Curriculum: Health Care Administration Graduate Certificate

The course is intended to provide the Master of Health Administration (MHA) student and future manager with a systems perspective of US health and health care structure and function. As the introductory course in the MHA program, it is to provide the fundamentals for all courses that follow, including finance and economics, strategy, quality improvement, policy and law, and others. Topics include an overview of the history, organization, and effectiveness of United States health care and public health systems, health system governance structures, roles, responsibilities as well as determinants of health, need, access and utilization.

This course introduces the discipline of health informatics and covers emerging trends. Various information systems, technologies and applicationsutilized in the context of health and healthcare are introduced. Their characteristics, strengths, challenges, purpose and impact are taught. Impact on patients, populations and healthcare providers is emphasized. Factors influencing adoption and use of various clinical and health information systems and technologies are taught. Key clinical and health information technologies and systems such as electronic health records, health information exchanges, personal health records, public health information systems and mobile health technologies are introduced in this course.Topics such as telemedicine, interoperability and technical concepts are taught, and an evaluation framework is applied.

This course provides an introduction and overview to healthcare leadership, human resources management, and organizational behavior in healthcare settings, reflecting the uniqueness of this sector as well as the universal concepts and principles utilized in the development of effective healthcare administrators and leaders. This course integrates theory with practice through readings, written assignments, group projects, and discussion boards from different organizational perspectives. The development of leadership, managerial and organizational skills will be accomplished through a strong emphasis on self-reflection and self-analysis utilizing the tools of the course. This course aims to provide a relevant understanding of organizational dynamics such as performance, organizational culture, teamwork, individual and shared values, and cultural competency. It will examine how healthcare leaders and their organizations relate to each other internally and to their external environments. Topics include values-driven leadership, team effectiveness, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, conflict management, human resources management, employee behavior and appraisal, and assessment and evaluation of leadership performance. This course emphasizes the reflection of the students’ past and current experiences with the integration of current evidence-based leadership and human resources management principles. The students will be required to submit their feedback from self-evaluation assignments, surveys, inventory tools, and group work that is intended to provide insight, awareness, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional and personal development for ongoing growth in healthcare leadership roles.

This course provides an introduction and overview to healthcare leadership, human resources management, and organizational behavior in healthcare settings, reflecting the uniqueness of this sector as well as the universal concepts and principles utilized in the development of effective healthcare administrators and leaders. This course integrates theory with practice through readings, written assignments, group projects, and discussion boards from different organizational perspectives. The development of leadership, managerial and organizational skills will be accomplished through a strong emphasis on self-reflection and self-analysis utilizing the tools of the course. This course aims to provide a relevant understanding of organizational dynamics such as performance, organizational culture, teamwork, individual and shared values, and cultural competency. It will examine how healthcare leaders and their organizations relate to each other internally and to their external environments. Topics include values-driven leadership, team effectiveness, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, conflict management, human resources management, employee behavior and appraisal, and assessment and evaluation of leadership performance. This course emphasizes the reflection of the students’ past and current experiences with the integration of current evidence-based leadership and human resources management principles. The students will be required to submit their feedback from self-evaluation assignments, surveys, inventory tools, and group work that is intended to provide insight, awareness, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional and personal development for ongoing growth in healthcare leadership roles.

This course covers financial and managerial aspects of health care financial management. It provides a broad introduction to key concepts, issues, tools, and vocabulary useful both for managers and policymakers. There are three main topic areas covered in the course: financial accounting, finance, and managerial accounting and the focus is on use, not the preparation, of accounting information. Topics include financial analysis and management; methods and techniques for evaluating costs and cost-effectiveness of health medical and pharmaceutical interventions. This course is the first of a two-course sequence in health care finance.

This course builds on the accounting and financial concepts introduced in FIN 7011. The continued exploration of the healthcare environment includes an in-depth examination of third-party payer systems including managed care plus the legal and regulatory environment, particularly for non-profits. There are three main financial topic areas covered in the course: capital acquisition and structure, financial condition analysis and forecasting, and capital allocation. This course is the second of a two-course sequence in health care finance.

This course follows upon HCA7021 and introduces the principles, methods and concepts of three different aspects of marketplace strategic management as it relates to health care organizations: 1) Strategic planning and management, 2) Marketing, 3) Governance. The focus is not only on the processes of strategic management, marketing and governance but also on strategic learning and development. Methods for evaluating and analyzing the environment external to the organization will include discussions of transparency, disruptive technologies and crisis prevention/management. The interaction of forces inside the organization such as marketing, governance, corporate culture, and resources will be analyzed for their impact on the organization and its strategic direction.

This course is designed to provide students with an overview of the structure, systems and policies of health care delivery in the United States. The major structural/system issues include the "big three" or "universal issues" i.e., access quality and costs, which includes Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance. Other system topics include the uninsured, health care professions, hospitals, long-term care, mental health, integrated health care systems, the Veterans Administration Health Systems, pharmaceuticals and technology. The course prepares learners to confront the underlying values and ethics that drive the politics of the health care system and to understand and apply basic concepts in policy analysis and advocacy in practice settings. Discussions and assignments will focus on the development of public policy concerning medical care and public health and the relationship between public decisions and the marketplace. Topics include health policy formulation, implementation and evaluation.

