rev. 2/10/14 University of Virginia
Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost Proposal for a Credit Certificate Program
Revised October 7, 2015
Program Name Health Sciences Management Certificate, Graduate
School Contact(s) Maria Chee, Ph. D.
Director of Program Quality, SCPS mchee@virginia.edu; 434-243-3681
School Granting Certificate
School of Continuing and Professional Studies
School Handling Admission
School of Continuing and Professional Studies
School Academic Approval
Curriculum and Course Review Committee, approval June 22, 2015 Dean Billy Cannaday, approval July 7, 2015
Certificate Level Graduate
Credit Hours 18
Effective Date Fall 2016
Program Need & Fit
This document proposes the establishment of an online graduate certificate program in Health Sciences Management (CP-HSM). The overall program goal is to provide degree holders (with a minimum of a baccalaureate) with the requisite knowledge, skills, and competencies in the field of healthcare management to prepare them as entry-level healthcare managers in the field.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), healthcare management is one of the fastest growing fields with a projected growth of 23 percent from 2012 to 2022, a much faster growth rate than the average for other occupations. Given the continued growth of our aging population and their healthcare needs, in 2008 the Institute of Medicine reported that “as the population of seniors grows to comprise approximately 20% of the U.S. population, they will face a health care workforce that is too small and critically unprepared to meet their health needs” (1, 2). On the other hand, the trend in educational policy for the major health diagnosing and treatment professions over the past 25 years has been to increase the educational requirements for entry into the profession (3).
In spring 2015, the School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) launched the Bachelor of Professional Studies in Health
rev. 2/10/14 Sciences Management (BPHM), which was created to prepare
students with technical backgrounds in eight allied healthcare areas: a) respiratory therapy, b) radiography, c) medical sonography, d) physical therapy assistant, e) occupational therapy assistant, f) emergency medical technology, g) medical laboratory technology, and h) health information management. The program aims to develop their knowledge, skills and competencies to assume managerial and leadership roles in the health care environment. The program gives nationally certified and/or registered health professionals with an appropriate associate degree the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia on a part-time basis. The BPHM program addresses the national need for healthcare managers who are bachelor degreed, and is designed for individuals who do not yet possess a bachelor degree. This proposed certificate program is offered to those already in possession of a bachelor’s degree.
Given the demand for healthcare management professionals and that most health services managers hold at least a baccalaureate degree as reported in BLS, a number of public and private higher education institutions have developed both undergraduate and graduate certificate programs in healthcare management. These certificates have been designed as a way to educate individuals with
baccalaureate or graduate degrees in a variety of fields, outside of healthcare, per se, to become educated in the basic knowledge, skills and competencies necessary for informed entry-level practice in healthcare management. Within the Commonwealth of Virginia and District of Columbia, the following regional institutions have a certificate program in healthcare management:
George Mason University George Washington University Liberty University
Mary Baldwin College
See an overview of these regional certificate programs in Appendix A below.
The online program at Liberty University focuses on public health, wellness and substance abuse prevention with a program content that differs from this proposed program, while most of the other certificate programs above are either face-to-face or at most hybrid with some online courses in terms of instructional delivery mode. This proposed certificate program is 100% online, making it highly convenient for the targeted adult learners who have demonstrated preference for online delivery, as they try to continue their education amidst obligations to their professional and family responsibilities.
Intended Audience
This proposed Certificate Program in Health Sciences Management (CP-HSM) will serve adult part-time students, with a preference for those qualified students who have either:
a) A bachelor’s degree in one of the following majors: an allied healthcare field, natural sciences, health sciences, social sciences, or business/commerce;
rev. 2/10/14 b) A bachelor’s degree in any major but with a minimum of 2 years
work experience in the healthcare field. Projected Enrollment
The program is projected to begin in the Fall of 2016 with a modest enrollment of 5 students. However, total student enrollment is expected to grow as follows with continued marketing efforts. Year: 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Headcount: 5 7 10 10 10
The total number of students who would be projected to graduate by Year Five of the program is between 22 and 25 students, considering attrition rate and the fact that adult part-time learners often take longer than one year to complete a six-course certificate program.
