By Vanessa Orr, South Florida Hospital News, for ACHE of South Florida

Dr. Jeff Ritter, an assistant professor in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences Master of Science in Health Service Administration Programs (MSHSA) at Barry University, first became interested in a career in healthcare at a young age.

“As a child, I had a number of ailments that required clinical care, and I developed a great respect for the clinicians, physicians and nurses that treated me,” he explained. “That drove me to pursue a career in healthcare after college.”

After earning a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Baruch College in New York City, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Long Island University, and a Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) from Nova Southeastern University, Dr. Ritter served as a hospital administrator, and held executive positions in both the managed care and insurance industries. He also has more than 25 years of management consulting experience in the pharmaceutical, managed care, technology and business process industries.

“Around 2004, I got into teaching because I decided at a certain point that I wanted to be able to give something back; to provide students with the kind of direction and support that I had gotten in my career,” said Dr. Ritter.

At Barry University, he teaches health care strategy, marketing, leadership, managed care, and policy, and is also the coordinator of the internship program for graduate students.

Approximately 15 years ago, Dr. Ritter joined the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), where he served as a board member for the South Florida chapter and also led the student case competition for the MSHSA program for a number of years that was sponsored by ACHE.

“I joined because I thought it would be a good way to connect with local healthcare leaders; the networking events provide an opportunity to establish relationships with those in the same industry,” he explained. “It’s hard to say what aspect I find the most useful; I appreciate the educational programs and mentoring opportunities, and just being a part of the community.”

He also utilizes the things he learns through ACHE in his day-to-day job.

“I think that it’s very important to be able to share best practices with students, and to explain what it’s like for those in administration to manage teams and to be part of an organization,” he said of the opportunity to see how a range of healthcare leaders deal with various leadership and managerial challenges.

He added that he encourages students planning a career in healthcare to join ACHE as well.

“ACHE is a great resource, whether you’re looking for educational events, mentoring, internships or more,” he said. “I encourage students to join because it gives credibility to what they’re doing. it’s another step in the process toward success.”