbea. “The uniqueness and timeline for advancement presented by Select Medical is a great example of how our students can quickly make an impact on their community.”
The quality of GVSU’s MHA program, which recently earned an eight-year reaccreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management, made for a natural pairing between GVSU and Select as they launched this new endeavor.
“When we visited the class, the knowledge and maturity of the students showed us that GVSU had strong candidates for this important role,” said Campbell.
Campbell says that so far Select Medical is pleased with the partnership, and Pani agrees.
"This internship has shown me that a GVSU education goes beyond the classroom. The experiences, mentorship, and opportunities I've received have prepared me to contribute to meaningful change, and I'm grateful to both GVSU and Select Medical for investing in my future."