Health Systems Administration

Core Course Descriptions – required for all students in the Health Systems Administration program

0626-707 Applied Data Analysis
Explores statistical concepts and procedures as applied to the use and interpretation of human resources, customer satisfaction surveys, training and career counseling situations. Participants apply computer programs to the analysis of data. Credit 4

0635-820 Health Systems Economics & Finance
Investigation of the efficiency, effectiveness and equity of the economics of health care and a conceptual and practical knowledge of health care finance. Reviews sources of funding, the accounting and reporting process, and the influence of third-party payers on the provision of health care through applied exercises. Provides an integrated overview of managerial economics, financial management, and product management for distinct health care organizations composing the overall health care system.  Credit 4

0635-840 Health Systems Policy & Law
An examination of the roles and responsibilities of policy makers on the health care system. Compares and contrasts the regulatory functions of varying levels of government and the political process as it relates to health care systems. Examination of control issues and regulatory dynamics, the legislative process, and regulatory trends in the United States. Assessment of health systems’ strategies and responses to regulatory oversight. An overview of legislation as it applies to health facilities and administrative law using case studies. Credit 4

0625-844 Breakthrough Thinking, Creativity & Innovation
Learning to solve problems, create profound decisions, and continuously change our organizations has always been a function of leadership. Today’s fast-paced global business environment requires that we utilize equally insightful, aggressive, and distinctly new processes to change. This course examines the global phenomenon and builds in the learner new methods to achieve leadership in an age of change—breakthrough thinking, creativity, and innovation. The learner will become adept at true value innovation in a knowledge/service economy. Credit 4

0625-846 Service Leadership Futures
This course changes each year as it evolves from students’ interpretations of what it should entail. In general, students will gain the capacity to examine both current status and future route(s) of service industries. It is a first in a series of courses that will prepare career-minded individuals to function in our rapidly changing environment and, more important, in the future. The goal is to create leaders for tomorrow’s service organizations and society. Credit 4

Students select a concentration which best enhances their career path.  Concentrations are listed below.
Health Information Resources Concentration (4 courses)

0635-715 Information Systems in Health Administration
Theory and use of computers and information systems in health care delivery and administration are covered in depth. The information needs of clinical and administrative personnel are examined with an emphasis on developing and evaluating comprehensive information systems for health care organizations. Credit 4

0635-752    Clinical Information Systems
This course will present an overview of several of the evolving clinical information systems present in the healthcare marketplace.  A sampling of computerized systems including those found in the hospital, payer, nursing home, physician office, and other healthcare settings will be explored.  Emphasis will be placed on the systems to computerized systems in each of the above named areas.  In particular, the student will be exposed to a variety of current technologies, which are being deployed in these areas.  The benefits of the use of such technology will be analyzed and the requirements for planning and deployment of such systems will also be studied.  Prerequisite: health care information systems 0635-715.90,   introductory technology/systems course or relevant experience.  Computer systems hardware and software in healthcare recommended
Credit 4

0635-754    eHealth
 This course will give students a broad overview of essential concepts in and applications of, web based technologies in healthcare.  Ehealth topics covered will include review, discuss and analyze industry trends, explore emerging ecare solutions and investigate ehealth ethical guidelines and governmental regulation established to ensure privacy, standardization and health content reputability
Credit 4

0635-810 Health Administration Application
This course presents and overview of the various types of application used in the health administration arena.  Emphasis will be placed on understanding the terminology and functionality of the basic software components that make, collect and utilize health care data for administrative support and decision-making as well as insurance, billing and reimbursement.  Students will examine the software infrastructure needed to support health care enterprise such as hospitals and smaller health care entities.  The goal of this course is to provide the student with a sufficient application familiarity so they can make meaningful IS and IT decisions.

