Executive MBA, Class of 2003

Employer:
Union Memorial Hospital

Spotlight
Dr. Matthews is chief of orthodedic surgery at Union Memorial Hospital

Whether he was repairing a star lacrosse player’s rotor cuff injury or presiding over the 2,000-member Arthroscopy Association of North America, Dr. Les Matthews always felt at home in the world of science and medicine. The world of business was another matter.

“I had a background that was uniquely devoid of any business training, and in my evolving role as a new product development consultant for orthopedic manufactures, at times I felt I was not in the same game.”

That’s where the Loyola Executive MBA program came in. Thanks to flexible class schedules, a top-notch faculty, and a classroom experience that brought it all to life, Matthews closed “the knowledge gap.” In addition to now feeling completely comfortable taking the lead in business negotiations, he used the lessons he learned about process and teambuilding to structure a specialized orthopedic nursing staff that boosted job satisfaction and increased volume efficiencies by up to 15% a year. Good for the nurses. Good for the patients. And good for Union Memorial – one of the rare hospitals boasting an operating room nursing staff waiting list instead of a shortage.