Post Master's Certificate in Health Administration

In this course, the scholar-practitioner-leader (SPL) will focus on the administration of complex health care systems using systems thinking, complexity science, and innovation theories, methods, and techniques. Topics covered include the complex adaptive health care system (CAS), systems thinking, innovation in health care, strategic and operational planning in a CAS, and change management. Throughout the course, the SPL will reflect on how to incorporate systems thinking into professional development plans and will gain knowledge and skills to view the health care organization and broader industry from a systems perspective.

The U.S. health care system is both complex and fragmented. It is critical that scholar-practitioner-leaders have a thorough understanding of risk management, as well as how to manage litigation and how to facilitate contractual relationships. Successful leaders will also need to possess a wide range of skills, including a working knowledge of resource, asset, and human resource management. A well-rounded leader will be required to understand concepts from claims administration and information technology to analyze how integrated resource management promotes operational efficiency, ethical leadership, and employee retention.

This course focuses on the application of economic theory to the amount, organization, and distribution of health care services in the United States. Students will apply principles such as supply and demand, margin analysis, and cost effectiveness analysis. Students will discuss issues and controversies surrounding the government’s role in financing and regulating health services. Competency A: Analyze the role and applications of economic principles within current health systems. Competency B: Evaluate the application of the tools to address economic issues for health care decision making. Competency C: Assess the impact and evolution of cost containment initiatives within the current health care marketplace and their impact on health care organizations and systems. Competency D: Examine current and future economic challenges in a global health care marketplace.

The scholar-practitioner-leader will focus on the role of health policy and regulations in the administration of health care systems. Students critically assess the complex dynamics of politics, ethics, and policy in the development of health legislation and regulations. The process of developing policy, rules and regulations at federal, state, and local levels is examined. Evidence-based approaches are applied to evaluate the effectiveness of implemented policy with emphasis on access, cost, quality and outcome measures. Major health legislation enacted during the 20th and 21st centuries and their impacts on health care at societal, system, and organization levels are reviewed.

This course is designed to present the major concepts, methods, and issues of evaluating health care programs and services to doctoral students. This course will prepare health care administrators to utilize various evaluation and research methodologies and tools to make decisions regarding program outcomes and effectiveness. Evaluation literature about health programs and services is integrated into the course from a wide variety of sources. Students will incorporate learning to develop a program evaluation plan presentation.