MMHA 6015 Foundations of Health Care Administration (3 sem. cr.)
This course focuses on increasing students’ knowledge and awareness of key contextual and environmental factors affecting the practice of health care administration, including the importance of culture, communication, and diversity. It introduces students to stakeholders in the health care field in a variety of settings. Key health and medical terms are covered, including basic health, wellness, and disease information. Students develop critical-thinking, as well as written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills. The professional behaviors, attitudes, goal-setting, and motivation required for success as a health care manager are considered. In addition, this course helps students develop the competencies they need for success within an online environment. Students begin developing a portfolio.

 

MMHA 6100 U.S. Health Care Delivery System (3 sem. cr.)
This course helps students understand the structure and components of health services and the health services delivery system in the United States. The components of the system, including patients, organizations, health care professionals, public and private third-party payers, regulators, reimbursement and reimbursement methods, and technology are identified and described, including the continuum of health care services such as hospitals and hospital systems, ambulatory care services, long-term care services, wellness/prevention services, and community/public health services. In addition, the course provides an abbreviated history of health and health services in the United States and addresses the nature of population illness and disease. Contextual factors and challenges that are linked to the health care delivery system are addressed, and the impact of these challenges on the delivery of services and health care management are explored.

 

MMHA 6115 Research Methods and Quantitative Analysis (3 sem. cr.)
This course provides students with a working knowledge of research methods for collecting, analyzing and interpreting health care data, and an appreciation of the value and application of these methods in health care organizations. Students learn to distinguish between types of research (quantitative and qualitative) with an emphasis on the use of quantitative analysis in health care organizations. Basic research methods are described, including surveys, observational studies, experimental and quasi-experimental design, and use of primary and secondary data. Also covered are statistical techniques for analyzing and interpreting data, including descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, probability, sampling, tests of significance, chi-square analysis, correlation, linear regression, and multiple regression. Students interpret and critique current health care management articles from the literature. In addition, students use Excel and SPSS for data manipulation and analysis; they analyze selected administrative data to identify findings and implications for an organization.

 

MMHA 6130 Health Economics (3 sem. cr.)
This course examines the application of economic principles to health care managerial decision-making regarding the amount, structure, and distribution of health care resources and services. Because of the complexity and uncertainty of the health care system, as well as the scope of resources consumed by health and health-related organizations, managers must appreciate the economic implications of decisions regarding allocation of resources. Students advance their knowledge of economic principles as reflected in the population demand for health; the demand for health care and medical care; the supply of health organizations and practitioners; the role of insurance, moral hazard, and adverse selection; the practice of cost-shifting; the structure, competitive nature, and dynamics of markets; differing objectives of for-profit and non-profit organizations; variation in consumer access to and utilization of services; roles of uncertainty and information asymmetry; strategies for consumer cost-sharing; and the challenges health care organizations face in the pricing, production, allocation, and distribution of health and medical services. Special attention is devoted to understanding how health services differ in a variety of competitive markets.

 

MMHA 6145 Health Policy (3 sem. cr.)
This course provides students a better understanding of health policy, which reflects authoritative decisions and the process of decision-making carried out at the federal, state, and local levels, and which affects personal health and access to and delivery of health services in the United States. Students gain knowledge of the levels within which health policy is carried out, the process for policy development and implementation, key stakeholders and interest groups involved in the health policy process, and how health policy changes over time. Key policy initiatives to address health issues in the United States are explored, including Medicare and Medicaid, access to care and the uninsured, disease-specific efforts such as HIV/AIDS and organ transplantation programs, emerging infectious diseases such as MRSA and the re-emergence of tuberculosis, and terrorism and emergency preparedness. Funding issues associated with health policy are discussed. The impact on health care organizations and the role of management in shaping and responding to health policy are addressed.

