Academics & Student Experience

The Healthcare at Kellogg (HCAK) pathway prepares students for the unique challenges and opportunities in the healthcare sector. Foundational HCAK offerings integrate fundamental managerial disciplines (e.g., economics, strategy) with deep exposure to the industries comprising the healthcare sector, while advanced courses apply these concepts to the specific problems facing managers in the life sciences and payer/provider sectors. As a capstone to the pathway, HCAK students may test and hone their skills through an experiential or field course.

Faculty sponsors: Craig Garthwaite (Strategy)

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Last edited August 24, 2018. For any questions regarding this page, please email kellogg-registrar@kellogg.northwestern.edu

The program for Healthcare at Kellogg goes well beyond the classroom to offer a rich mix of co-curricular, professional, mentorship and academic opportunities. The Healthcare Club delivers a diverse platform of opportunities and activities for Kellogg students to gain awareness, develop relevant skill sets and build successful careers in the healthcare industry.

Open to participants around the world, the Biotech and Healthcare Case competition is one of the oldest and best-known healthcare competitions. This annual event features teams of students who tackle complex healthcare questions beyond a class setting.

For more than 30 years, HCAK has hosted the Visiting Executive Program to provide students with opportunities to gain insights from nationally recognized healthcare executives. HCAK hosts one-on-one sessions as well as small group lunches with visiting executives throughout the winter and spring quarters. The following profiles are a list of executives who actively participate in this valuable student opportunity.

Dianne Blanco ’79: Dianne Blanco is CEO and director of Orteq Limited, a privately-held startup specializing in a unique polymer technology platform for sports surgery soft tissue repair. Blanco holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.

Robert Hilliard Jr. ’86: Robert Hilliard was named state president for WellCare’s operations in Illinois in November 2013. In this role, he is responsible for strategy, regulatory compliance, business development, provider contracting and relations, sales and marketing, medical management, finance and administration. He serves on the board of trustees for AIDS United. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Arthur Holden ’81: Arthur Holden is the founder and chairman of the Pharmaceutical Biomedical Research Consortium (PBRC), which works to advance the field of medicine through the development of high-quality “pre-competitive” biomedical research. He is also a director of iBIO, the Chicago Children’s Hospital Research Institute and the Illinois Technology Development Alliance.

Kristen Murtos: Kristen Murtos is chief administrative & strategy officer of the NorthShore Skokie Hospital part of NorthShore University HealthSystem, a comprehensive, fully integrated healthcare delivery system serving the Chicago region with four hospitals and more than 2,400 physicians. In addition to her leadership role at Skokie Hospital, Murtos oversees corporate marketing, communications and business development for NorthShore.

Olivier Visa ’05: Olivier Visa is vice president OEM, sports and donor services at RTI Surgical. Previously, he served as vice president for the global compounding business unit of Baxter Healthcare, overseeing the outsourcing sterile pharmacy business while focusing operations, quality and R&D on patient safety and innovation. Visa is a graduate of the Executive MBA program at the Kellogg School of Management.

Andrew Ziskind: Andrew Ziskind is an MGH-trained interventional cardiologist with extensive clinical and administrative experience. During his career, Ziskind served as vice dean for clinical affairs and health system vice president at the University of Washington and as president of Barnes-Jewish Hospital and group president at BJC Healthcare.

Students interested in the HCAK program are eligible for renewable tuition scholarships. There is no formal process for applying for a scholarship. Students applying to Kellogg should indicate on their application that they are interested in the HCAK program by checking the appropriate box. Scholarships are renewable for the second year of MBA study conditioned on demonstrating ongoing interest in healthcare.