Schulich MBA and MHIA Students Tackle Rural Healthcare Challenges in Ghana
A group of Schulich School of Business MBA and Master of Health Industry Administration (MHIA) students travelled to Kumasi, Ghana, this spring for a consulting project that combined global learning with hands-on healthcare problem-solving. The week-long experience marked the first time students from the two graduate programs participated together in an international consulting engagement, applying their classroom learning to real-world healthcare challenges.
Five MBA students took part through the Global Immersive Option (GIO), earning credit toward their Strategy Field Study course, while 14 MHIA students participated through the Global Consulting Project (GCP) as part of their Strategy Consulting Study in Healthcare capstone. Led by Professor Theo Peridis, the students partnered with Mansa Memorial Hospital, a non-profit healthcare facility in Kumasi that delivers preventative care and treatment to underserved rural communities.
Mansa Memorial Hospital focuses on reducing maternal mortality, preventing and treating cervical cancer, and managing hypertension and diabetes, with a particular emphasis on improving women’s health. Throughout the week, students conducted community visits and worked alongside hospital staff and management, engaging with nurses, midwives and administrators to better understand the operational and cultural realities of delivering healthcare in a rural setting. Their work supported Mansa Memorial Hospital’s efforts to strengthen day-to-day decision-making and improve the delivery of quality healthcare services through collaborative analysis and strategic problem-solving.
“The point of this collaborative program, at least from our vantage point, is experiential learning, a chance for York University students to immerse themselves into a setting and interact with nurses, midwives, and healthcare administrators to better understand the context,” said Dr. Eric Obeng Edmonds, Mansa Memorial Hospital. “Only then can we learn from each other and think through pragmatic solutions to advancing rural healthcare in a meaningful way.”
For many students, the experience provided an opportunity to apply academic knowledge while gaining exposure to healthcare systems and leadership challenges in a global context.
“My experience in Ghana with a rural women’s hospital was incredibly meaningful,” said Laura Brown (MHIA ’26 candidate). “Working alongside local healthcare staff gave me valuable insight into delivering care in a different context, while community outreach allowed me to engage directly with local communities and learn from them.”
Dr. Eric Obeng Edmonds said the collaboration also gave students an opportunity to learn from Mansa Memorial Hospital’s approach to organizational learning and professional development.
“Fortunately, even as a small rural facility, we have worked hard at Mansa Memorial to develop organizational structures and even actual learning platforms to facilitate knowledge sharing and professional development. Hopefully, some of our approaches and unique challenges will also inform the students own understanding as they pursue careers beyond their time at the university.”
By bringing together MBA and MHIA students to work alongside healthcare professionals in Ghana, the project reflects Schulich’s commitment to experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration and global engagement.
