Healthcare Management (HEAL1-UC)

Independent study is designed to allow students to pursue specialized interests that are not addressed in existing courses within the curriculum’s framework . Independent study is self-directed, but students are required to work closely with a faculty mentor who guides and evaluates their work.

This course is designed as an introduction to Patient Advocacy for undergraduate students interested in healthcare management. A range of topics will be covered including ethical theories which relate to patient rights; advocacy in healthcare; patient rights across the lifespan and under special situations; legal and regulatory foundations for patient rights, and variations in approaches to ensure patient rights in different healthcare settings. The overall goal of the course is to expose students to many different aspects of patient advocacy and the strategies an advocate uses at multiple levels of the sociological framework and/or as an employee at a health care facility, health plan, insurance company, government agency, consumer group, or by yourself.

Community health is shaped by scientific and technical knowledge as well as the values of health professionals, consumers, and society as a whole. As an area of study, it examines the roles of practitioners and consumers, the relationships between preventive, public health, environmental health, and personal health. Specific areas of study in this course include the historical development of community health efforts and community health models, assessment of current needs/health issues, accessibility, availability and distribution of health services, and ethical issues involved in the delivery of care.

This course is a course that focuses on issues and techniques in healthcare delivery for a variety of healthcare majors. Topics include the healthcare delivery system; concepts of health and illness; medical terminology; interpersonal communication; roles of physicians, nurses and support staff; patient assessment; critical thinking as it relates to patient care; infection control; and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.

Customer satisfaction has become one of the approaches used to manage competition in the health care industry. This course introduces students to the concepts and professional skills related to customer service. Three major aspects of customer service included in the course are: the profession; skills for success; and building and maintaining relationships. The course also examines how to understand customer expectations; use effective communication and conflict management skills when dissatisfaction occurs; and the strategies used to measure, evaluate, and improve customer satisfaction.

Health and illness are universal conditions, which, though experienced uniquely by each individual, are culturally patterned. Topics covered include lectures and discussions on the perception of health, health and illness among consumers, cultural and institutional factors that affect health behaviors, specific health beliefs and practices of selected populations, and specific cultural issues related to the safe and effective delivery of health care. The course introduces students to the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will allow them to work effectively with patients and their families from diverse cultures and belief systems and to overcome intercultural communication barriers.

The delivery of health services has become an information intensive process and is at the core of most health services professionals' activities . Computers are being used to document patient care, assist in the diagnosis and management of a variety of health conditions, measure clinical outcomes to improve quality of care, and in administrative and financial management decisions. This course provides students with knowledge to assist them in understanding the design, evaluation, selection, and utilization of computer applications in healthcare to support high quality patient care and management decisions. The need to understand the ethical and legal responsibilities of managers as health information is collected, stored, retrieved and analyzed in this rapidly increasing integration of computer application in healthcare will also be included.

This course will review and analyze the ever-changing field of healthcare and explore the numerous management issues and challenges that are pertinent to the study and practice of ambulatory care management and population health in various settings across the continuum. Included in the overview will be the examination of the ambulatory care service delivery system in hospital based clinics, communities, and private group practices. The similarities and differences in the operations and management of these entities will be assessed. Additionally, the review of health reform and the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) Program, and Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) on ambulatory care will be thoroughly discussed as well as Federal, State, and Local regulatory requirements.

Prerequisite: Foundations of Healthcare Management As the reshaped American healthcare system shifts to preventive medicine and embraces managed care concepts, there is an on-going struggle to create a cost effective system without eroding the high standard of quality care that has been set. As a foundation the students study the organization and structure of our healthcare system and options that pave the way for the emerging one. Merging theoretical constructs and practical application, students develop an understanding of the healthcare workplace and how to become effective and ethical providers, managers, decision makers, and analysts.

This course provides a framework for acquiring knowledge about the role, responsibilities, and accountability of a nursing home administrator and an overview of long-term care settings including, adult day care, community-based outreach services, senior housing, short-term rehabilitation programs, sub-acute care, assisted living, and hospice care. The domains of practice established by the American College of Health Care Administrators, organizational management, general management, resident-care oversight, overview of human resource management, laws and regulatory codes, marketing, financing, and regulatory management of long-term care facilities will be included in the content.

Many decisions that healthcare professionals must make each day are affected by legal principles and have potential legal consequences. Because the law is in a constant state of flux, healthcare management students must possess a basic knowledge of the law as it applies to their areas of responsibility. This course provides a working knowledge of health law (contract law, torts, malpractice), key federal and state regulations, and a background on a wide variety of healthcare topics, enabling students to deal with common legal and practical problems facing the healthcare industry.

It is recommended that students complete the Internship during the senior year. Designed for advanced students in the B.S. in Healthcare Management, the Internship provides an opportunity for students to apply healthcare management theories and principles and content from the Liberal Arts in a specific healthcare setting. Supervision by on-site professionals in a variety of healthcare delivery settings enhances students' professional development as they prepare to make the transition from student to professional. The Internship is web enhanced by the use of weekly logs/journals and oversight by the faculty. Students have periodic on-campus and/or site meetings with the faculty. Students are required to complete a minimum of 50 hours during the semester to earn two credits. The hours must be completed sequentially on the assigned day for the Internship. The Internship is completed Monday to Friday during daytime business hours. There are no waivers or credit from prior learning portfolios to meet the Internship requirement.