The program director would work collaboratively with the SCPS marketing and outreach team to promote the programs to students, within the Virginia Community College System’s (VCCS’s) allied healthcare programs, about 15-25% of which already have a
bachelor’s degree and are interested in healthcare management. The certificate program would also be marketed within local and regional medical centers such as Martha Jefferson Hospital, Rockingham Memorial Hospital, and the University of Virginia Health System. Location(s) of
Instruction
The program will be delivered completely online, using both synchronous and asynchronous online delivery formats. Admission
Requirements
Students with the following qualifications will be given admission preference:
Bachelor’s degree in one of the approved majors listed above, OR Bachelor’s degree in any major with 2 years of work experience in
the healthcare field GPA of 3.0
Faculty Credentials
Preference is given to faculty with terminal degrees in the areas of healthcare management, public health, or education. Individuals with a master’s degree in a health science field and significant relevant
experiences, or with master’s degrees in healthcare management, business administration or public health with extraordinary
qualifications may be considered to teach within the program.
Extraordinary qualifications would be determined based on the level of management experience and years of experience in the field.
Faculty
1. Ana Abad-Jorge, Ed.D., MS, RDN - Program Director and faculty of Bachelor of Professional Studies in Health Sciences Management, SCPS, University of Virginia, 2014 – present. Previous Positions: Program Director of UVA Health System Dietetic Internship Program, 1995-2014; Pediatric Nutrition Support Specialist, 1987-2014; and Pediatric Nutrition Team Lead at UVA Medical Center, 2008 – 2012. Education: BA in Biology, Rollins College, 1983; MS in Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Florida, 1986; Ed.D. in Higher Education and Adult Learning, Walden University, 2013; Master Online Teacher Certification, 2015, University of Illinois
rev. 2/10/14 2. R. Edward Howell, MHSA – Professor of Public Health Sciences
and Healthcare Management, Dept. of Public Health Sciences, U.Va, 2011 – present; faculty in the Bachelor of Professional Studies in Health Sciences Management, SCPS, U.Va., 2014-present. Previous Position: CEO of U.Va. Health System, 2002 – 2014; Director and CEO of University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, 1994-2002; Executive Director of Medical College of Georgia Hospital and Clinics, 1986-1994. Education: MS in Hospital and Health Services Administration, Ohio State University, 1977 3. Rashida Biggs, D.H.Sc., MPH – Part-time Faculty for the Bachelor
of Professional Studies in Health Sciences Management, SCPS, U.Va., 2015 – present; Clinical Assistant Professor, Florida International University, 2010 - present. Previous Positions: Assistant Professor of Public Health and Health Services
Administration, Barry University, 2009-2010; Partnership Program Coordinator at the Cancer Information Service, 2008-2009.
Education: Master of Public Health, Florida International University, 2003; Doctor of Health Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, 2008
4. Existing faculty within the BIS Program and Business and Professional Studies programs at SCPS
5. Additional wage faculty for the teaching of additional sections of the four required courses to be hired in Year 2 (estimated).
Coursework
The proposed certificate program consists of the following six courses (18 credits), with four required and two electives all carrying three credits each. These courses will be dual-level listed with the existing undergraduate courses at the 3000 or 4000 levels offered through the Bachelor of Professional Studies in Health Sciences Management Program or other relevant SCPS programs. The graduate level courses in this program will be designed to include appropriate learning objectives to increase the overall course rigor, requirements and expectations. Furthermore, the number and rigor of the student assignments will be modified to meet graduate level expectation and to incorporate application, critical-thinking, evaluation and synthesis based assignments.
Required. Complete all four of the following:
1. PSHM 5010 Introduction to Health Care Management (dual-level listed with PSHM 3010) - 3 credits
This course provides an introduction to health care management for allied health practitioners. It integrates theory and practice through course presentations, readings, online discussions, experiential exercises, and written assignments. The course also emphasizes the application of critical thinking and problem solving skills, within multidisciplinary environments, to both health care practice and professional development.