 

MMHA 6160 Financial Management (3 sem. cr.)
This course introduces the terminology, theory, concepts, and techniques used in the accounting and finance functions in health care organizations. Students gain an understanding of the important role of finance in health care organizations and learn various techniques to develop, manage, and control finances. Using an applied approach in learning about health care finance, the course enables students to learn how to develop, apply, and interpret various financial tools, including budgets, sources of revenue and reimbursement by payer, income statements, balance sheets, dashboards, statements of cash flow, pro formas, return on investment analyses, financial ratios, capital budgeting, debt service and borrowing, depreciation, and cost allocation and cost accounting techniques. Students develop portions of a business/financial plan using these techniques and analyze the viability of their business/financial plans using accepted financial management tools.

 

MMHA 6175 Management Aspects of Clinical Service Delivery (3 sem. cr.)
This course provides students with an understanding of the provision and delivery of clinical services to patients within health care organizations. Students learn about the relationship of patient disease to care providers and the organizational arrangements to ensure that appropriate, effective, and efficient care is provided. The relationship between health care management and clinical delivery of services is made explicit in this course, and the implications of management and clinical staff working together are examined. Emphasis is given to learning about different perspectives and expectations held by clinicians. An applied approach is used to help students gain understanding and experience with clinical and support functions in health care organizations that impact the delivery of clinical services: students shadow and observe clinical and nonclinical operations in health care organizations, such as dietary, radiology, nursing, and pharmacy.

 

MMHA 6190 Organizational Development and Leadership (3 sem. cr.)
This course addresses the unique structures of health care organizations and behaviors that impact organizational performance. The roles and responsibilities of management within health care organizations are addressed in this context, from both the macro (organizationwide) perspective and the micro (individual and team) perspective. Key concepts of management—including understanding organizational values, mission, and vision—are addressed, as are the key concepts of defining the work to be carried out and the arrangements to effectively deliver services within health care organizations. The course addresses the theory of organizational design and governance and alternative organizational structures. Students consider the theory and practice of managing individuals and groups through motivation, communication, teamwork, leadership, power, organizational change, coalition building, negotiation, and conflict management and resolution. Development of student self-awareness and management style through group work and personal assessment is a key component of this course.

 

MMHA 6205 Health Law and Ethics (3 sem. cr.)
This course provides students with an understanding of the laws, regulations, and court decisions that affect health care organizations, as well as the ethical underpinnings and principles that health care organizations follow in the delivery of services. A review of key federal and state laws is provided, including regulatory oversight and licensing of facilities and practitioners; credentialing requirements and processes; scope of practice for practitioners; admission and discharge processes; privacy and confidentiality of patient information; patient protection, including advanced directives, right to die, informed consent, malpractice, and content of and access to patient records; organizational liability; apparent agency liability; fraud and abuse; safe harbor; conflict-of-interest legislation; antitrust law; contract law governing relationships with employed physicians and other providers; risk management; and organizational governance issues. In addition, the course addresses accreditation as a form of regulation. Students consider key ethical principles underpinning health care organizations, as well as recent court decisions that impact health care organizations and management roles.

 

MMHA 6220 Human Resource Management (3 sem. cr.)
This course addresses the role of human resources in health care organizations and the recruitment, retention, management, and development of these resources. Students gain an understanding of the key roles of human resource personnel in establishing goals and expectations regarding organizational performance, and how individuals contribute to effective performance in terms of controlling costs, improving quality, and providing excellent customer service. Major federal and state legislation that impacts human resources is reviewed. Key management functions within workforce planning and recruitment are addressed, as well as functions within workforce retention. Specific attention is devoted to the administrative and strategic aspects of managing human resources, with particular focus on managing clinical and direct care practitioners whose perspectives and expectations differ from that of management. Employment and contract labor law are reviewed, as well as job pricing and compensation strategies, including benefits and pay for performance; staffing models; labor relations; performance appraisals; turnover management; and strategies for ensuring employee engagement, motivation, and satisfaction.

 

MMHA 6235 Operations Analysis (3 sem. cr.)
This course helps students understand the need for performance, measures of performance, factors that affect performance, and methods to monitor, adjust, and improve performance in health care organizations. The course addresses the nature of inefficiencies and problems in the coordination and delivery of care that arise in health care organizations, and the techniques and tools used to identify, analyze, and resolve those problems. Important concepts addressed include understanding productivity and efficiency, understanding patient care and nonpatient care processes within the health care organization, taking a systems perspective on the organization and delivery of services, identifying problems using Fishbone and root cause analytical techniques, and monitoring performance data to identify trends and variation. Special emphasis is given to understanding re-engineering, Six Sigma, Lean Organization, and Baldrige Criteria, as applied in health care organizations to monitor, report, and improve organizationwide performance.

