Dec. 4, 2025
Name: Sami Sagakhaneh
Title: System Director, Strategy and Transformation, SSM Health
Mode of MHA degree: Residential
What have you been up to since graduating from the MHA program at Mizzou?
I spent three years working in Management Consulting at Guidehouse in the Strategic Advisory practice. My areas of focus were primarily enterprise strategic planning, service line planning, and mergers and acquisitions. From there, I was recruited to SSM Health as a Director on the corporate strategy team, and I have been here for five years. At SSM Health, I primarily work on partnerships and new program development. I serve as a consultant to our regional strategy teams and clinical leaders in all four states we serve.
When it comes to your career so far, what are you most proud of?
In both roles, I have found that I am always most proud of the work I do with our front-line clinicians — physicians, APPs and nurses — and operators. These groups work tirelessly to meet the demands of patients, and anything we can be doing in the background to improve their ability to do so is very rewarding. I am also proud to have been a part of securing national and state funding during COVID so that clinical and operational leaders at large health systems could remain focused on keeping patients and staff healthy.
How did your experiences in the MHA program prepare you for your career?
Through my alumni mentor, I was able to get my foot in the door at Guidehouse, as I applied after the cut-off, and interview spaces were limited. She and I had stayed in contact over my two years in the program, and she went above and beyond to help me network and prepare for my interview. She remains a mentor today!
What advice do you have for MHA students who want to follow a similar career path?
Start networking now and never stop! It is hard to remember to network when you have several priorities to balance as a student and early in your career, but each role, opportunity, promotion, etc., has been the result of relationships and trust. You can also learn from your peers in the program, as you will all take different paths that will likely cross at some point.
What is a favorite memory from your time in the program or a class that you really enjoyed?
My internship at St. Louis Children’s Hospital on the strategy team was my favorite part of the program. I learned so much in such a short amount of time, and I still look up to those mentors who gave me my first shot as a young professional.
Why should potential students get their MHA from Mizzou?
Great networking, relevant curriculum, and opportunities like case competitions and conferences to get involved outside of the classroom.
Anything else you’d like to share?
If anyone is interested in learning about the consulting path, I’m happy to give my perspective. It was a great way to start a career, and I’m not sure students always know how to get their foot in the door!