Jake Hargis did not begin college with a plan to become a health care executive.

Growing up in Fallon, Hargis had strong ties to Northern Nevada and was interested in sports medicine. He initially considered a career in physical therapy, but the University of Nevada, Reno’s health ecology program gave him room to explore clinical health, health care policy and administration.

It was a health care policy course taught by Daniel Cook, Ph.D., associate professor of public health, that began to change his direction.

“I had done an internship in physical therapy, but it wasn’t quite right for me. At the same time, I really enjoyed Dr. Cook’s health care policy class and started reading health care policy and going through history and comparing us versus other countries,” Hargis said. “It just kind of opened my eyes to a different side of public health.”

“Jake’s career shows the many ways a public health education can strengthen a community. He has carried what he learned at Nevada into health care leadership, workforce development and service to Northern Nevada. His continued commitment to improving health and creating opportunities for others reflects the kind of impact we hope our graduates will make throughout their careers.” Muge Akpinar-Elci

His undergraduate experience continued to broaden that perspective. Hargis worked with Nora Constantino, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Kinesiology, on research exploring movement and performance, giving him early experience with applied health research. He also credits Kristen Clements-Nolle, Ph.D., MPH, Foundation Professor and graduate director of epidemiology, with helping him develop a deeper understanding of epidemiology and the role data can play in understanding health and measuring outcomes.

After earning his Bachelor of Science in Health Ecology in 2008, Hargis entered health care business operations and later moved into private practice management, regional administration and national operations.

Those experiences eventually led him to become CEO of Swift Institute and the School of Public Health’s 2026 Distinguished Alumnus.

Experience helped clarify the next step

By the time Hargis began considering graduate school, he had years of professional experience and a growing interest in value-based care, an approach focused on improving patient outcomes while using health care resources more effectively.

He considered MBA and health care innovation programs, but Nevada’s Master of Public Health in Public Health Practice stood out because it connected management and administration with a broader public health foundation.

“Jake’s career is a strong example of what the Public Health Practice degree is designed to support,” said Praveen Kumar Durgampudi, MBBS, MPH, MSPH, EPH, clinical associate professor, chair of the Department of Public Health Practice and director of online programs. “The program helps working professionals connect public health principles with the decisions they make with and in their communities, and Jake has carried that perspective into leadership, quality improvement and value-based care in ways that directly affect patients and communities.”

Around the same time, an introduction to James J. Lynch, M.D., FACS, FAANS, chairman, president and founder of Swift Institute, helped bring Hargis back to Northern Nevada. Lynch founded Spine Nevada, which later became part of Swift Institute, and the two discovered a shared interest in value-based care, measuring quality and creating a more comprehensive approach to musculoskeletal care.

“We shared the vision of creating a true musculoskeletal center, neuroscience institute, providing all quality benchmarks to serve the community,” Hargis said.

Hargis joined Spine Nevada in 2017 while beginning his MPH. That timing allowed him to immediately apply what he was learning to problems he was encountering at work.

“I just really liked the idea of the public health and public health practice kind of tying in,” Hargis said.

For his capstone, Hargis helped develop a quality initiative focused on chronic venous insufficiency. One case that stayed with him involved a 42-year-old construction worker who had been told he could need an amputation because of a venous ulceration. After receiving an alternative outpatient treatment, Hargis said the patient was nearly healed within 12 weeks and fully healed within 14.

The experience showed Hargis how a clinical decision could affect far more than one diagnosis, influencing a patient’s ability to work, remain active and support a family. It also reinforced the larger public health questions surrounding appropriate care, patient education, outcomes and unnecessary costs.

Putting public health into practice

Today, Hargis draws on that same public health perspective as a health care leader.

He points to access, cost and outcomes as central to the way Swift approaches care.

“We try to preach that on a daily basis through access,” Hargis said, describing the goal as better access, lower costs and better outcomes.

One example is Swift’s orthopedic urgent care model, which gives patients with acute musculoskeletal injuries another option besides the emergency department. The organization also emphasizes rehabilitation, physical therapy and other conservative approaches when surgery is not necessary.

That focus connects directly to another issue Hargis sees as critical for Northern Nevada: developing the health care workforce.

He said recruiting physical therapists to the region has been difficult, which is one reason he sees the School of Public Health’s new Doctor of Physical Therapy program as an important investment in both workforce development and patient access.

“Physical therapy is, in my opinion, one of the biggest health care needs in this community,” Hargis said.

For Hargis, educating more health professionals locally can help strengthen access while developing a workforce with connections to Nevada.

"Jake has made a meaningful impact on the Swift Institute and on the community we serve," Lynch said. "He leads with a strong commitment to quality patient care and the people he works with, but just as importantly, he cares deeply about Northern Nevada. His connection to the University of Nevada, Reno and how he has carried his education into leadership makes this recognition especially fitting."

A commitment to Northern Nevada

Swift also supports nonprofit organizations and community initiatives throughout Northern Nevada and the Tahoe region. Hargis said that involvement reflects a broader responsibility to the place where Swift’s employees and patients live.

“This is the community we live in; this is the community that we want to be in,” Hargis said. “It’s been really good to us in the community.”

Hargis said that philosophy is shared by Lynch, who considers Reno home and believes in giving back through support for nonprofit organizations and community health initiatives.

“Jake’s career shows the many ways a public health education can strengthen a community,” said Muge Akpinar-Elci, M.D., MPH, dean of the School of Public Health. “He has carried what he learned at Nevada into health care leadership, workforce development and service to Northern Nevada. His continued commitment to improving health and creating opportunities for others reflects the kind of impact we hope our graduates will make throughout their careers.”

Hargis’ connection to Northern Nevada is also personal. He married his high school sweetheart, Jennifer (Easton) Hargis ’11, a fellow Nevada alumna who studied community health sciences. Together, they are raising their daughters, Addisyn and Emersyn, and remain connected to the University through sponsorships, fundraising events and Nevada athletics.

Lessons for students entering the workforce

Hargis’ career has not followed a straight line, and he sees value in that.

His undergraduate experience helped him discover what he did and did not want to do. His early jobs gave him practical knowledge. His MPH gave him another way to understand health systems, population health, data and value-based care.

He continues to draw on those lessons today as a health care leader.

For students considering graduate school, Hargis’ experience also shows the value of finding a program that fits both their schedule and their goals. Nevada’s online MPH allowed him to continue working full time and raising a young family while applying what he was learning directly to his career.

He encourages public health students to look beyond traditional definitions of the field and consider how public health can be applied in health care organizations, businesses and other community settings.

“There are so many things we can do at a local level to drive public health initiatives, to get healthier populations,” Hargis said.

He also encourages graduates to be patient with the early stages of their careers.

Hargis entered the workforce during the 2008 recession. One of his mentors told him that education was important, but experience would help him understand how organizations work, develop his skills and determine where he wanted his career to go.

“It was years and years of grunt work and truly being a sponge and listening and getting experience and working with mentors to make myself better,” Hargis said.

For students preparing to graduate or considering their next degree, Hargis’ path offers a practical lesson: education can open opportunities, but experience, curiosity and a willingness to keep learning can help shape where those opportunities lead.