 

MMHA 6250 Quality Assessment and Improvement (3 sem. cr.)
Health care organizations are increasingly concerned about providing high quality and safe services. This course introduces students to the basis for quality and patient safety, and provides an overview of health care quality, methods of assessing quality, and techniques for improving quality. Key terminology and concepts are addressed, including defining quality care; measuring quality in terms of the structure-process-outcomes model; distinguishing between clinical quality and customer service quality; identifying techniques to avoid adverse clinical events such as medication errors, misdiagnoses, surgical errors and complications, health care organization–acquired infections, unexpected mortality, and post-surgical mortality; and exploring customer service quality in terms of defining, measuring, and improving patient satisfaction. Additional emphasis is placed on understanding the roles of governmental agencies in promoting and reporting quality information regarding hospitals and other health organizations; agencies that review and accredit health care organizations and health plans; and recent initiatives of government and private payers to pay and/or reimburse health care providers and organizations for performance. The roles of quality assurance and quality improvement in improving clinical and service quality in health care organizations is also addressed with consideration of the 5 Million Lives Campaign.

 

MMHA 6265 Health Informatics and Technology (3 sem. cr.)
This course addresses the importance of information systems and information technology in improving decision-making in health care organizations. Students are exposed to the need for and uses of information technology in health care organizations and how integrated computer-based information systems can lead to decisions that improve and better coordinate care, allow for better management of medical records and orders, increase the timeliness of care, improve cost controls, enhance supply inventory and management, and improve vendor contracting and management. Such systems enable the assessment of cost and quality of health care and assist health care organizations in documenting and demonstrating costs and quality. Specific aspects of health care informatics addressed in this course include electronic medical records and computerized physician order entry; linked information systems across episodes of care; integrated financial and clinical information systems; linkages between telephone, computer, and other electronic information access systems; Web-based systems for increasing consumer knowledge and relationship-building within health care organizations; confidentiality and security of information systems; and organizational compliance with external reporting requirements related to cost and quality. Students become familiar with administrative data sets and information technology used in decision support.

 

MMHA 6280 Strategic Planning and Implementation (3 sem. cr.)
The purpose of this course is to help students understand the importance and process of formulating, implementing, and evaluating a strategic plan. This is an applied course in which students are involved in researching and developing components of a strategic plan for a specific health care organization. The role of strategic planning in achieving organizational performance is reviewed, as is the notion of planning as a cyclical process coordinated by planning and marketing professionals within the health care organization. Strategic planning has been recognized as necessary to ensure a strong competitive position, and it requires that organizational activities be aligned to achieve the organization’s mission and vision. Key concepts in strategic planning are addressed, including identifying the relationship of the plan to the organization’s mission, values, and vision; identifying opportunities and threats in the external environment; assessing the competition; identifying external influences; identifying resource constraints and resource needs; identifying organizational strengths and weaknesses; forecasting trends in organizational performance; setting goals and objectives; selecting strategies; identifying and implementing marketing actions to support plan implementation; identifying implications of the strategic plan on organizational finances and human resources; and monitoring and evaluating the plan’s progress. Students gain experience with SWOT analysis.

 

MMHA 6550 Practicum (3 sem. cr.)
The practicum provides students with an opportunity to apply and integrate the knowledge and skills they have acquired throughout the M.H.A. program and further develop key professional competencies. This experience is in alignment with the students’ academic and professional goals and proceeds under the supervision of faculty. Supervision by an on-site preceptor is a critical component of the practicum. Students participate in an accompanying online seminar course and continue development of the professional portfolio informed by the practicum. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation is provided by the on-site supervisor and the course instructor.

 

MMHA 6560 Capstone (3 sem. cr.)
The capstone provides an opportunity for students to synthesize the practicum experience and the accompanying learning and to complete a professional portfolio based on their field experience as well as a substantive written paper or project.