Onward and Upward: The Importance of Organization Theory in Health Administration Education

Is organization theory of significant relevance or value for students of health administration? And if so, is organization theory taken for granted in health administration education today? Looking upon my own experiences as a health administration student, practitioner, and educator, I believe now that, as a graduate student pursuing my master’s degree in healthcare administration over 10 years ago, I took the subject of organization theory for granted. It was only later in my doctoral studies as I reflected upon my experiences in healthcare administration that I began to gain a genuine appreciation for organization theory. For that, I owe many thanks to a handful of exemplary professors and colleagues who stoked a fiery interest in the subject. In particular, Dr. Stephen Mick’s influence was considerable, and as this special issue of the Journal of Health Administration Education recognizes his legacy throughout the field, I offer this commentary to briefly share his influence in my career, to note his many contributions to healthcare organization theory, and to appeal for a continued emphasis of the importance of organization theory in health administration education