2. PSHM 5650 American Health Care: Challenges &
rev. 2/10/14 This course provides an introduction to health care management for allied health practitioners. It integrates theory and practice through course presentations, readings, online discussions, experiential exercises, and written assignments. The course also emphasizes the application of critical thinking and problem solving skills, within multidisciplinary environments, to both health care practice and professional development.
3. PSHM 5700 Economics and Finance of Medical Care (dual-level listed with PSHM 4700) – 3 credits
This course provides an overview of financial systems in healthcare management. Topics to be covered include the nature and operations of health insurance in the United States, including purposes of the various plans (managed care versus fee for service) and how these work. The course will analyze the financial elements of health care delivery systems such as funding principles and practices and reimbursement systems. The course also explores the concepts of moral hazards, asymmetric information, defensive medicine, allocating efficiency, and tax subsidies.
4. PSHM 5760 Issues in Healthcare Leadership (dual-level listed with ISSS 3760) – 3 credits
Foundations and Issues in Leadership provides undergraduate
students a fundamental foundation for understanding leadership from a developmental and whole systems perspective. Reviews the systems components of leadership and followership within organizational culture. Provides opportunities for students to develop deeper
understanding of the issues and challenges facing leaders in a global, complex environment.
Electives. Choose two of the following:
1. PSHM 5015 Management of Healthcare Organizations (dual-level listed with HR 4010) – 3 credits
2. PSHM 5020 Human Resource Management in Healthcare (dual-level listed with HR 4020) – 3 credits
3. PSHM 5080 Decision-Making and Medical Ethics (dual-level listed with ISLS 3080) – 3 credits
4. PSHM 5220 Strategic Business Value of Information
Technology in Healthcare (dual-level listed with IT 3220) – 3 credits
5. PSHM 5400 Introduction to Research in the Health Sciences (dual-level listed with PSHM 4400) – 3 credits
See a description of the above courses in Appendix B below.
Transfer/Waiver of Credit
There is no transfer or waiver of credits for entry into this certificate program.
rev. 2/10/14 Time Limit for
Completion
Students may complete the program in as little as one year, provided they take two courses each semester plus the summer. However, given that adult students engaged in part-time continuing education frequently encounter life circumstances that require them to put their educational endeavors on temporary hold, SCPS policy states that students enrolled in 18- credit certificate programs have up to three years to complete their programs.
Student Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this program, students will be able to demonstrate the core knowledge and competencies set forth by the Healthcare Leadership Alliance of the American College of Healthcare Executives (4) as follows:
1. Communicate clearly and professionally through oral and written communications with both internal and external audiences;
2. Establish and maintain relationships within complex healthcare systems and networks, and facilitate constructive collaborations with individuals and groups;
3. Align personal and organizational behavior with ethical and professional standards through responsibility to patient and community and a service and quality orientation;
4. Promote organizational excellence through effective leadership skills by creating and communicating a shared vision and understanding and managing organizational climate and change;
5. Master foundational knowledge of the healthcare environment, including healthcare systems and organizations, healthcare personnel, patient’s perspective, the community and the environment;
6. Apply business skills including systems thinking to the
healthcare landscape in areas such as general management, financial management, human resource management and information technology.
Evaluation & Assessment
Each course of this proposed graduate certificate program will use multiple and various evaluation methods to assess mastery of the leaning objectives: online forum discussions, tests, papers, group projects, individual projects, and case studies.
This proposed program will be subject to the SCPS annual program assessment requirement. The program’s required courses will be used to assess the achievement of program learning outcomes over a two year period:
Spring Semester Year 1 - Introduction to Health Care Management Summer Semester Year 1 - Economics and Finance of Medical Care Fall Semester Year 1 – Issues in Leadership
rev. 2/10/14 Spring Semester Year 2 – American Healthcare: Challenges and
Opportunities.
The program learning outcomes assessment will be repeated annually to continually improve program content and mastery of learning
objectives. Resource Allocation
Program implementation would require some initial start-up costs. There would be some initial and ongoing marketing costs. Marketing expenses for printing of the certificate program brochures, initial information sessions or webinars, marketing events through education fairs, and advertisement with professional associations are estimated at $7,500 to be covered by the SCPS Marketing Unit.