This course presents an introduction to the legal and ethical issues that arise in management of health services organizations. Topics include: ethics in business and clinical decision making, tools for understanding ethics and ethical analysis, professional and organizational guidelines in making ethical decisions, including codes of ethics and mission statements, organizational responses to ethical issues, including ethics processes, such as institutional ethics committees and institutional review boards,conflicts of commitment and conflicts of interest,patient and community concerns and end of life decisions. Additionally, the course will review legal principles development, application and assessment, and, resource allocation and social responsibility. Other topics covered include: liability, health care institutions as corporations, the nature and scope of public health authority, antitrust, fraud and abuse, privacy and confidentiality, tax implications, regulatory oversight, legal requirements for access to health care, nondiscrimination, conflicts of interest and constitutional constraints on public health initiatives.

This course will provide an overview of global health problems and national health systems to provide the student with a perspective on how societies approach health and health care including cultural, economic and political factors. National systems from the developed and under-developed world will be examined and contrasted, including those of England, Canada, and Cuba. In addition to national systems, the roles played by certain global/international systems such as the World Health Organization, certain UN agencies and NGOs will be explored.

The course examines the study of health and disease in populations from a health management and analytical perspective. Topics include: population health and status assessment, socio-cultural factors, epidemiological methods, study designs, statistical analysis and application, the interpretation of data, and the application of findings for managerial decision-making. Statistical topics include descriptive statistics, probability, sampling, statistical distribution, estimation, hypotheses testing, chi-square tests, and simple and multiple linear regression.

The quality of health care in the United States has garnered significant attention among health care professionals and the public. This course will review: (1) the current state of the quality of health care in the United States; (2) approaches to assess quality of health care, and (3) strategies to improve the quality of care. These include the fundamentals of health program planning and evaluation, with an emphasis on developing skills in formative, outcome, and impact data collection and analysis. Emphasizes the use of the Baldrige Healthcare Criteria for Performance Excellence for designing, implementing, and improving organizational frameworks for performance excellence. Topics include program or project management, operations assessment, and improvement.

This course introduces the discipline of health informatics and covers emerging trends. Various information systems, technologies and applicationsutilized in the context of health and healthcare are introduced. Their characteristics, strengths, challenges, purpose and impact are taught. Impact on patients, populations and healthcare providers is emphasized. Factors influencing adoption and use of various clinical and health information systems and technologies are taught. Key clinical and health information technologies and systems such as electronic health records, health information exchanges, personal health records, public health information systems and mobile health technologies are introduced in this course.Topics such as telemedicine, interoperability and technical concepts are taught, and an evaluation framework is applied.

The Lean system evolved as the Toyota Production System within the manufacturing sector. Today principles of Lean are being adopted in the Service Sector,especially in the healthcare organizations, with an eye towards improving efficiency without having a negative impact on patient experience. This course introduces the student to Lean techniques and offers them the opportunity to do a field case study inside a healthcare organization.

The course is intended to provide the Master of Health Administration (MHA) student and future manager with a systems perspective of US health and health care structure and function. As the introductory course in the MHA program, it is to provide the fundamentals for all courses that follow, including finance and economics, strategy, quality improvement, policy and law, and others. Topics include an overview of the history, organization, and effectiveness of United States health care and public health systems, health system governance structures, roles, responsibilities as well as determinants of health, need, access and utilization.

This course covers financial and managerial aspects of health care financial management. It provides a broad introduction to key concepts, issues, tools, and vocabulary useful both for managers and policymakers. There are three main topic areas covered in the course: financial accounting, finance, and managerial accounting and the focus is on use, not the preparation, of accounting information. Topics include financial analysis and management; methods and techniques for evaluating costs and cost-effectiveness of health medical and pharmaceutical interventions. This course is the first of a two-course sequence in health care finance.

This course builds on the accounting and financial concepts introduced in FIN 7011. The continued exploration of the healthcare environment includes an in-depth examination of third-party payer systems including managed care plus the legal and regulatory environment, particularly for non-profits. There are three main financial topic areas covered in the course: capital acquisition and structure, financial condition analysis and forecasting, and capital allocation. This course is the second of a two-course sequence in health care finance.

This course provides an introduction and overview to healthcare leadership, human resources management, and organizational behavior in healthcare settings, reflecting the uniqueness of this sector as well as the universal concepts and principles utilized in the development of effective healthcare administrators and leaders. This course integrates theory with practice through readings, written assignments, group projects, and discussion boards from different organizational perspectives. The development of leadership, managerial and organizational skills will be accomplished through a strong emphasis on self-reflection and self-analysis utilizing the tools of the course. This course aims to provide a relevant understanding of organizational dynamics such as performance, organizational culture, teamwork, individual and shared values, and cultural competency. It will examine how healthcare leaders and their organizations relate to each other internally and to their external environments. Topics include values-driven leadership, team effectiveness, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, conflict management, human resources management, employee behavior and appraisal, and assessment and evaluation of leadership performance. This course emphasizes the reflection of the students’ past and current experiences with the integration of current evidence-based leadership and human resources management principles. The students will be required to submit their feedback from self-evaluation assignments, surveys, inventory tools, and group work that is intended to provide insight, awareness, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional and personal development for ongoing growth in healthcare leadership roles.

