In June 2025, Mr. Prieto Barreiro earned an MHA from Mount Sinai’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The program’s focus on innovation, equity, and operational excellence, he says, aligned perfectly with what he was seeking. In the following Q&A, he explains how the insights he learned will shape his career.
What is your academic background?
I earned a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from Northeastern University, with a minor in Business Administration. This combination allowed me to develop a strong foundation in scientific thinking and research, while also gaining basic business and organizational skills that prepared me well for leadership-focused graduate study.
How did you become interested in Health Administration?
My interest developed as I was working as a medical assistant and I began to see firsthand how systems could affect patient outcomes—that issues such as affordability, supply shortages, and inefficient policies could create barriers for patients. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, I witnessed hospitals struggle with basic resources—beds, supplies, electricity—which further exposed gaps in leadership and coordination. These experiences made it clear to me that improving care isn’t just about treatment—it’s about building systems that are equitable, efficient, and sustainable. That realization inspired me to pursue a Master of Health Administration and help drive change from within the system.
Why Mount Sinai—what are the particular strengths of the program?
Mount Sinai stood out to me because it bridges world-class clinical care with forward-thinking leadership in health care delivery. The MHA program’s focus on innovation, equity, and operational excellence aligned perfectly with what I was seeking—not just to learn the fundamentals of health administration, but to be challenged to think critically about real-world problems. The faculty’s deep industry experience, the program’s integration with a top-tier academic medical center, and the strong emphasis on analytics, leadership, and strategic planning made it the ideal environment for me to grow. I also appreciated how the coursework constantly encouraged us to connect theory with practice and apply what we learned to current health care challenges.
How did you excel?
Throughout the program, I made it a priority to bridge academic concepts with real-world practice. I currently work full-time at Mount Sinai as a Biospecimen Coordinator, where I oversee the logistics of research supply distribution across clinical trial sites. It’s a role that combines operational coordination, vendor management, and compliance—giving me valuable insight into the behind-the-scenes systems that support research and patient care. I was able to directly apply lessons from class to the operational challenges I encountered in research logistics. For my capstone, I conducted a detailed analysis of biospecimen supply chain inefficiencies and proposed a technology-enabled coordination platform to improve transparency and reduce delays across research sites, suppliers, and purchasing departments. The project was grounded in real institutional needs and developed through cross-departmental feedback.
One of the most influential mentors in my experience was Christopher T. Spina, MS, Senior Vice President of the Mount Sinai Health System, who was a faculty lecturer. He taught both Introduction to the U.S. Healthcare System, and Health System Operations and Program Management. He brought deep knowledge and humility to the classroom, making each session feel like a thoughtful conversation. His ability to weave personal experience with practical tools—such as Lean and Six Sigma—made the content not only engaging but directly applicable. It was my first introduction to process improvement methodology, and it sparked a strong interest in operational strategy and systems-level thinking that I carried through the rest of the program.
How will the MHA help your career advancement?
I’ve gained a broader understanding of how different sectors of health care—policy, finance, operations—interconnect to impact outcomes. I now approach my work with a more strategic mindset, always looking for ways to improve processes and align stakeholders. I truly enjoy the work I’m doing now, however I am also excited about future opportunities in health care operations, policy, or finance where I can make a meaningful impact on system-level performance and equity. The MHA has helped prepare me to grow into those next steps, wherever they may lead.