SPH alum gives back to his ‘calling’ through scholarship

Patrick Hays

Patrick Hays has had plenty of career success.

A 1971 alum of the Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program, Hays founded Sutter Health in Sacramento, California. Today the organization is recognized as one of the country’s top integrated health systems.

Hays also has served as president and CEO of the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Association, the national coordinating body for the nation’s then 49 independent BCBS plans. And in 2003, he received the American College of Healthcare Executives’ Gold Medal Award.

Though his own personal determination and drive surely cannot be discounted, Hays is quick to credit his education for those achievements.

“If I’ve had any professional success, Minnesota is the reason,” he says. “I believe that the program gave me the grounding to go ahead and do this stuff.”

The huge network of Minnesota MHA alumni leaders throughout the country also has impressed him over the years. So to show his gratitude for being set up for

In my day, we were inculcated with the notion of health service administration as a profes sion and a calling—not a business.

success, Hays has created a scholarship for current MHA students. He gave $25,000 in 2009 to establish the Patrick G. Hays Leadership Scholarship and has set aside another $500,000 in his estate plans for it.

Hays also has supported students and alumni by serving as a preceptor, adviser, and mentor throughout his career.

“In my day, we were inculcated with the notion of health service administration as a profession and a calling—not a business,” he says. “Part of being a professional was [giving] back.”