400

This course provides an overview of the public policy processes used to address healthcare and healthcare delivery systems in the U.S. The relationship between public policy and financing of healthcare in the U.S. is examined. Federal, state, and local legislative and regulatory processes are studied and their impact explored. A biblical perspective for shaping the development of healthcare public policy is presented.

Students in this course explore the unique financial characteristics of the healthcare industry including the various government and third-party payer systems. The role of the health record, coding, billing, and revenue cycle management in the financial success of healthcare organizations is examined. Virtuous business principles provide the framework for ethical reimbursement practices.

This course provides an overview of epidemiology principles and tools applicable to decision-making in health administration. The content focuses on the application of epidemiology to management functions. Students will critically evaluate factors influencing the health status of populations served by healthcare organizations using clinical and administrative data and applying a virtuous business framework. Topics include study designs, population health, quality management, quantitative measurement, and terminology.

Students in this course examine the impact of healthcare trends and issues on organizations' people, performance, and policies from a strategic perspective. Relevant issues from government policy, politics, and stakeholder priorities are discussed. Topics include cultural competency, physician relationships, workforce engagement, and operational impacts. Students will compare organization strategic alignment with current trends and issues. Skill in examining current issues using professional and scholarly publications is developed. A Christian worldview of the ethical obligations of healthcare administrators, providers, and institutions is integrated and communicated throughout the course.

The course examines the formation and function of teams to improve performance in healthcare organizations. Key concepts include factors designing teams and supporting effective teamwork by understanding group dynamics and the variety of contexts in which teams operate in the healthcare environment. The course will also focus on leadership styles and models for team effectiveness.

Students in this course will recognize the role of quality in the healthcare industry and its importance to patients, providers, payers, and regulators. Students will apply effective quality improvement tools and analyze available data to drive change in healthcare organizations. They will illustrate the use of change management practices to facilitate quality improvement in an organization's processes. Finally, students will relate biblical virtues to quality practices in the healthcare industry. Prerequisite: STA-320

This course introduces the fundamentals of patient safety and the principles, concepts, and activities which support a healthcare organization's "culture of safety". Students will learn to assess the "culture of safety" through evaluation of patient safety and risk management activities, the use of technology to enhance patient safety, the application of safety principles, and utilization of quality improvement tools, and methods for continuous improvement. Virtuous business concepts are applied to patient safety activities and the "culture of safety".

Students in the course will examine the principles and applications of strategic and change management concepts necessary for healthcare organization sustainability. The course provides a structured approach to the strategic management process, including methods of assessing organization environments and competitive situations, approaches for developing strategic plans, and processes for ensuring the successful implementation of strategy within a virtuous business model.

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