Until recently, Dr. Christian Rodriguez was the Deputy Chief of Staff at Veterans Affairs’ Maine Healthcare System, with over 25 years of experience in the health-care field. In recent years, his commitment to advancing health care delivery and outcomes has led him to take on more administrative tasks at the VA while continuing his clinical work. Seeing a different side of hospital operations has opened his eyes to the aspects that could be improved: “I noticed there is a tremendous gap between how the frontline doctors, nurses, and staff believe health care should be delivered versus what the hospital executives prioritize.” Christian was motivated to bridge this gap by gaining the business, financial, and organizational management skills necessary to help hospitals and health care executives optimize health care for all patients.
Knowing an MBA program would help him take the next step in his career, Christian was immediately drawn to the Heller EMBA program for its focus on physicians and the flexibility that would allow him to continue working full time while completing the EMBA program in just 16 months.
In January 2025, Christian joined a cohort of 34 fellow physicians with common interests and ambitions. “We’re all eager to gain the business and managerial perspectives that will help us take the next step in our careers,” says Christian. He added that a major benefit of working alongside peers in the health-care field is that they can learn from both their professors and each other. His professors in particular have been key to his success in the program, making themselves available to offer support regarding class material or even workplace-specific advice.
Although juggling a full-time career and education isn’t easy, it’s possible: “The program is structured in such a way that, if you commit the time, you have the tools to be successful,” says Christian. Additional resources outside the classroom, including tutors and recordings of sessions, allow students to keep up with any missed material on their own time.
A highlight of Christian’s first semester has been the leadership and organizational behavior course with Professor Sandra Cha: “She was incredible in terms of giving us insights about how organizations are structured and how to further the goals we think are most important,” he says. “The concepts that I'm learning—even the material that is harder to master—is essential, and will benefit me in the long run.”
In August of 2025, Christian transitioned to a new job as Regional Vice President at MaineHealth. In this role, he is responsible for the Physician and APP practices at the four coastal region hospitals under the MaineHealth umbrella. Looking ahead to his graduation, Christian is optimistic that his EMBA skills will make a major difference in both his career and workplace: “I think this program is positioning me to obtain a higher level of leadership in the healthcare field, and ultimately help provide our patients the best care possible.”