Initially, for the first year, no additional faculty costs would be expected for the proposed program. However, once the cohort of certificate students grows to over 5 students per year, wage faculty would need to be hired to deliver additional sections of the four required courses. The current salary range per class is $4,000 to $4,500 + 0.06 fringe depending upon credentials. Projected cost for wage faculty to teach 4 additional sections of the courses per year = $16,960 - $19,080
(includes salary + fringe benefits). This amount will be covered in the budget of SCPS’s BPHM.
In addition, the projected cost for laptop computers for wage faculty to teach the additional course sections is $4,000 covered in the budget of the SCPS’s BPHM.
Current BPHM program faculty would provide academic advising, as needed, to the certificate program students at no additional personnel cost.
References
1. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2015). Medical and Health Services Managers. In: Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-2015 Edition. Washington, DC: US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved on April 7, 2015, http://www.bls.gov/ ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm
2. The National Academy of Science. (2008). Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce”, Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Retrieved on July 3, 2013, http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2008/Retooling-for-an-Aging-America-Building-the-Health-Care-Workforce.aspx
3. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2011). Health diagnosing and treating practitioners. In:
Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010 – 2011 Edition. Washington, DC: US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
4. American College of Healthcare Executives. (2014). ACHE Healthcare Executive – Competencies Assessment Tool 2014, pg. 1-2.
rev. 2/10/14 APPENDIX A
Competitive Analysis of Regional Certificate and Graduate Programs
Institution Name of Certificate or Program Delivery Method Course Requirements
University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA
Graduate Certificate in Health Sciences Management
(Currently Proposed)
Online 6-courses (18 credits)
Required: Complete all four of the following: 1. 1. PSHM 5010 - Introduction to Health Care 2. Management
2. PSHM 5650 - American Health Care: Challenges & Opportunities
3. PSHM 5700 - Economics and Finance of Medical Care
4. PSHM 5760 - Issues in Leadership +
Electives: Choose two of the following 6. PSHM 5015 - Management of Organizations 7. PSHM 5020 - Human Resource Management 8. PSHM 5220 - Introduction to Information
Technology
9. PSHM 5080 - Decision-Making and Medical Ethics
10. PSHM 5400 - Research Issues in the Health Sciences
Mary Baldwin College Staunton, VA
Certificate in Health Care Management
Face-to-face Hybrid Traditional
7-courses (21 credits)
Required: Complete all four of the following 1. Intro to Health Care Administration
2. Social Science Statistics
3. Health Care Strategic Management 4. Economics & Finance of Health Care
Systems
+
Electives: Choose three of the following: Medical and Healthcare Ethics
rev. 2/10/14 Epidemiology
Issues in Health Care Finance Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Undergraduate Certificate in Healthcare Management
Online 6-courses (18 credits): Required 1. BUSI 310 - Principles of Management 2. BUSI 340 - Organizational Behavior I 3. HLTH 252 - Drugs in Society
4. HLTH 349 - Public & Community Health for Business
5. HLTH 419 - Wellness & Behavior Change Theories for Business
6. HLTH 491 – Grantsmanship George Washington
University Washington D.C.
