Calendar of Events

Agenda
5:00pm - Doors open, networking
5:30pm - Dinner provided
6:00pm - Chapter business
6:15pm - Presentation by Michaela Van Hierden
7:00pm - QA and wrap-up

Presentation Abstract:

Healthcare project management is a rapidly evolving field that demands distinct strategies and adaptive methodologies to navigate its unique challenges. Unlike other industries, healthcare project management operates within deeply complex, hierarchical, and highly matrixed environments. These settings require not only technical expertise but also high levels of emotional intelligence, relational skills, and innovative approaches to stakeholder engagement and strategic alignment.

This presentation will explore the intersection of healthcare project management in academic medicine and other industries, highlighting key differences between the public and private sectors, such as funding sources, team structures, and governance models. Attendees will acquire practical strategies to effectively navigate challenges such as fostering change, building trust, managing fiercely competing demands, maximizing limited resources, and handling stakeholder relationships within complex sociopolitical and hierarchical environments.

Importantly, this presentation will demonstrate how project management is done effectively in the nuanced context of healthcare, often diverging from traditional PMBOK guidelines and formal PM training while enhancing efficiency, wellbeing, and continuous improvement—showcasing an approach with the potential to transform project management as a whole.

Speaker Bio:

Michaela Van Hierden is a dynamic healthcare project management professional with more than 12 years of experience spanning clinical roles and operational leadership. Starting her career as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist in cardiopulmonary rehab, Michaela honed her ability to navigate complex healthcare systems while fostering patient-centered care across multiple hospital systems in Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Virginia. Transitioning seamlessly into project management, she now specializes in healthcare innovation and operational efficiency, leveraging her extensive clinical understanding to drive impactful outcomes. In her current role at UW Madison's Department of Surgery, Michaela partners with senior physician leaders, managing two distinct project portfolios encompassing a diverse range of initiatives. Throughout her dynamic career, Michaela has designed and deployed tailored software applications, optimized clinical programs, and developed user-centric tools to consistently drive operational efficiency and improve outcomes. She has extensive experience and expertise in healthcare worker well-being and sits on numerous committees, including serving as the Associate Chair of the School of Medicine and Public Health’s Committee on Academic Staff Issues (CASI) and collaborating with Epic’s Trauma Informed-Care workgroup which focuses on supporting trauma-informed practices within the EHR. She excels in bridging the gap between clinical expertise and strategic execution. Her dedication to advancing healthcare through tailored project management practices underscores her ability to address the unique challenges and opportunities within this sector.