400

This course provides an overview of the U.S. healthcare delivery system and the development of policy that guides that system. The financing of healthcare in the U.S. is examined and compared with that of other developed countries. Federal, state, and local legislative and regulatory processes are studied and their impact explored. Healthcare law, policy, and ethics are considered through a biblical worldview.

Students in this course will evaluate the current system of financing health care and the factors affecting it, analyze cost measurement and allocation processes, and determines the organization's financial condition and potential for the future. Students will analyze budgetary concepts and the differences between the goods and service industries and determine the pros and cons of single payer vs. third party systems. A biblical worldview will be integrated throughout the course.

Students in this course will assess the healthcare delivery system, the resources that comprise it, and its strengths and weaknesses. Students will identify the components of public health and epidemiology, and the availability and role of alternative medicine in treatment programs. Students will determine the theoretical basis for the healthcare system, including its history, development, and epidemiology for major health policy issues, and assess health issues and intervention strategies from the perspective of health providers, community leaders, and community residents within a biblical worldview framework. Students will demonstrate methodological skills including the calculation of rates, analysis of vital statistics, and programming data using a basic statistical package and distinguish the challenges for privacy and patient rights resulting from increasing use of technology within the healthcare industry.

Students in this course will evaluate quality improvement programs and project management concepts, including planning elements, for adaptability to the healthcare environment. Students will compare and contrast the reliability and validity of various outcomes assessment tools from both the patient and organizational perspectives. Students will examine from a biblical framework the critical decisions managers make when placed in a project management role.

Students in this course will analyze the factors in the healthcare environment that impact strategy and evaluate the functions of a healthcare organization in terms of a strategic development framework that creates value and ensures sustainable organizational success. Students will apply critical thinking to the analysis and evaluation of healthcare from a strategic perspective, compare and contrast the role of social responsibility in creating value for stakeholders, and analyze operational strategies that promote continuous performance and process improvements. Biblically based policies and ethical strategies will be developed and evaluated throughout the course.

This course presents opportunities for students to evaluate solutions and strategies for complex business problems and opportunities within the health care industry, evaluate personal management capabilities and design a plan for lifelong growth, and integrate critical analysis with healthcare administration disciplines. Students will synthesize ethical standards in decision making and strategy development, create appropriate communication strategies to achieve organizational goals, and integrate a biblical framework into the practice and standards that guides interactions within the healthcare industry. The assessment of technologies for implementation in healthcare organizations will be featured throughout the course. Prerequisite: successful completion of all core courses