Course Descriptions

HSERV 511: Introduction to Health Services & Public Health

Credits: 4
This course introduces students to the history, organization and effectiveness of health care and public health systems in the United States. Topics covered include determinants of health; need and utilization; public and private financing; supply and provision of personal and public health services; managed care; and government and private sector roles.

HSERV 552: Health Policy Development

Credits: 3
This course focuses on the factors influencing health services-related public policy development in the United States, with some study of global content as well. It also examines the roles of science and stakeholder interests in the structure of and changes to a nation's health system. Students will use case- and problem-based learning as well as small-group projects to explore these topics.

HSMGMT 500: Risk & Insurance Seminar

Credits: 3
This course presents the principles and practices of health insurance and risk. Students learn about health care financing arrangements in the United States, including both private and government-sponsored (public) programs, and compare U.S. programs with those of other developed countries.

HSMGMT 501: Epidemiology/Critical Evidence Appraisal

Credits: 3
This course provides an overview of methods used in epidemiology and their application to the critical appraisal of clinical, epidemiological and health administration literature for evidence-based management of health care organizations, improved delivery of health services and creation of health policies.

HSMGMT 503: Population Health Management Strategy

Credits: 3
This course introduces health administration students to strategy around managing the health of defined populations. Groups studied might include the population within the catchment area of a hospital, the members of a health maintenance organization, the persons served by an accountable care organization, and the population employed in a workplace.

HSMGMT 505: Managing Health Care Organizations

Credits: 3
This course provides an introduction to health care organizations and organizational management concepts. Students will develop a broad perspective through an approach that integrates conceptual, strategic and systemic frameworks using four knowledge themes — the management role, organizational theory, management economics, and theory and practice of systemic organizational change — within overall strategic management and systemic contexts.

HSMGMT 507: Group Dynamics & Team Leadership I

Credits: 2
This course focuses on theories and observations of team behaviors and techniques, with emphasis on the individual as a team member. Students are introduced to team management/leadership models, theories and skills, and develop self-awareness, knowledge and skills for building interpersonal relationships.

HSMGMT 510: Organizational Behavior & Human Resource Management

Credits: 4
This course applies organizational behavior theory to explore the factors that affect behavior, performance and job satisfaction of people working in organizations. Students acquire the body of knowledge and skills needed to successfully manage and lead individuals, teams and health care organizations.

HSMGMT 513: Seminar in Health Care Finance

Credits: 3
Building on accounting and finance principles, this course focuses on case studies and modern theory in managerial finance relevant to health services. Students prepare group presentations and individual case study analyses of health services finance problems.

HSMGMT 514: Health Economics

Credits: 3
Health economics employs economic concepts and tools to explore a range of issues pertaining to health care and the delivery of health care services. This course emphasizes using economics to examine issues and solve problems. Topics investigated include demand analysis, production of health services, expenditure growth, markets for hospital and physician services, and externalities.

HSMGMT 518: Ethical Issues in Health Services

Credits: 3
This course presents an introduction to the ethical issues that arise in managing of health services organizations. Students explore clinical and organizational ethics, among other topics.

HSMGMT 523: Informatics in Health Care Management

Credits: 3
Medical informatics concerns the representation, organization and manipulation of biomedical information and knowledge. This course gives students a high-level understanding of informatics and its health care applications. Through discussion of successes and failures in implementing information technology in health care settings, students also gain leadership and management knowledge that embraces informatics.

HSMGMT 531: Systems Modeling Frameworks for Health Care

Credits: 3
This course focuses on methodologies to support strategic decision making in a systems context, considering the patients, providers, information, material and resource dependencies of most health care organizations. Students learn to use models to communicate the complexities of systems problems and investigate potential solutions. Methodologies studied include optimization models and basic alternative evaluation methods for capacity planning, policy investigation, and design and planning decisions.

HSMGMT 545: Capstone Integrative Seminar

Credits: 4 (1 credit winter quarter; 3 credits spring quarter)
Designed to help students make the transition from theory to practice, this course focuses on sharpening analytical and intuitive leadership practices through interactive case studies, team-building exercises and field projects.

HSMGMT 552: Health Administration & Business Law

Credits: 4
Students examine a number of key legal topics pertinent to health care organizations and discuss how the law supports or hinders current efforts to improve health care delivery systems. Areas studied typically include contracts, medical malpractice, legal and ethical obligations to provide health care, privileging, medical decision making, tax exemption, antitrust, fraud and health information management.

HSMGMT 562: Strategic Management of Health Care Organizations

Credits: 4
This course examines the management of goals, strategy and structure in health care organizations. Topics covered include design of external relationships and internal structures, strategy formulation, decision making and change, and integration of professional, social and organizational values. Students will apply theory, case studies and student and practitioner experience to enhance their repertoire of management approaches and skills.

HSMGMT 567: Clinical Systems Management

Credits: 3
This course introduces students to the management of clinical systems and their underlying cultures. It focuses on quality improvement, change management, governance and clinical leadership development of physician-administrator partnerships in complex medical care settings.

HSMGMT 568: Quality Process Management

Credits: 3
This course gives students a thorough understanding of the main concepts of operations management as applied to health care organizations. Focus is on total quality management techniques, along with key integrative frameworks that provide the foundation for successful applications of these techniques.

HSMGMT 570: Quantitative Methods

Credits: 3
This course focuses on fundamental concepts of statistics and their application to health care management. It approaches statistics from two different perspectives that benefit leaders in health care — that of biostatistics and evidence-based medicine and that of management statistics for process improvement.

HSMGMT 571: Health Care Financial Management

Credits: 3
This course covers health care financial management topics such as health services law, hospital and program policy decisions, financial planning, and hospital design and architecture. Hospital survey data and health services research reports will also be presented.

HSMGMT 578: Project Management

Credits: 3
This course introduces the need for and the concepts, tools and techniques of contemporary project management. It builds upon prior courses and experience in leadership, management, planning and team development. Content focuses on the difference between management of ongoing operations and new projects, as well as the need for a disciplined approach when planning and executing projects.

HSMGMT 579: Accounting for Health Service Managers

Credits: 3
This course helps prepare students for management and leadership roles in health care organizations. Topics covered include financial accounting, including the accounting equation, journal entries and processes of accounting.

HSMGMT 592: Health Management Program Seminar I–VI

Credits: 6 (1 credit each quarter)
This seminar focuses on using applied critical thinking, leadership self-awareness, systems thinking and reasoning to solve problems within health care administration.