Jindal School Adds Healthcare Management Interdisciplinary Area

The Naveen Jindal School of Management (JSOM) at The University of Texas at Dallas has established a new healthcare management interdisciplinary area as part of the school’s effort to stay ahead of the health care industry’s rapid evolution.

“The industry is shifting from volume-based to value-based models, reshaping how care is paid for, delivered and evaluated,” said Dr. Mehmet Ayvaci, associate professor of information systems and coordinator for the new academic area. “Patients now expect more personalized, tech-enabled care. Physicians are being trained and assessed differently. Tech companies are entering the space with disruptive innovations, and regulators are rewriting the rules.”

Artificial intelligence (AI) also is poised to have a massive impact across health care by alleviating some inefficiencies and offering new challenges that require leadership and oversight, he said.

All of these industry changes highlight the need to redefine issues about cost, quality, access and value. The new interdisciplinary area helps address these challenges and the demand for talent with both health care insight and business expertise.

“That’s where JSOM is uniquely positioned to lead,” Ayvaci said. “With strengths in information systems, operations, analytics and core business disciplines like finance and accounting — paired with a growing focus on health care — we’re ready to train the interdisciplinary leaders, analysts and researchers the industry needs.”

The Jindal School has built a range of degree programs related to health care management. Ayvaci said that combining them into a formal interdisciplinary area will further position the Jindal School as a leader in health care management education and research.

“Bringing these programs together under a formal interdisciplinary area will enable better coordination of curricula, faculty expertise and industry partnerships,” he said. “A dedicated academic area will also foster greater collaboration among faculty across disciplines, leading to high-impact research in spaces that include health care operations, information technology, analytics, policy and economics.”

Ayvaci said the school’s location in North Texas offers it a key advantage.

“Our new area will strengthen industry connections, enhancing student placements in leading health care organizations, consulting firms and policy institutions,” he said. “It will also make health care management more appealing to those entering, advancing or transitioning into the field.”

Building and maintaining partnerships with health care organizations, policymakers and technology firms will be central to the area’s success.

“Many of our faculty and programs already maintain strong partnerships,” he said. “By formalizing these connections, we can create synergy across these efforts and significantly amplify their impact. The Jindal School’s Center for Healthcare Leadership and Management will play a central role in this — serving as a platform to engage with industry leaders, curate actionable knowledge and drive innovation both locally and nationally.”

Ayvaci said UT Dallas has reached a tipping point in health care research and education.

“Over the years, we’ve seen growing momentum — many faculty now engage with health-related topics across a wide range of problems — and there’s a sizable group whose primary research focus is health care, including myself,” he said.

Dr. Hasan Pirkul, Caruth Chair and Jindal School dean, spearheaded the initiative. With Dr. Varghese Jacob, Lars Magnus Ericsson Chair and the Jindal School’s vice dean, Pirkul outlined a clear and compelling vision for the area.

“This new area is really the product of years of long-term planning, institutional investment and alignment with broader trends,” Ayvaci said.