A team of students from the (COPH) health care management programs earned third place in the 2026 Healthcare Leader Development Case Competition, hosted by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) of South Florida.
The annual competition brings together undergraduate and graduate students from health care administration programs to develop solutions to real-world health care management challenges. This year's graduate-level competition featured teams from institutions across the region, with the COPH team placing third behind the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida.
Representing the COPH were students Sarah Garland, Christina Herencia and Jenna Vosskuehler, along with student Renee Veleva. The team was mentored by faculty sponsor , professor in the .
This year's case challenged students to help a physician-owned surgical practice evaluate whether it should enter the ambulatory surgery center market through a build, buy or joint venture strategy.
"Our team conducted a comprehensive financial, operational and strategic analysis of each option, considering factors such as projected case volumes, capital investment requirements, market opportunities and long-term sustainability," Herencia said. "Ultimately, we developed a recommendation that balanced financial feasibility with the organization's growth goals and commitment to high-quality patient care."
The competition required students to analyze complex health care issues, develop recommendations and present their findings under tight deadlines.
"One of the biggest challenges was balancing a large amount of information within a limited time frame," Herencia said. "We had to evaluate multiple strategic options, develop financial projections and create a compelling recommendation while ensuring every team member's perspective was incorporated."
Herencia said the team relied on communication, collaboration and the diverse expertise of its members to navigate the challenge.
"We overcame this challenge through strong communication, clear delegation of responsibilities and a willingness to challenge each other's ideas," she said. "By leveraging our different strengths and maintaining a collaborative mindset, we were able to produce a stronger final product."
For Pruitt, the competition provided students with an opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to a real-world health care management scenario.
"I am incredibly proud of our USF COPH health care management case competition team," Pruitt said. "While strong results are always gratifying, what matters most is the way these students came together to tackle complex, real-world challenges."
Pruitt said the experience showcased the skills students will need as future health care leaders.
"Watching our students collaborate, think critically and grow through that process is what makes this experience so meaningful," he said.
For the students, the third-place finish served as recognition of both their hard work and the preparation they received through their academic programs.
"Earning third place was incredibly rewarding because it validated the hard work, dedication and teamwork that went into preparing for the competition," Herencia said. "More importantly, it reinforced our confidence in our ability to tackle complex health care challenges and demonstrated the strength of the education and mentorship we have received at USF."
Held at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, the competition highlighted the importance of preparing future health care leaders to address the operational, financial and strategic challenges facing health care organizations and the communities they serve.