Congratulations team!
A team of healthcare management students from the Ivy College of Business placed first in the 5th Annual Undergraduate Health Administration Case Competition, held in Charleston, South Carolina, on November 13-14. The winning prize was $1,000, which is split among team members.
This is the second team of business students in the healthcare management program to have won first place in a national competition this semester. Another team, consisting of different healthcare management students, won first place in the Penn State Health Policy and Administration Virtual Case Competition, held virtually from October 17 to 23.
The latest case competition was open to program members of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA), a global network of colleges, universities, faculty, individuals, and organizations dedicated to improving healthcare delivery through excellence in healthcare management and health policy education.
It was organized and sponsored by the Medical University of South Carolina, College of Health Professions, Department of Healthcare Leadership & Management.
“The team put together a great idea and presentation, and did a wonderful job presenting it. The judges loved it.”
— Brad Trinkle, Ivy College of Business
“Over the past five weeks, the Ivy team worked tirelessly on a highly complex case requiring them to develop a business plan for implementing multiple healthcare AI products at the Medical University of South Carolina. Their strategic thinking, case analysis, and highly professional delivery of presentation truly stood out,” said Natallia Gray, executive director for healthcare initiatives at the Ivy College of Business.
A case competition is an event where participants, typically in teams, are given a business or educational case study with a real-world problem to solve. Within a limited timeframe, they must analyze the problem, develop a strategic solution, and present their recommendations to a panel of judges for evaluation. These events help students develop and demonstrate skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork, and prepare them for their careers.
This case competition was unique because the students worked on it for five weeks.
“This was truly a marathon that required consistent dedication, focus, and endurance,” Gray said. “There were 14 teams in the competition, which is open exclusively to AUPHA member programs, and included students from 13 universities.”
The team’s faculty coach for this competition was Brad Trinkle, associate professor of accounting, who also accompanied the students to Charleston. The role of the coach is limited to advising students on presentation skills and supporting them with logistics.
Additional members of the Ivy faculty who supported students in strengthening their presentation and communication skills include:
- John Meyer, associate professor of practice, Department of Management and Entrepreneurship.
- Natallia Gray, executive director for healthcare initiatives, Department of Management and Entrepreneurship.
- Malinda Shultice, assistant teaching professor, Department of Management and Entrepreneurship.
“The team put together a great idea and presentation, and did a wonderful job presenting it. The judges loved it,” said Trinkle.
Students on the Ivy team shared their experience.
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Isabelle LangkampHometown: Lannon, Wisconsin
During this five-week competition, our team developed innovative AI solutions tailored to the Medical University of South Carolina’s digital transformation platforms, aiming to enhance the care continuum and identify high-risk patients in South Carolina. Throughout this presentation, I explored solutions tailored to reducing readmissions, enhancing patient communication after discharge, and discovering new ways to allocate time for providers through AI tools within the university’s existing AI ecosystem. This case competition taught me the importance of utilizing AI in ways that should never replace human oversight, but reduce administrative burden by performing mundane tasks to give time back to providers and increase patient understanding.
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Madeline NemmersHometown: Anamosa, Iowa
During our presentation, I showcased how both staff and patients could engage with our proposed AI solutions and explored a comprehensive change management and governance approach to support successful implementation. I’m incredibly proud to be part of this team and to see all of our hard work come to life.
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Emma AutenHometown: Emmetsburg, Iowa
I incorporated a personal story into our presentation to illustrate how transforming complex medical terminology and pages of appointment notes in MyChart into clear, easy-to-understand language and instructions for patients can make a meaningful difference, particularly for those with chronic or complex conditions. Ultimately, what I took away from this experience is that, beyond the operational and financial impacts, AI tools can make a tangible difference for real patients with genuine struggles.
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Keagan WhiteHometown: Rockford, Illinois
One of our biggest takeaways was that AI should never replace human intuition. Instead, it should enhance it, giving providers more time with their patients, reducing administrative burden, improving follow-up for high-risk individuals, and ultimately reducing burnout. For patients, AI should empower them with clearer information and more accessible pathways to understanding their own care. This experience demonstrated to me the value of utilizing innovation wisely in healthcare and the responsibility we have to ensure that technology enables us to provide caring, high-quality support. Hard work truly pays off, and I’m so proud of what our team accomplished!
