Students from the University of Washington’s Master of Health Administration (MHA) program recently earned national recognition through standout performances in healthcare pitch and case competitions, demonstrating the analytical and leadership skills developed during their training.
UW students Stephanie Stoll and Laura Alford reached the finals of the Healthcare PRISm Pitch Competition, where they presented their innovative concept, ShiftSpark. Their pitch showcased forward-thinking ideas and a strong commitment to advancing healthcare leadership. Their appearance in the final round marks the second consecutive year that a University of Washington team has reached the competition’s finals.
Stoll and Alford also competed closer to home at the 2026 Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge Awards in UW’s Foster School of Business with ShiftSpark taking home the $2,500 Mindful Therapy Group Best Idea in Digital Health Prize for its workflow-embedded support platform that helps nurses process stress in real time during a shift. The team of UW public health students made competition history by becoming the first-ever to win the digital health prize in the HIC after also winning the pitch contest as part of the Digital Health Workshop series the Buerk Center holds each fall.
At the UAB Health Administration Case Competition in Birmingham, Alabama, Alford and Stoll, along with Bryan Cadena and supported by first-year observer Taylor Vincent advanced to the semifinal round, placing among the top 12 teams in a field of 32. Their proposal and presentation impressed judges with its thoughtful analysis, creativity, and polished delivery. As their faculty advisors Neil J. Sehgal and Bob Malte noted after the event, the team’s work amounted to a “master class in critical thinking, creativity, design thinking, team work and communication.”