Graduate Health Administration Certificate
Traditional “On Campus”
6-course (18 credits) Options include: HSML 6202 Intro/Health Services Delivery HSML 6203 Intro to Health Management HSML 6204 Quality & Performance
Improvement
HSML 6206 Quantitative Methods & Epid/Health Services
HSML 6207 Health Services Info Applications
HSML 6208 Medical Informatics HSML 6209 Health Services Finance HSML 6210 Health Serv Financial
Applications
HSML 6211 Health Economics HSML 6212 Community Health Mgt &
Advocacy George Mason University
Fairfax, VA
Graduate Certificates in: Physician Practice
Management
Traditional Late afternoon &
evening classes Fairfax & Arlington
Campuses
6-course (18 credits) 1. HAP 610 - Health/Medical Practice
Management
2. HAP 652 - Essentials of Health Insurance and Managed Care
3. HAP 703 - Financial Management in Health Systems
4. HAP 704 - Contemporary Issues in Health Systems Management
rev. 2/10/14 Public Health Leadership
and Management
Quality Improvement & Outcomes Management
5. HAP 705 - Strategic Management and Marketing in Health Care
6. Elective (3 credits)
6-course (18 credits)
1. GCH 712 - Introduction to Epidemiology 2. HAP 642 - Health Policy Development and
Analysis
3. HAP 680 - Applied Public Health Leadership and Management
4. HAP 715 - Health Economics
5. PUAD 661 - Public Budgeting Systems 6. Elective (3 credits)
6-course (18 credits)
1. HAP 647 - Regulatory Requirements for Health Care Systems
2. HAP 686 - Quality Improvement in Health Services
3. HAP 730 - Health Care Decision Analysis Choose two of the following:
4. GCH 601 - Introduction to Biostatistics 5. HAP 602 - Statistics in Health Services
Management
6. HHS 597 - Approaches to Quantitative Data Analysis in Health Care Research
7. SOCW 671 - Research Methods for Social Workers + 8. Elective (3 credits) Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Richmond, VA
Master of Science in Healthcare Administration (MSHA)
Hybrid: Online + 6 “on campus”
sessions
14-courses (42 credits): Required Part Time Enrollment (6-7 credits/semester) is
an option 1st Semester (Fall)
1. HADE 602 – Health System Organization, Financing and Performance
rev. 2/10/14 3. HADE 646 – Health Care Organization and
Leadership
2nd Semester (Spring) 4. HADE 606 – Health Care Managerial
Accounting
5. HADE 610 – Health Care Management Support Systems
6. HADE 615 – Health Care Politics and Policy 7. HADE 647 – Management of Health Care
Organizations.
3rd Semester (Fall)
8. HADE 607 – Financial Management in Health Care Organizations
9. HADE 609 – Managerial Epidemiology 10. HADE 611 – Health Care Law and Bioethics 11. HADE 612 – Information Systems for Health
Care Management
4th Semester (Spring) 12. HADE 614 – Health Care Marketing 13. HADE 648 – Strategic Management in
Healthcare Organizations
14. HADE 649 – Human Resources Management in Health Care. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Richmond, VA Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) Considered an “industry specific” executive level MBA
Requires a 3rd year
paid internship
19-courses (52 credits)+Residency (8 credits) First Year, Fall Semester
1. HADM 602 – Health System Organization, Financing and Performance
2. HADM 606 – Health Care Managerial Accounting
3. HADM 609 – Managerial Epidemiology 4. HADM 646 – Health Care Organization and
Leadership
5. HADM 681 – Clinical Concepts and Relationships (2 credits)
6. HADM 682 – Executive Skills (1 credit) First Year, Spring Semester
rev. 2/10/14 7. HADM 607 – Financial Management in Health
Care Organizations
8. HADM 610 – Health Care Management Support Systems
9. HADM 624 – Health Economics
10. HADM 647 – Management of Healthcare Organizations
Second Year, Fall Semester
11. HADM 608 – Seminar in Health Care Finance 12. HADM 612 – Information Systems for Health
Care Management
13. HADM 615 – Health Care Politics & Policy 14. HADM 683 – Executive Skills II (1 credit) 15. Elective Course (3 credits)
