By Wyatt Anthony, Public Affairs Specialist
A fellow at the Columbia VA Health Care System has earned national recognition for a data-driven project aimed at improving patient care and operational efficiency.
Melissa Maguina, a Graduate Healthcare Administration Fellow, recently won first place for her presentation at the American College of Healthcare Executives Congress in Houston, Texas. Her project was selected as the top presentation among interns and fellows participating in the VA’s Graduate Healthcare Administration Training Program (GHATP).
“It was a surreal experience,” Maguina said. “I was proud of myself, and mostly excited to bring back a win for the great work we do at the Columbia VA Health Care System.”
“Melissa’s first-place recognition is an outstanding achievement and reflects the culture of excellence at our facility,” said Jeffrey Soots, Acting Executive Director/CEO. “Projects like hers demonstrate how our teams are using data, collaboration, and innovation to modernize processes, strengthen accountability, and ultimately improve the care we provide to Veterans.”
Maguina’s project focused on optimizing radiology ordering practices within primary care. By analyzing historical data, she identified opportunities to reduce non-essential X-ray orders while reinforcing evidence-based imaging practices and improving provider accountability.
“Melissa’s project addresses a challenge facing radiology departments across the country — increasing demand for imaging amid staffing shortages,” said Jacquette Caldwell. “By promoting evidence-based ordering and reducing unnecessary imaging, her work helps ensure Veterans receive timely care while improving system efficiency.”
The initiative stemmed from recurring operational challenges observed during coordination between radiology and community care teams.
“Seeing these challenges during morning reports made me realize there was an opportunity to take action,” Maguina said.
Her presentation stood out for its reliance on real-world intervention data rather than projections.
“It was data-driven and included tangible intervention results,” she said. “That helped demonstrate how changes could improve efficiency and align with the VA’s priorities.”
Maguina was one of 42 fellows and interns in the 2025–2026 GHATP cohort. After submitting abstracts and recorded presentations, participants advanced through regional judging before finalists were selected for national competition. Ten finalists presented at the national level, with only three receiving top honors.
Presenting before more than 400 healthcare leaders at the VA Symposium added to the significance of the achievement.
“The atmosphere was professionally inspiring,” Maguina said. “Standing in front of my cohort and senior executive leaders made me realize the potential of where my career could go.”
She credited strong collaboration across departments—including radiology, primary care, and executive leadership—for the project’s success.
“Leadership support played a big role,” she said. “Radiology is a top priority for our Executive Leadership Team, and their support helped ensure consistency and progress.”
Maguina also highlighted the dedication of frontline staff.
“Our primary care providers and staff do amazing work and ensure our Veterans are always put first,” she said.
Before entering the program, Maguina began her career in education, earning a bachelor’s degree in biology from Florida International University and a master’s degree in medical education from Nova Southeastern University. She later taught high school biology and worked in corporate academics at a nonprofit healthcare organization before discovering the GHATP.
“I fell into it unexpectedly,” she said. “I wanted to expand my skillset and applied for the program.”
The one-year fellowship allows participants to rotate through multiple service lines to gain a comprehensive understanding of healthcare operations.
“Rotations across different service lines are key,” Maguina said. “It’s important to understand how each department works before identifying challenges and developing solutions.”
Maguina will complete the program in June and plans to continue building her career in healthcare administration, with an interest in system-wide operations.
She also believes her project has potential for broader impact.
“Many comments were made that we could scale this project nationally,” she said. “I would love to be part of a regional team to implement it in the future.”
Throughout her work, she said one priority remained constant.
“The Veterans were the center of my project,” Maguina said. “Everything I did revolved around ensuring timely access and quality of care for them.”
For more information about services available through the Columbia VA Health Care System, visit: https://www.va.gov/columbia-south-carolina-health-care
