Design the future of healthcare

Advance your career and drive healthcare innovation through the Healthcare, Innovation, Design & Entrepreneurship (HIDE) specialization in the Gies iMBA®.

Learn how to identify healthcare challenges, design innovative solutions, and implement ideas that scale.

Offered in partnership with Carle Illinois College of Medicine.

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Medical Professional Utilizing Technology

Why healthcare professionals choose the HIDE specialization

Healthcare systems today face unprecedented challenges – from workforce shortages to rising costs and fragmented care. The leaders who will solve these problems must understand business, healthcare, and design thinking.

The HIDE specialization in the iMBA equips professionals with the tools to lead innovation across the healthcare ecosystem.

Developed in partnership with the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, and the Siebel Center for Design, this interdisciplinary program prepares professionals to design solutions that are both impactful and adoptable in real-world healthcare environments.

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What you'll learn

The HIDE specialization follows the lifecycle of successful healthcare innovation:

  • Identify: Understand the complex healthcare ecosystem and identify meaningful opportunities for innovation.
  • Innovate:  Apply design thinking, data analytics, and innovation frameworks to develop effective healthcare solutions.
  • Implement:  Turn ideas into scalable ventures or initiatives through business strategy, entrepreneurship, and implementation.

These skills help learners create value across healthcare organizations – from startups to large health systems.

Three courses that power healthcare innovation

Real healthcare challenges. Real solutions.

Healthcare innovation isn't just about technology – it’s about designing solutions that people actually adopt. The HIDE curriculum emphasizes:

  • Human-centered design
  • Data-driven decision making
  • Entrepreneurship and venture creation
  • Systems thinking across healthcare ecosystems

This approach helps learners address real-world challenges such as access to care, workforce shortages, rising costs, and fragmented health systems.

View iMBA Curriculum

“By integrating the languages of business, healthcare, and design, the curriculum empowers students to develop solutions that are not only effective but also valued and adopted by the people they serve.”

Ravi Mehta

Walter H. Stellner Professor of Marketing and Associate Dean of Graduate Programs

Part of the Gies iMBA

The HIDE specialization is offered as one of your two focus area choices within the Gies iMBA, one of the most flexible and innovative online MBA programs available.

With the iMBA, you can:

  • Engage with top University of Illinois faculty, who lead lively discussions during class and connect with learners individually during office hours, where they focus on your goals and success.
  • Engage with fellow learners around the globe in live class sessions and through regular team projects. Connect with your diverse cohort in ways that expand both your knowledge and your network.

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