Graduates of the DeGroote School of Business' innovative Health Services Management MBA will gather together along with faculty, students and healthcare leaders to discuss private sector involvement in Ontario healthcare this Thursday evening at the second annual HSM dinner.

Special guests Kevin Smith, president and CEO, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Peter Brenders, president and CEO, BIOTECanada and Chris Ward, former government house leader, minister of education and parliamentary assistant for health, will bring a variety of perspectives from both sides of the debate.

McMaster's Health Services Management MBA, the only MBA program of its type in Canada, trains students to become senior leaders in the management of the healthcare industry. With a strong business and management background as well as hands-on training gained through work experience in health care organizations, graduates have an in depth understanding of the challenges and realities that are particular to the health services field.

“Health services managers are critical elements in the framework of effective and efficient delivery of health services. These managers need solid grounding in the fundamentals of planning, operations, and evaluation as well as a broad understanding of the realities and inherent growth potentials of our health system,” says Wayne Taylor, Director, Health Services Management Program. “Kevin, Peter and Chris can give our graduates valuable insight to the challenges and opportunities being generated in this rapidly changing field.”

More than 400 students have graduated from the HSM MBA program.