Department of Health Policy & Management Course Descriptions

 Courses

Masters Level Courses

HPM 2001 - INTRODUCTION TO LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND POLICY FOR PUBLIC HEALTH

The core course is designed to give students an overview of the disciplines and competencies associated with the field of health policy and health care management. Understanding the role of leadership in a public health environment is a unifying theme in this course.

HPM 2010 - ORGANIZATION STUDIES: THEORY AND APPLICATIONS TO HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS

Focus on the understanding and application of fundamental concepts, principles and models associated with organization theory within healthcare, rehabilitation, and long-term care. Content will encompass the traditional foci of organization theory, e.g. structure and functions, authority relationships, coordination and control processes, as well as constructs associated with related disciplines of organization behavior e.g. motivation theory, leadership, etc; Emphasis on real-world applications; Organization design discussed in contemporary organization structures and processes.

HPM 2012 - FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FOUNDATIONS HEALTH CARE & PUBLIC HEALTH

Introduction to selected finance and accounting topics of health care professional, supervisor, and department head. No previous knowledge of accounting or financial management required. First half emphasis is on basic financial accounting concepts to provide organization-level understanding language, concepts, processes and functions of financial management. Second half emphasizes managerial accounting principles and techniques including cost accounting and budgeting. Focus shifts to departmental level financial management and role of supervisor process including budget development and control.

HPM 2014 - APPLICATIONS AND ISSUES IN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH CARE INSTITUTIONS

This curriculum is designed to expand on the concepts presented in the financial management foundations for health care and public health course (HPM 2012). The focus of the instruction will be less book-learning and, instead, primarily be comprised of real-life, practical situations faced in today’s healthcare industry. Teachings will be a mix of guest speakers from the local area’s leaders and the instructor’s experiences. The first part of the semester will revolve around understanding what’s behind the data contained in an organization’s financial statements. The course will also cover alternative revenue opportunities, such as philanthropic initiatives and investment earnings. Once these concepts have been presented, the instruction will change its focus to managing within a healthcare organization concentrating on budgeting, determining how/what programs to invest in or implement, and balance sheet management.

HPM 2017 - QUANTITATIVE METHODS: DECISION TECHNOLOGIES AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT IN HEALTH CARE

This course gives an introduction to decision technologies and to the art of successfully using them in practice. Part I: focus on methodologies for optimizing and for predicting the consequences of decisions. Health care applications are considered: resource allocation, scheduling, project management. Part II: focus on operations management issues in health care. Topics include: forecasting, inventory management and quality control.

HPM 2025 - HPM PRACTICUM (Permission Required – HPM Students Only)

The student may register for the HPM practicum upon approval of the faculty of the Department of Health Policy and Management. The HPM practicum is designed to provide the student already employed in a healthcare organization with exposure to executive management, leadership, and policy-making processes and activities. Typically, the student will complete the practicum at their employing organization.

HPM 2028 - MICROECONOMICS APPLIED TO HEALTH

This course is an introduction to microeconomics, the study of resource allocation with particular emphasis on the role of markets. The course focuses on the competitive model. Examples of the use of economic concepts are drawn primarily from the health and medical care delivery systems.

HPM 2029 - HEALTH MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS

The purpose of this course is to provide future health care managers and policy-makers a conceptual framework for understanding and managing an integrated health management information system (HMIS). Primary attention will be given to the overall architecture of HMIS and issues related to health information management. The course focuses on the health care manager's role in the design, implementation and control of an effective HMIS. Instructional methods include lectures by regular faculty and guest resources, class discussion, case analyses and an applied field site study.

HPM 2037 - ESSAY-HA (HPM Students Only – Essay Proposal Form Required)

The essay is designed to provide the student with an opportunity to integrate the major components of the health administration learning experience. The student is expected to demonstrate analytical ability and technical proficiency in expository writing.

HPM 2049 - HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT/LABOR RELATION

This course encompasses personnel administration and labor relations concepts, processes and issues presented within a broad human resource management perspective. The emphasis of the course is on behavioral implications of legal-regulatory, economic, cultural, and technical forces affecting the management of people in health care organizations viewed as an open system. Perspectives of organization theory and behavior, personnel and labor law will be applied to the analysis of human resource/labor relations problems and effective management and supervisory practice.

HPM 2055 - MANAGING HEALTH PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS

The purpose of this course is to prepare students to effectively manage health programs and projects. The course is lecture/discussion based, but with ample analytical and written assignments. Extensive use is made of internet resources. A conceptual model of core (strategizing, designing, and leading) and facilitative (communicating, managing quality, marketing, and decision-making) management activities is used to structure the course.

