In celebration of National Public Health Week, we sat down with Master of Health Administration (MHA) graduate Halim Kaygisiz to discuss how health administration serves as a powerful engine for advancing community well-being.
Name: Halim Kaygisiz, MHA
Professional Leadership: President, Healthcare Leaders of New York (HLNY)
Q: Why did you choose health administration as your path within public health, and what keeps you committed to it today?
Halim Kaygisiz: I chose health administration because it sits at the intersection of strategy, operations, and impact. Early in my career, I realized that improving health doesn’t just happen at the bedside—it happens through the systems we build around it.
What keeps me committed today is the ability to drive meaningful change at scale. Whether it’s improving access for underserved populations or optimizing how care is delivered, the work allows me to contribute to something bigger than any single patient encounter. In addition to my role within a health system, serving as President of Healthcare Leaders of New York (HLNY) has further strengthened that commitment by allowing me to support the development of future healthcare leaders and foster collaboration across the field.
Q: Can you share a moment when you clearly saw how health administration takes action to impact communities?
Halim Kaygisiz: One of the most defining moments in my career was leading a population health initiative focused on increasing access to care for uninsured and underinsured individuals under the DSRIP (Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment) program. Through strategic partnerships and targeted outreach, we were able to connect individuals to preventive services and wellness visits who otherwise may not have engaged with the healthcare system.
Seeing the direct impact—patients receiving care earlier, avoiding more serious complications, and becoming more engaged in their health—reinforced for me how critical health administration is. It’s not just behind-the-scenes work; it’s foundational to improving outcomes across entire populations.
Q: How did your education at Stony Brook University's Program in Public Health shape your perspective on the role health administration plays in public health?
Halim Kaygisiz: My education in the MHA program provided a strong foundation in healthcare finance, policy, and operations, but more importantly, it helped me understand how interconnected these elements are in shaping public health outcomes. It reinforced that effective leadership requires both analytical thinking and a deep understanding of the communities we serve.
That perspective continues to guide my approach today, and it also informs my work as President of HLNY, where we focus on creating opportunities for leadership development, mentorship, and collaboration across the healthcare landscape.
Q: In your experience, what makes health administration work meaningful in advancing public health?
Halim Kaygisiz: What makes this work meaningful is its reach. Health administration has the ability to influence access, quality, and equity on a broad scale. The decisions we make—whether operational, financial, or strategic—can remove barriers to care and create more equitable health systems. At its core, it’s about service—ensuring that the systems we build truly meet the needs of the populations we serve. We can emphasize purpose through service in advancing both individual leaders and the broader healthcare community.
Halim’s journey perfectly illustrates that the reach of public health extends far beyond clinical settings. It lives in the operational frameworks, the community partnerships, and the strategic decisions made every day by health administrators.
By utilizing the foundation built during his time in the Stony Brook MHA program, Halim is not just managing healthcare systems—he is actively architecting them to be more inclusive, accessible, and effective. As we celebrate National Public Health Week and reflect on what it means to protect, connect, and thrive together, leaders like Halim remind us that true public health impact requires both a passionate heart for service and a strategic mind for execution.
We are incredibly proud to have Halim representing Stony Brook University, and we look forward to seeing how he continues to shape the future of healthcare leadership in New York and beyond.
