For Anne Jamieson the transition from hospital CEO to lecturer for UNH’s Health Management & Policy program came naturally.
“I always liked teaching. In management, you teach all the time,” Jamieson says. “From Day 1 at UNH, it felt like I had been doing it forever.”
Jamieson, who has been teaching at UNH since 2016, started her career as a nurse and quickly ascended to multiple executive roles, including COO at a major healthcare organization and hospital CEO. She holds an MBA and a law degree, which have been instrumental in her ability to navigate the complex regulatory and operational aspects of healthcare management.
Jamieson says every new opportunity in her career, including teaching, was because someone else believed in her potential and asked her to step up. She often stresses to students the importance of building professional relationships, trusting mentors and being brave.
“When that door opens, that random something has come your way, be brave enough to step up,” Jamieson says “Take the opportunity, because you are always going to be nervous at something new. But if you take that opportunity, you’ll never ask what could’ve been.”
Practical Lessons from a Lifetime in Healthcare Management
Two qualities that always served Jamieson well in her career were her ability to build consensus and staying true to the central mission of providing quality healthcare to patients. These are attributes she tries to pass on in the classroom.
Jamieson’s teaching style is influenced by her years in the field. She emphasizes practical, real-world applications, focusing much of her lessons and projects on current events and real scenarios in healthcare management. Her classes often involve simulations and case studies drawn from her experience and ongoing involvement in the healthcare industry.
“I like to give students simulated scenarios, it could be three to four paragraphs, and I ask them to apply what they’ve just learned,” Jamieson says. “I find that by having students operationalize, the lessons stick with them.”
To stay current, Jamieson maintains active roles in healthcare governance, including positions on hospital boards. This involvement, coupled with her constant research and reading, ensures that her students are learning about the most up-to-date trends and challenges in healthcare management.
"Healthcare is so dynamic that you must constantly stay up on it because it's changing by the day,” Jamieson says.
Making a Lasting Impact on Students
Jamieson has a desk drawer full of thank-you notes from former students, along with students who will text her to update her about their lives or discuss their careers.
“Teaching is a privilege,” Jamieson says. “You want to make an impact on students. That’s what it’s all about.”
Jamieson stays in touch with many of her former students, often providing guidance as they navigate their careers.
“If I can open a door for them through my career and my contacts, I want to do that,” she says.
Jamieson says she takes additional pride being part of the faculty and staff of the Health Management and Policy program and the comprehensive approach the program takes to prepare students for a wide range of careers in healthcare.
"Everyone who teaches here is dedicated to student success,” Jamieson says. “We come with experience in the industry which adds to the breadth of knowledge the students will learn.”
