Main navigationMain content
University of Minnesota
http://twin-cities.umn.edu/
612-625-5000
Go to the U of M home page
  • One Stop
  • MyU

School of Public Health

MENUMENU
  • About
        • About
          • School at a Glance
          • History
          • Mission & Values
          • Accreditation
          • SPH Behind the Scenes
        • Leadership
          • Dean Melinda Pettigrew
          • Leadership Team
        • Diversity & Inclusion
          • About
          • Agents for Change
          • Training & Development
          • Events
          • Resources
          • Strategic Plan for Antiracism
          • Podcast
          • Report an Incident
        • Offices and Services
          • Communications
          • Development & Alumni Relations
          • Diversity & Inclusion
          • E-Learning Services
          • Faculty Affairs
          • Finance
          • Human Resources
          • Student Services
        • Faculty Directory
        • Contact Us
  • Academics
        • Graduate Programs
          • Master of Public Health (MPH)
          • Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA)
          • Master of Science (MS)
          • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
          • Executive & Distance Degrees
          • Dual Degrees
          • Minors
          • 4+1 Environmental Health MPH
          • Certificates
        • Undergraduate Programs
          • Bachelor of Arts (BA)
          • Public Health Minor
        • Academic Divisions
          • Biostatistics & Health Data Science
          • Environmental Health Sciences
          • Epidemiology & Community Health
          • Health Policy & Management
        • E-Learning and Academic Technology
          • Online Course Development
          • Guides and Trainings
          • In-Person Courses
          • Instructor Support
          • Quick Help
        • Syllabi
        • Continuing Education and Outreach
        • Non-degree Seeking Students
        • 2025 Public Health Institute
  • Prospective Students
        • Application Process
          • Apply
          • Application Deadlines
          • Application Review Process
          • Undergraduate BA
          • International Applicants
          • Equal Opportunity, Access & Privacy
          • Certificate Applicants
          • Declaring a Minor
        • Tuition & Finances
          • Cost of Living in Minnesota
          • Scholarships & Funding
          • Financial Aid, Loans & Grants
          • Employment Opportunities
        • Careers
          • Students
          • Employers
          • Alumni
          • Events
          • About
        • Recently Admitted Students
          • Admitted Student Day
          • Confirm Your Enrollment
        • What is Public Health?
        • Living in Minnesota
        • Events
        • Students of SPH
  • Current Students
        • Student Resources
          • Syllabi
          • Guidebooks
          • School and University Resources
          • Student Policies
          • SPHere Lounge
        • Careers Services
          • Career Outcomes
          • Students
          • Employers
          • Alumni
          • Events
          • Job Postings
          • About Us
        • Student Engagement Opportunities
          • Student Senate
          • Student Ambassadors
          • MHA Community Stewardship Initiative
        • Applied Practice
        • Mentor Program
        • Minors
        • Students of SPH
        • Orientation
        • Incoming Student Requirements
        • Commencement
  • Alumni
    • Connect
    • Get Involved
    • Career Resources
    • Awards & Honors
    • SPH Alumni Society
  • Research
    • Faculty Experts
    • Research Centers
    • Research Projects and Studies
    • Interdisciplinary Collaborations
    • Student Research
  • News
    • News Home
    • Health In All Matters Podcast
    • Advances Magazine
  • Events
  • Give
  1. Home
  2. Leslie Dockan

MHA History Stories

← Back to all MHA History Stories

leslie dockan

Leslie Dockan

Class of 2017

What is your current role in health care?

“I’m the Vice President of Operations for the HealthPartners organization, and I support operations across Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. I am responsible for primary care and all of our urgent care clinics. I support ambulatory nursing across the care group, along with our clinics and our well-at-work programs. I also support care coordination. In our ambulatory setting and our hospital settings, I support all the laboratories for the system, both inpatient and outpatient.” 

What stands out as a favorite memory during your time as an MHA student?

“The people were just wonderful, with different backgrounds and all kinds of diverse perspectives and opinions. I loved Dr. Christianson’s class – Health and Health Systems. We had to read hundreds of articles and write many papers, but I learned a ton from that class. We would have folks bring in a real work problem that they were struggling with, and then the class would advise them on how to approach it.” 

How has the MHA Program helped prepare you for your career?

“I think the MHA executive program for me was very timely with the role that I was in. We were addressing real issues that were happening in the field. We had resources and information that was a part of the current landscape so anytime I did an assignment, I could take that back and apply it actually to the work that I was doing. Secondly, I think the networking and the connections that you make are vital. I now have people across multiple industries in healthcare that I can reach out to anytime to get advice or support if I’m struggling with something.”

What challenges and opportunities will healthcare leaders encounter in the next 5-15 years? What skills will leaders need to be successful in light of these challenges and opportunities?

“Starting with opportunities, I feel like healthcare is getting moved back to the home. I also feel like the use of genetics and personalized medicine is going to have a big impact on our future, both in our preventive screening and in targeted therapies and drugs that will work for that individual. I think for struggles, we all are going to have to face reimbursement issues. I also think that the workforce shortage has been significantly highlighted during the pandemic. 

I think that all healthcare leaders need good problem-solving skills. I think it’s fundamental to have a really good understanding of healthcare finance. Leaders should understand how investments in one area deliver downstream revenue to another because if you just look at it from your slice of the world, you won’t see the whole picture. The last thing is just recognizing and being watchful for what the trends are and then being able to create strategic partnerships with others to help position you for the future because we can’t do it all in healthcare.” 

If you could give one piece of advice to a current student, what would it be?

“Be versatile and be willing to take the time to understand and learn things. And as a leader, I am not just looking for someone with a degree. I’m looking for someone with experience. I would tell students to be thinking about what skill sets they need to acquire to deliver results and be open to the opportunities presented.”

Why is your class the best class ever?

“Cohort six is definitely the best class ever. The diversity and talent of the people we had in our cohort were just phenomenal. We had really heated discussions, we pushed each other to think differently, and we had senior leaders across major organizations.”

  • About
  • Academics
  • Prospective Students
  • Current Students
  • Alumni
  • Research
  • News
  • Events
  • Give

University of Minnesota School of Public Health

Contact
420 Delaware St. S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455

612-626-3500
sph-ask@umn.edu

Submit your news, research, event or communications request
SPH Communications partners with faculty, staff, and students to raise the school's profile and highlight its value to our audiences.

SPH Intranet for Faculty and Staff | Health Sciences

For Students, Faculty, and Staff

  • One Stop
  • My U
© 2025 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Privacy Statement