(L-R) Matt Waller joins Curtis Barnett, Robert Shoptaw and Kate Mamiseishvili to announce the Robert L. Shoptaw Grasp of Healthcare Enterprise Analytics program on the College of Arkansas.
The Sam M. Walton Faculty of Enterprise, in partnership with Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Defend and the Faculty of Training and Well being Professions on the College of Arkansas, introduced the creation of the Robert L. Shoptaw Grasp of Healthcare Enterprise Analytics Program on Sept. 27 on the Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Defend Northwest Arkansas Company Heart in Springdale.
“The funding of this graduate program by Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Defend is a sport changer for our college students and for the healthcare trade,” stated Matt Waller, dean of the Walton College. “This diploma will assist professionals within the enterprise and healthcare industries rework large quantities of knowledge into sensible, analytical selections. Finally, this can be a win for each sufferers and medical professionals.”
Kate Mamiseishvili, interim dean of the College of Education and Health Professions, added, “We’re excited to collaborate with the Walton Faculty to supply this new grasp’s diploma. It’s a distinctive program that leverages the experience of college from each faculties. It brings collectively enterprise analytics and information of healthcare to arrange professionals with huge knowledge abilities to enhance healthcare supply and affected person outcomes.”
Shoptaw, who served as Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Defend’s chief govt officer from 1994 till his retirement in 2008, was readily available for the disclosing of the brand new program.
“Arkansas Blue Cross is happy to honor the management and legacy of Bob Shoptaw by supporting Walton Faculty within the institution of the Grasp of Healthcare Enterprise Analytics Program,” stated Curtis Barnett, president and chief govt officer of Arkansas Blue Cross. “There’s a rising want for extremely expert healthcare knowledge analysts who can flip info into insights that permit suppliers, payors and researchers to develop initiatives that enhance affected person outcomes, improve care administration and promote a complete particular person strategy to care that addresses a affected person’s bodily well being, behavioral well being and social wants all collectively. Bob Shoptaw has been a visionary in our trade in terms of recognizing the important function knowledge and analytics can play in bettering the general healthcare system and offering folks inexpensive protection and high quality care.”
Shoptaw joined Arkansas Blue Cross as a hospital {and professional} relations consultant in 1970 and rose via the ranks to turn into the president and chief govt officer in 1994. He served in that capability till he retired in 2008 and in addition served as chair of the Arkansas Blue Cross board from 2009 – 2016. He now serves as a member of the board for the not-for-profit, mutual insurance coverage firm.
All through his profession, Shoptaw invested his time and expertise with quite a few group and civic organizations, together with these within the educational and medical fields. On the educational entrance, he served on the Dean’s Govt Advisory Board and the Arkansas Govt Discussion board at Walton Faculty and on boards at Philander Smith Faculty and Arkansas Tech Faculty of Enterprise. He additionally served on healthcare-related boards affiliated with the Arthritis Basis, Nationwide Institute for Well being Care Administration, Arkansas Facilities for Well being Enchancment, Governor’s Rural Well being Advisory Council, Mercy Well being Plans and Blue Cross and Blue Defend Affiliation.
The Robert L. Shoptaw Grasp of Healthcare Enterprise Analytics Program is anticipated to launch within the fall of 2023.
About Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Defend: Based in 1948, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, an impartial licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Defend Affiliation, is the biggest well being insurer in Arkansas. Arkansas Blue Cross and its associates have greater than 3,200 workers.
The Blue Cross Blue Defend Affiliation is comprised of 36 impartial, community-based and regionally operated Blue Cross and Blue Defend Plans that collectively present healthcare protection for practically 106 million members — one in three People.
Concerning the College of Arkansas: As Arkansas’ flagship establishment, the U of A supplies an internationally aggressive training in additional than 200 educational applications. Based in 1871, the U of A contributes greater than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy via the instructing of latest information and abilities, entrepreneurship and job improvement, discovery via analysis and inventive exercise whereas additionally offering coaching for skilled disciplines. The Carnegie Basis classifies the U of A among the many few U.S. faculties and universities with the best stage of analysis exercise. U.S. Information & World Report ranks the U of A among the many high public universities within the nation. See how the U of A works to construct a greater world at Arkansas Research News.