HPM 2063 - POLITICAL STRATEGY AND HEALTH POLICY

This course provides practical knowledge to help students understand and operate in the political system in which health policy is formulated and implemented.  It is designed to build on other courses that teach students policy analysis by offering instruction in: recognizing the importance of political issues such as agenda setting, interest groups, ideology, and political parties in health; analyzing the political environment for different health policies; and developing political strategies to achieve change in those policy areas.  Weekly class meetings are a mixture of lecture and discussion.  Further, students will practice skills in political analysis through case studies of political strategies in health policy.  The focus of the course is on U.S. health policy, but the skills acquired are relevant to international settings as well.

HPM 2064 - HEALTH POLICY ANALYSIS

The aims of this course are to provide students with 1) an overview of the U.S. health care delivery system and current policy challenges, and 2) an introduction to policy analysis tools useful for defining policy problems, assessing alternative solutions and examining effects of health policies. The framework used for achieving these aims will be to consider health policy from the perspective of the main stakeholders in the system: patients, providers, health plans, suppliers (e.g. pharmaceutical and manufacturing industry), and payers. Course materials include a policy analysis text book, peer-reviewed articles, and case studies of contemporary health policy issues.

HPM 2081 - PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY MANAGEMENT

The course Public Health Agency Management focuses on the areas of knowledge and skills necessary to manage public health agencies. The course covers topics such as core functions and public health practice, legal basis for public health, public health interventions, configuring health departments, fundamentals of management theory and application, agency budgeting and public health constituencies. Classes include a lecture and class discussion of a case study or related question. The class ends with a final group report and group presentation of a class project relative to the development of a county health department.

HPM 2105 - HEALTH AND MEDICAL CARE ORGANIZATION

This course touches upon the structure of health care delivery systems and prevailing patterns and methods of delivery of health and medical care services. It reviews the historical, ethical, and legal basis of consumer behavior. The course covers personnel and facilities, organization, financing, and quality assessment with special attention given to managed medical care. Students develop skills in analyzing contemporary policy issues from an interdisciplinary vantage.

HPM 2115 – HPM MANAGEMENT RESIDENCY (Permission Required – HPM Students Only)

The course is designed to provide the student with an educational experience in the student's field of interest. It is a field experience performed under the supervision of a preceptor (i.e., a respected professional manager in the health field). Potential sites include a broad range of organizations such as hospitals, multi-unit systems, HMO's, consulting firms, insurance organizations, health policy and planning agencies, and health divisions of corporations.

HPM 2125 - HEALTH ECONOMICS

The course examines the market for medical services, with the view that the special nature of the market demands careful economic analysis rather than the abandonment of economic principles. Topics include the demand for health and the derived demand for health/medical care and insurance, the supply of medical services (physician and hospital in particular), the roles of uncertainty and information, and the problems of pricing, production, and distribution of health and medical services.

HPM 2130 - HEALTH LAW AND ETHICS

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the legal and ethical issues which impact the administration and delivery of health services. This course is designed to provide students with the practical knowledge needed to identify legal issues inherent in health care and public health administration and to understand the legal ramifications of administrative and management decisions. Through lecture and class discussion four main subject areas are presented: an introduction to the legal system, legal issues in managing health care organizations, regulating quality of care and public health legal authority. Specific course topics include: sources of law, the court system and legal procedures, professional and institutional liability, governmental regulatory methods, antitrust law, corporate compliance programs, emergency care, and issues concerning informed consent, credentialing of medical professionals, confidentiality of health information, termination of care, family planning, and public health law.

HPM 2131 - PUBLIC HEALTH LAW AND ETHICS

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to public health law and policy and the legal environment in which public health is practiced. The course is designed to familiarize students with the process by which laws are created, interpreted and enforced, and to introduce them to the substantive areas of law most relevant to the field of public health. Through lecture, case analysis, class discussion and student presentations, five main content areas will be presented: 1) the legal basis for public health practice; 2) the law and core public health functions; 3) the law and controlling and preventing diseases, injuries, and disabilities; 4) public health emergency law; and 5) the ethical issues impacting public health practice.

HPM 2132 - EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS LAW AND ETHICS

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to emergency preparedness law. The course is designed to familiarize students with the process by which laws are created, interpreted and enforced, and to introduce them to the substantive areas of law most relevant to the field of emergency preparedness. Through web based modules, class lecture, case analysis, class discussion, class exercises and student papers, six main content areas will be presented: 1) the legal framework for preparedness and response; 2) legal duties under the national response framework; 3) public health emergency law; 4) the constitutional constraints on preparedness law; 5) employer/employee emergency preparedness issues; and 6) liability and legal preparedness.

(This course is approved as an elective for the certificate in public health preparedness.)

HPM 2135 - HEALTH POLICY

This course is an introduction to federal and state legislative, administrative, and budget systems as they affect health services. The course focuses on the study of selected health policies, considering them in their historical perspective, present status, and future direction within their social, economic, and political contexts.