Elements of Health Care Leadership Concentration (4 courses)

0635-830 Health Systems Planning
A review of the methodology of planning effectively for health care systems. The use of data systems, forecasting, along with the process of strategic planning, setting priorities, developing projects, and allocating resources. Students will utilize a “balanced scorecard” for strategic planning, review the dynamics of alliances and partnerships decisions, and discuss issues of board governance. Credit 4

0635-882 Bioethics
An overview of what ethics means, the principal ethical theories, and their application to specific bioethical issues. The course will familiarize students with ethics and ethical principles, the role of ethics in professional life, what are bioethics and an appreciation of ethical issues and arguments surrounding contemporary bioethical issues such as death, rationing health care and managed care. Credit 4

0625-750 Elements of Service Management: Systems Approach
A general systems framework is used to explore the major components of service management using a variety of service sectors—health care, banking, insurance, real estate and hospitality-tourism. The course examines the interactions, interdependencies, and interactivity of service systems—to learn about the synergistic effects of the current changeable markets. In addition to this organizational focus above, the course begins the process of examining the learning organization from a professional and personal focus. Credit 4

0625-842 Customer Relationship Management
The customer relationship management (CRM) course develops learners’ ability to help their organizations manage interactions with customers across multiple channels, maximize revenue opportunities, build foundations to increase customer satisfaction and drive customer retention and loyalty. Credit 4

Senior Living Concentration (4 courses)

0625-810     Senior Living management
This course is designed to introduce students to the unique knowledge and skills required to understand and effectively manage in the senior living environment.  The course will focus on the demographic realities leading to career and business opportunities in various types of senior living facilities.
Credit 4

0626-XXX Workforce Development
This course has been developed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the ingredients of an effective human resources strategy to recruit, hire, retain and develop the human capital necessary to operate the service organization.  Strategies including use of technology to recruit, benefits and wage analysis to determine appropriate compensation, skill development and credentialed programs to develop the skill of the work force and creative options to secure the best talent in the workforces will be analyzed. Credit 4

0625-842 Customer Relationship Management (see description above)

0625-750 Elements of Service Management: Systems Approach (see description above)

Health Systems Finance (4 courses)

0635-815 Finance for Operation
This course is an introductory course that examines the responsibilities of the finance function in health care entities and its relations to the operating responsible centers (or departments). Subject matter is broad enough to include both not-for-profit and for-profit organizations in the allied health field. While this is distance learning course, students are invited to participate in the first two on-campus lectures (attendance is optional, and those not attending will receive a videotape of the campus sessions). Topics include terminology and measurement, cost finding and allocation, budgeting and the budgeting process, report, reimbursement, interpretation of financial statements, and facilities and materials management. (Matriculated in the health systems masters’ program or permission of the department chairperson) Credit 4

0635-881 Health Insurance Reimbursement
An in-depth look at characteristics of successful managed care plans. The course will familiarize the student with all essential elements of managed care, using the tools needed to model and compare various managed care structures. Credit 4

0635-715 Information Systems in Health Administration (see HI for full description)

0635-XXX Elective

 Potential courses which may be offered to individual students
0635-890 Health Systems Administration Independent Study
Provides for independent study or research activity in subject areas not included in any existing course in the degree program, but having special value to students. Proposals approved by a supervising faculty member and the program chair are required prior to registration. This course may be taken more than once. Variable credit 4–8

0635-896 Health Systems Administration Thesis
An independent research project on a specific health system administration topic or problem, developed by the student with input from a faculty thesis adviser. The research must culminate in a formal written thesis and oral defense. Approval by the program chair and a faculty thesis adviser is required for this course. Variable credit

0635-777 Health Systems Administration Internship
This is a health systems administration internship. Consists of a professional placement in an appropriate health care organization of at least 240 hours. Required for students without health care work experience. Can be taken in place of electives. Students will arrange with their program chair or assigned adviser, negotiate any arrangement necessary for on-site supervision and develop a written proposal. Students will present an oral evaluation of their experiences at the final course seminar. Variable credit 2–8
New courses to curriculum

0635-798 Special Topics
Experimental courses are offered under this number; Titles appear in each quarter’s course listing. Credit 1–5

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