This course follows upon HCA7021 and introduces the principles, methods and concepts of three different aspects of marketplace strategic management as it relates to health care organizations: 1) Strategic planning and management, 2) Marketing, 3) Governance. The focus is not only on the processes of strategic management, marketing and governance but also on strategic learning and development. Methods for evaluating and analyzing the environment external to the organization will include discussions of transparency, disruptive technologies and crisis prevention/management. The interaction of forces inside the organization such as marketing, governance, corporate culture, and resources will be analyzed for their impact on the organization and its strategic direction.

This course is designed to provide students with an overview of the structure, systems and policies of health care delivery in the United States. The major structural/system issues include the "big three" or "universal issues" i.e., access quality and costs, which includes Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance. Other system topics include the uninsured, health care professions, hospitals, long-term care, mental health, integrated health care systems, the Veterans Administration Health Systems, pharmaceuticals and technology. The course prepares learners to confront the underlying values and ethics that drive the politics of the health care system and to understand and apply basic concepts in policy analysis and advocacy in practice settings. Discussions and assignments will focus on the development of public policy concerning medical care and public health and the relationship between public decisions and the marketplace. Topics include health policy formulation, implementation and evaluation.

This course presents an introduction to the legal and ethical issues that arise in management of health services organizations. Topics include: ethics in business and clinical decision making, tools for understanding ethics and ethical analysis, professional and organizational guidelines in making ethical decisions, including codes of ethics and mission statements, organizational responses to ethical issues, including ethics processes, such as institutional ethics committees and institutional review boards,conflicts of commitment and conflicts of interest,patient and community concerns and end of life decisions. Additionally, the course will review legal principles development, application and assessment, and, resource allocation and social responsibility. Other topics covered include: liability, health care institutions as corporations, the nature and scope of public health authority, antitrust, fraud and abuse, privacy and confidentiality, tax implications, regulatory oversight, legal requirements for access to health care, nondiscrimination, conflicts of interest and constitutional constraints on public health initiatives.

This course will provide an overview of global health problems and national health systems to provide the student with a perspective on how societies approach health and health care including cultural, economic and political factors. National systems from the developed and under-developed world will be examined and contrasted, including those of England, Canada, and Cuba. In addition to national systems, the roles played by certain global/international systems such as the World Health Organization, certain UN agencies and NGOs will be explored.

The course examines the study of health and disease in populations from a health management and analytical perspective. Topics include: population health and status assessment, socio-cultural factors, epidemiological methods, study designs, statistical analysis and application, the interpretation of data, and the application of findings for managerial decision-making. Statistical topics include descriptive statistics, probability, sampling, statistical distribution, estimation, hypotheses testing, chi-square tests, and simple and multiple linear regression.

The quality of health care in the United States has garnered significant attention among health care professionals and the public. This course will review: (1) the current state of the quality of health care in the United States; (2) approaches to assess quality of health care, and (3) strategies to improve the quality of care. These include the fundamentals of health program planning and evaluation, with an emphasis on developing skills in formative, outcome, and impact data collection and analysis. Emphasizes the use of the Baldrige Healthcare Criteria for Performance Excellence for designing, implementing, and improving organizational frameworks for performance excellence. Topics include program or project management, operations assessment, and improvement.

This course introduces the discipline of health informatics and covers emerging trends. Various information systems, technologies and applicationsutilized in the context of health and healthcare are introduced. Their characteristics, strengths, challenges, purpose and impact are taught. Impact on patients, populations and healthcare providers is emphasized. Factors influencing adoption and use of various clinical and health information systems and technologies are taught. Key clinical and health information technologies and systems such as electronic health records, health information exchanges, personal health records, public health information systems and mobile health technologies are introduced in this course.Topics such as telemedicine, interoperability and technical concepts are taught, and an evaluation framework is applied.

This is the first in a series of two courses covering the Economics of Health Care. This course will provide a broad overview of the field of health economics. The course will examine how standard concepts and methods in economics can be used to understand health-related decisions made by individuals and firms, using the basic framework of economics to analyze the behavior of consumers, insurers, physicians, and hospitals. It will also study the application of economics to health care policy, with a focus on how economic analysis can assist in the development of market and non-market solutions to various health care problems. The tools of economics are applied to both managerial issues such as pricing decisions and policy issues such as the medically uninsured.Topics include economic analysis and application to decision making, health care payment methods, including Medicare's payment systems for hospitals and physicians, and risk-adjusted capitation payment systems.