Introduction to methods and concepts of statistical analysis. Sampling situations, with special attention to those occurring in biological sciences. (Part I of a two part series.)

Key Concept:

• Topics including distributions, tests of hypothesis, estimation, types of error, significance and confidence levels, sample size
• Methods and concepts of statistical analysis
• Sampling situations with special attention to those occurring in biological sciences

Microeconomic aspects of the healthcare system, including health manpower substitution, market efficiency, and competition.

Key Concept:

• Theories of economic decision-making in healthcare markets
• Decisions that consumers and producers make regarding the consumption of healthcare products and services on one hand, and the supply of these goods and services on the other
• Learning general analytical tools that can be applied to better understand past behavior and to better anticipate the future

In-depth analysis of health services systems in the U.S., using relevant theories, concepts, and models. Part I in a two part series.

Key Concept:

• The historical development, the current structure, and ways of describing or conceptualizing the healthcare system in the United States
• The essential ways in which health services are provided and paid for in the United States.

Applications of contemporary organization and management theory to systems that provide personal healthcare services. Environmental characteristics, missions/goals, structure and processes of health service organizations.

Key Concept:

• Strategic management for organizations
• Personal management strategy
• Practices of management and managers and understanding of the range of options for actions and processes as a manager
• Understanding of organizations and their operations including development of skill set for carrying out analytic assessments of organizations

In-depth analysis of health services systems in the U.S., using relevant theories, concepts, and models. (Part 2 in a two part series.)

Key Concept:

• Major types of healthcare organizations in the United States, as well as with the personnel comprising them
• How the healthcare system in the United States responds to the healthcare needs of vulnerable populations and their demand for services

Managerial skills and behaviors applied to components of organizations at several levels: individual, interpersonal, group, intergroup, system, and interorganization. (A two part series.)

Key Concept:

• To understand the managerial processes involved in healthcare organizations
• To apply theory to contemporary healthcare management
• Access how managerial processes are different in various healthcare settings
• Identify service and management problems as they relate to ongoing operations of facilities
• Analyze and discuss case studies to become familiar with actual managerial processes
• Development of personal managerial style and skill set

Introduction to methods and concepts of statistical analysis. Sampling situations, with special attention to those occurring in biological sciences. (Part 2 in a course series)

Key Concept:

• Analysis of variance, linear regression, and correlation analysis

Examination of the politics of the health policy process, including the effects of political structure and institutions; economic and social factors; interest groups, classes, and social movements; media and public opinion, and other factors.

Key Concept:

• The political, institutional, economic, social, and other factors that influence and shape the process
• how health policy is developed, adopted, and implemented
• The basic approaches and tools of strategic advocacy

Introduction to financial and managerial accounting and its applications to the health services industry.

Key Concept:

• Concepts and issues in financial accounting, as well as their underlying assumptions
• Preparation and interpretation of financial statements
• Use of financial information in decision-making, evaluating performance and formulating business strategies

Introduction to health services evaluation. Examination and performance of specific evaluation procedures. Conducting of health services investigations, reporting results and methodologies.

Key Concept:

• Roles and methods of evaluation in assessing the effectiveness of health services programs, practices and policies
• Introduction to the basic theoretical principles of health services research and evaluation with an emphasis on practical application and performance

General survey of legal aspects of health services management, including governance, agency, informed consent, and medical malpractice.

Key Concept:

• Basic elements of the law and the legal system
• How the law and the legal system relate to the healthcare environment
• Laws affecting hospital and professionals delivering health services
• Negligence, informed consent, an introduction to general contract law, the legal basis for hospital governance and the principles and legal, basis for managed care contracting

This course is an overview of issues pertaining to local health administration. Emphasis is placed on public sector organizational structures and the challenges they face in changing local and national economies with broad political dimensions.

Key Concept:

• Understanding of the origin and influences on the development and current form of local health departments
• How local health departments are responsive to their community's perceived needs
• The importance of skillful administration in maximizing the effectiveness of a local health department
• The impacts of chronic disease on high-risk populations
• The role of community partnerships in health care delivery

Application of financial management and accounting principles to healthcare facilities.

Key Concept:

• Budgeting and forecasting
• Activity-based costs (ABC) in healthcare
• Operating and financial ratio analysis of healthcare organizations
• Time value of money
• Working capital management

Overview of issues related to growth, management and planning of managed healthcare systems.

Key Concept:

• Introduction to managed care and managed care-dominated health system, particularly in California
• History and central principles of managed care, describing the overall structure of the managed care "system'' and discuss current changes and future developments in the system itself

Introduction to environmental health, including coverage of sanitary principles and chronic and acute health effects of environmental contaminants.

Key Concept:

• Key determinants of environmental health including such concepts as population, agriculture, and pollution of the water, soil and air as they impact human health
• Importance of environmental microbiology and concepts in toxicology as they relate to environmental health
• Ecological principles and the interaction of ecosystem health with human health
• Water availability and water and wastewater treatment and how such issues can relate to human and ecosystem health

Analysis of ethical aspects of public health, health policy, and management of health services, as distinguished from the ethical aspects of the individual doctor-patient relationship

Key Concept:

• The impact of legislation and policy decisions on the scope of ethical decision-making
• The ability to analyze ethical issues in support of public health policies

Survey course covering theory and applications of strategic planning and marketing concepts as they apply to healthcare organizations.

Key Concept:

• Marketing presented through the eyes of customers it serves rather than viewing marketing in the traditional sense
• Marketing as a long-term, communications-based process (which often relies on its success on the delivery of a "product" over which it usually has little to no control)
• Marketing as a strategic process interwoven into all healthcare organizations and measured as a strategic business contribution to the organization

Topics include sources of operating revenue, working capital management, resource allocation decisions: corporate planning, budgeting, and control.

Key Concept:

• Capital structure decisions/debt and equity
• Risk and return in financial markets
• Valuation methods, including MVA and EVA
• Capital budgeting techniques
• Leasing analysis

Conceptual, analytical, and technical aspects of policy and strategy formulation in health service organizations.

Key Concept:

• Resource-based view of competitive strategy
• Factors that drive mergers and acquisitions in the healthcare industry
• Systems dynamics concepts and their application in a healthcare market simulation game
• The unique features of strategic management in public sector and not-for-profit organizations

Development of broad appreciation of psychosocial factors as they affect health and their implications for public health.

Key Concept:

• Socioeconomic and cultural characteristics of individuals and their relation to health behavior and outcome
• Interactions between individuals of different backgrounds with various health systems and services
• Societal and institutional responses to health
• Changing health behaviors and health education theories/models
• Health promotion/education interventions

Introduction to epidemiology, including factors governing health and disease in populations.

Key Concept:

• Understanding of epidemiology including the epidemiological tools needed to plan/deliver/assess services for defined populations

TBA

Key Concept:

• TBA

Introduction to the tools of healthcare quality measurement and process improvement.

Key Concept:

• Basic understanding of the principles of clinical quality measurement, TQM/CQI, and other new management practices
• Theories for understanding the organizational context within which new management practices are applied
• Outline how systems interface with organizations and can be used to improve organizational performance

Examination of principles and models of organization leadership, including presentation by current leaders in the field of health.

Key Concept:

• Identify key characteristics of effective organizational leaders
• Distinguish leadership and management
• Evaluate important leadership strengths and weaknesses
• Specify a personal plan for leadership development
• Identify the interrelationships of leadership, power, vision, culture and organizational change
• Understand the features of healthcare and healthcare organizations that affect the role and requirements of healthcare leaders