Second Year, Spring Semester
16. HADM 611 – Health Care Law and Bioethics 17. HADM 614 – Health Care Marketing
18. HADM 648 – Strategic Management in Healthcare Organizations
19. HADM 649 – Human Resources Management in Health Care.
Third Year (Required One Year Residency) 20. HADM 694 – Practicum in Health Care
Administration I (4 credits)
21. HADM 695 - Practicum in Health Care Administration II (4 credits)
George Mason University Fairfax, VA
Health Systems Management, Master of Health Administration
(MHA)
Traditional Late afternoon &
evening classes Fairfax & Arlington
Campuses
16-courses (46 Credit) Master’s Program
Core Courses (28 credits): HAP 602 - Statistics in Health Services
Management Credits: 3
HAP 686 - Quality Improvement in Health Services Credits: 3
HAP 645 - Introduction to Health Services Research Credits: 3
rev. 2/10/14 HAP 621 - Organization Behavior and
Healthcare Leadership Credits: 3
HAP 678 - Introduction to the U.S. Health System Credits: 3
HAP 715 - Health Economics Credits: 3 HAP 740 - Management of Health Information
Systems Credits: 3
HAP 750 - Legal Issues in Health Administration Credits: 3
HAP 789 - Pre-Capstone Professional Development Seminar Credits: 1
HAP 790 - Capstone Practicum in Health Systems Management Credits: 3
+
Select one of 3 Possible Concentrations (18 credits)
Executive Management
Physician Practice Management Risk Management and Patient Safety
rev. 2/10/14 APPENDIX B
Course Description of Required Courses and Electives in this Proposed Graduate Certificate in Health Sciences Management Program
Required Courses. Complete all four of the following:
PSHM 5010: Introduction to Health Care Management: Applying Concepts to Practice (Online Course); Credits: 3
This course provides an introduction to health care management for allied health practitioners. It integrates theory and practice through course presentations, readings, online discussions, experiential exercises, and written assignments. The course also emphasizes the application of critical thinking and problem solving skills, within multidisciplinary environments, to both health care practice and professional development.
PSHM 5650: American Health Care: Challenges and Opportunities (Online course). Credits: 3 Explores the structure of the education and delivery systems, and examine the challenges that face providers, patients, and policy makers as health care becomes more effective and more expensive. Focuses on approaches to understanding and addressing significant problems, challenges, and opportunities.
PSHM 5700 - Economics and Finance of Medical Care (Online course). Credits: 3
This course provides an overview of financial systems in healthcare management. Topics to be covered include the nature and operations of health insurance in the United States, including purposes of the various plans (managed care versus fee for service) and how these work. The course will analyze the financial elements of health care delivery systems such as funding principles and practices and reimbursement systems. The course also explores the concepts of moral hazards, asymmetric information, defensive medicine, allocating efficiency, and tax subsidies.
PSHM 5760 - Issues in Healthcare Leadership (Online course); Credits: 3
Foundations and Issues in Leadership provides undergraduate students a fundamental
foundation for understanding leadership from a developmental and whole systems perspective. Reviews the systems components of leadership and followership within organizational culture. Provides opportunities for students to develop deeper understanding of the issues and
challenges facing leaders in a global, complex environment.
Electives. Select two of the following:
PSHM 5015: Management of Healthcare Organizations (Online course). Credits: 3
Presents a broad view of management theories and principles. Topics include historical and current trends in management, how organizations plan and make decisions, leadership, and resource management. The case studies and assessments will focus on the healthcare setting. PSHM 5020: Human Resource Management in Healthcare (Online course). Credits: 3
Survey of individual (as opposed to systemic) topics in HR management. Topics include employee relations, job satisfaction, personnel selection and placement, job analysis and
rev. 2/10/14 design, interviewing techniques, performance appraisal and training, and wage and salary administration.
PSHM 5220: Strategic Business Value of Information Technology for the Healthcare Setting (Online course). Credits: 3
Explores the fundamental concepts, theory, and technology involved in information systems. Topics include client/server technology, computer organizations, operating systems, basic programming concepts, and Internet technologies with applications to the healthcare setting. PSHM 5080: Decision Making and Medical Ethics (Online course). Credits: 3
This course brings together the resources of philosophy, religion, and social sciences to
examine the ways in which life and death decisions are being made in current medical practice. Students examine the ethical principles utilized to examine health care issues. They also evaluate the procedures followed by major medical organizations in making medical decisions. Such contemporary issues as cloning (and other alternative methods of reproduction),
euthanasia, organ donation, and the financing of health care are addressed.
PSHM 5400: Introduction to Research in the Health Sciences (Online course). Credits: 3 This course provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts required to understand, review, plan and conduct health science research. Topics to be covered include qualitative and quantitative methodologies; working with primary and secondary data; health sciences research; and institutional review boards. In addition, students will learn how to develop a research topic question, a project purpose, conduct a literature review, review of research methodologies appropriate to their allied healthcare field or healthcare management, and basic overview of descriptive and inferential statistical analysis methods.