See course description and prerequisites for Internship in Health Services Management I. Internship I and Internship II may be taken during the same semester; however, students must complete a minimum of 100 hours to obtain four credits. It is recommended that students complete the Internship during the senior year. Designed for advanced students in the B.S. in Healthcare Management, the Internship provides an opportunity for students to apply healthcare management theories and principles and content from the Liberal Arts in a specific healthcare setting. Supervision by on-site professionals in a variety of healthcare delivery settings enhances students'professional development as they prepare to make the transition from student to professional. The Internship is web enhanced by the use of weekly logs/journals and oversight by the faculty. Students have periodic on-campus and/or site meetings with the faculty. Students are required to complete a minimum of 50 hours during the semester to earn two credits. The hours must be completed sequentially on the assigned day for the Internship. The Internship is completed Monday to Friday during daytime business hours. There are no waivers or credit from prior learning portfolios to meet the Internship requirement.

The practical applications of financial management concepts and frameworks as well as the conceptual foundations of financing healthcare in a dynamically changing environment are studied. This includes healthcare cost and reimbursement systems; insurance issues; the roles of budgeting and accounts; the multifunctionality of financial services within a healthcare institution; and the implications of future trends in healthcare financing.

Policy changes and the changing needs of society make it essential that health services managers develop an awareness of how these factors affect the healthcare industry. Senior project seminar is designed to integrate knowledge and skills from previous courses and provide an opportunity for students to apply managerial knowledge to specific issues in the healthcare industry. Presented by faculty and guest speakers, this course provides an analysis of current policy issues and how they impact the delivery of healthcare. The course explores issues such as financing healthcare, recently enacted and proposed legislation, management issues, and future trends in organizational behavior.

Course description: Students are assisted in defining and undertaking an individually designed Senior Project. They complete a research paper or a creative project. The student meets regularly and works closely with a Senior Project faculty member. The final result is the summation of work done in the Bachelor of Science, Healthcare Management Program. Prerequisites: Minimum of 90 units which must include 38 units from the required and concentration courses for the degree.

Each semester that this course is offered it will explore a different topic in health care management as it applies to health care. Recent issues such as patient safety,. health communication, complementary/alternative medicine, health policy, healthcare technology and delivery systems, healthcare risk management, professional ethics, and the politics of healthcare will be discussed.

As baby boomers advance in age, the segment of the population over age 65 continues to increase dramatically. In 2010, more than 70 million baby boomers were added to the existing population of individuals 65 years and older. The combination of the age cohorts is presenting new challenges and opportunities for healthcare providers in every specialty. Understanding the various age cohorts of older adults will require knowledge about aging theories; the normal and deteriorative changes during the adult periods of life; how these changes can affect the individual's ability to survive and thrive; what the social and economic needs are and how they can best be met. This course will also focus on the wellness aspects of aging and how older adults are living longer, working longer, and maintaining a quality of lifestyle.

Research contributes to the development of health and human services professionals and the delivery of healthcare. This course provides an awareness of how different types of research are conducted and a framework for attaining a high level of competency in conducting and reading health and human services related research. Elements of the research process-recognition of questions/problems that need to be researched, research methods and techniques, sampling procedures, selecting and developing data collection instruments, data collection, and data analysis are discussed. Students are guided through a research study in an area of interest.

The concept of quality in healthcare has been developed by using classic theories and knowledge from a variety of disciplines. As is evident in management, quality in healthcare has been impacted by numerous trends and quick fixes, but remains the "umbrella under which patient safety resides." This course provides an introduction to quality and patient safety principles and their application to enable students to use the tools and skills in their own work environments. Students can expect to analyze problems in new and different ways; experience team problem solving; analyze risk management incidents (as well as recognize potential issues); and learn how to identify methodologies used to maintain and improve quality and safety in health care.

This course examines environmental, ethical, socio-economic, and political aspects of international health from a healthcare management perspective. Increasingly, the determinants of health and well being in the United States are not confined to our national boundaries. As part of a global community affected by world commerce, politics, and technology, we are exposed to health threats that can spread easily across borders and continents. This requires an understanding of contemporary global health issues and the complex ways in which social, economic, political, and environmental factors shape twenty-first century healthcare challenges and solutions.

Mental illness among adults and children has become a serious public health problem in the United States. Selected topics for discussion include a comparative analysis of the US mental health system and other nations, socioeconomic/cultural/genetic/regional influences on mental health, laws and regulations affecting mental health, mental health issues in adults and children and treatment modalities in mental health.

The complex interaction of ethical commitments on both personal and professional levels imposes significant decision-making obligations on managers, administrators, and staff in the workplace, especially the healthcare workplace. In addition to ethical requirements found in the work environment, individuals have their own values, morals, and ethics that can affect decisions and interactions with others. Students will have the opportunity to examine diverse ethical theories and reflect on how they may apply these principles in their respective organizational positions and in their daily lives. Using case studies, and panel discussions students explore a cross section of current ethical issues in healthcare.