Baylor Receives Gift for MBA Healthcare Program

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Baylor University announced today a significant gift from Bill and Mary Jo Robbins and the Robbins Foundation of Houston, Texas, in support of the MBA Healthcare Program within Baylor's Hankamer School of Business. The Robbinses' generous gift will help the already successful program and position Baylor and its students as internationally recognized leaders in the fields of health policy, research and education.

"Bill and Mary Jo Robbins have such an appreciation for how Baylor students can make an impact on our world," Dr. David Garland, Baylor's interim president, said. "We thank them for their foresight and for empowering our MBA Healthcare students to take an active role in shaping our future. The MBA Healthcare Program is a great asset to the university and the future of healthcare."

Launched in 2003 in response to the growing need for college graduates trained in business disciplines with a special focus on healthcare, the program has placed 100 percent of its graduates seeking employment with leading healthcare systems.

"The Robbins Foundation mission is to tell the world about Jesus, educate and heal the sick. We cannot do this on our own but we can empower others to do this with our gifts," Mary Jo Robbins said. "The MBA Healthcare Program will prepare students to manage healthcare facilities, and well-managed healthcare facilities will facilitate doctors, nurses and healthcare workers to heal the sick."

"As the nation talks about what to do with our healthcare system, Bill and Mary Jo Robbins are acting," Dean Terry Maness of Baylor's Hankamer School of Business said. "With their support, our students will benefit from the best MBA Healthcare education available. These students will pass along the Robbinses' gift as they work to promote a stronger healthcare system. In recognition of their gift and continuing support, we are pleased to announce that the program will be named the Robbins MBA Healthcare Program."

Key elements of the program include integration into the existing core MBA Lockstep program augmented by healthcare policy and administration courses, a residency program in which each student serves in a seven-month paid residency in a leading healthcare institution, and a multidisciplinary focus with emphasis on medical, economic, administrative, business, social, legal and ethical issues related to health policy and administration.

"The MBA Healthcare Administration Program was developed at Baylor to provide our nation with strong healthcare executives instilled with Baylor's core values. Our graduates are making important contributions in the healthcare field," Scott Garner, MBA Healthcare administrative director, said. "This important gift from Bill and Mary Jo Robbins will ensure we have the resources necessary to continue and expand on this foundation."

"The MBA Healthcare Program at Baylor University incorporates a Christian influence. The students are placed in residencies across the United States, and many students will remain in these same facilities after graduation. We encourage others to give to this program and help these graduates carry Christian values into the future of healthcare," Bill Robbins said.

"We are appreciative of the confidence the Robbins family has shown in our program as evidenced by this generous gift," Jim Henderson, MBA Healthcare academic director, said. "We share a common commitment to incorporate the highest ethical standards as reflected in the Christian values we hold dearly. Our efforts to educate tomorrow's healthcare leaders have been assured with this generous gift."

For information about supporting the Robbins MBA Healthcare Program, please contact Kevin Ludlum, executive director of development, at (254) 710-2561 or Kevin_Ludlum@baylor.edu.

Media Contact: Jill Scoggins, 254-710-1964