Since graduating from Brigham Young University’s public health department in 2023, Sarah Harward has found a career at the intersection of public health and hospital administration.
Harward pursued public health after researching different career paths that combined hospital administration, healthcare, and public health.
“I really wanted to end up in the hospital setting,” Harward said. “And I found in my research that a master’s of public health could do that.”
After earning a bachelor’s degree in exercise and wellness from BYU in 2014 and taking time off to be a stay-at-home mom, Harward returned to BYU to pursue a master’s in public health from 2021 to 2023. The decision to return to her alma mater was an easy one.
“I really loved my undergrad and how it tied to the gospel,” Harward said. “I also just really, really loved my professors.”
During the final semester of her master’s program, Harward applied for a business operations coordinator position at Primary Children’s Hospital. She was offered the role and started a few weeks after graduation.
Now in the same position, Harward describes her job as dynamic and ever-evolving. As a project manager, she collaborates with teams to push initiatives forward.
“We’re always collaborating and touching base on what needs to happen to move projects forward, and it kind of falls on me to move these initiatives to the next step,” she said.
Currently, Harward is focussing on childhood mental health by collaborating with leaders in different regions. Under her management, leaders from Colorado, Montana, and Las Vegas have implemented screenings for social drivers of health in early childhood.
Although she’s not on the front lines of patient care, Harward has made significant strides in combating maternal depression through administrative leadership roles.
Looking ahead, she hopes to remain in the hospital administration, creating upstream solutions to issues that begin in the home. One of her priorities is ensuring that mothers have access to essential resources as they begin their parenting journey.
“I just want to pursue roles in leadership that overlap public health and hospital administration,” she said.
Through the interdisciplinary approach, Harward has made a meaningful impact on countless lives. She attributes her success to actively pursuing opportunities and encourages aspiring public health professionals to do the same.
“Don’t be passive. As your schooling comes to a close, really figure out what it is you want to do and then go after that,” Harward said.
Harvard advises students to take the time to clarify their goals and find the path that best aligns with their passion. Whether through interdisciplinary work or a specialized focus, she encourages others to define their purpose and pursue it with determination.