HPM 2142 - MANAGING HEALTH OF POPULATIONS (PREQ: EPIDEM 2110 and BIOST 2011)

This course provides students with skills and experience applying analytic techniques to the management of the health of populations. Content includes health assessment, evaluating health improvement programs, and assuring the quality of health care services.

HPM 2145 - MARKETING HEALTH SERVICES

Analysis of concepts vital to the creation of superior competitive marketing planning strategies for health services providers. Emphasis on using principles of epidemiology and on effective measurement of need in service area.

HPM 2150 - STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS

This "capstone" course for the program stresses the application and integration of knowledge and techniques learned in the context of specific functions and disciplines focuses on identifying strategic issues in complex environments, and formulating realistic responses. The emphasis throughout is on understanding how to improve the major patterns of resource allocation within the organization in order to create lasting value.

HPM 2204 - PRACT MEDICAL GROUP PRACTICE MGT

Course is designed to provide students with a general understanding of the management of medical group practice -- including a conceptual framework, operational issues for the practice manager, financial management and control, competitive forces of medical group practice, strategic positioning and political issues facing the practice executive. Subjects covered will provide students with analytical skills to evaluate day-to-day management and strategy, financial and political matters encountered in the management of a medical group practice.

HPM 2205 - INDEPENDENT STUDY-HA (Permission Required – HPM Students Only)

Students with major interests in specialized areas participate in individual study, research activities, or advanced readings with a specified faculty member.

HPM 2207 - QUALITY ASSESSMENT

This course examines the definition of quality in healthcare from the perspectives of providers, health plans and consumers. Healthcare standards of JCAHO, NCQA, and HEDIS are reviewed. The role of clinical pathways, outcome measures, technology and the internet are explored as they impact the quality of healthcare.

HPM 2214 - FUNDAMENTALS OF HEALTHCARE GOVERNANCE

The purpose of this course is to provide students with a sense of the responsibilities of governing boards of voluntary hospitals and to enable them to interrelate with their boards appropriately and constructively. The substance of interrelationships between governing boards and managements is as varied as are the forms of the organizations to which they relate and the personalities of the individuals involved. Subjective perceptions are often more important than formal rules and effective governance is more art than science. The course provides guidelines to this art.

HPM 2216 - HEALTH INSURANCE: FINANCING HEALTH CARE

Course examines the concerns and practices of private health insurance; the relationships and activities established by the insurance contracts among the insurer, insured, and providers; the insuring process of marketing, underwriting and pricing; the interrelationships of private and public insurance programs; and the varied government activities related to insurance. The objective of this course is to increase understanding of the access, funding, and insuring issues surrounding health care and to explore the alternate strategies being pursued in response to environment.

HPM 2217 - CLINICAL DECISION ANALYSIS

This course provides an introduction to the use of decision sciences in healthcare. In addition to developing a conceptual understanding of medical decision-making, the course will develop technical skills in decision analysis including the creation/evaluation of decision trees, the use of sensitivity analysis, and the incorporation of specific patient preferences through the use of utility analysis. The advantages and disadvantages of formal mathematical models for the analysis of clinical conditions will be presented. Examples from current medical literature will be discussed.

HPM 2218 - INTEGRATED DELIVERY SYSTEMS AND NETWORK

Course will explore three aspects of integrated delivery systems: 1) efforts to develop vertically integrated services, 2) integration of physician and hospital services, and 3) integration of payor and providers. Students enrolled in the course will complete an in-depth analysis of a successfully operating integrated system.

HPM 2220 - COST EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS IN HEALTH CARE

Provides an introduction to and develops technical skills in the economic evaluation of health care programs. A brief introduction to the economic foundation of cost effectiveness and cost benefit analysis is followed by an examination of the methodologies involved in performing cost effectiveness analyses. Topics include: definitions of cost and benefits, effect of the perspective of the analysis, calculation of cost-effectiveness ratios, performance of sensitivity analysis, discounting of costs and benefits, and discussions of current controversies in conduct of cost-effectiveness analysis.

HPM 2300 - HEALTH LAW FIELD EXPERIENCE (Permission Required – JD/MPH Students Only)

This course is a required placement in a law firm or in a house counsel office in a health organization or system, a public health agency, or a health policy agency.

Doctoral Level Courses

HPM 2821 - CURRENT TOPICS IN HEALTH ECONOMICS

The purpose of the course is to provide students with exposure to current topics in the field of health economics from the perspective of active researchers.  A series of health economics will be invited to deliver seminars on a current research project of their own, addressing the theoretical background, methodology and practical implications of their findings.  Students will gain a broad perspective on their field of health economics and the range of topics and methodologies used by researchers.

HPM 3064 – HEALTH POLICY ANALYSIS

This course is the doctoral version of HPM 2064.  Doctoral students have supplemental reading and writing requirements for this course.  The aims of this course are to provide students with: 1) an overview of the U.S. health care delivery system and current policy challenges, and 2) an introduction to policy analysis tools useful for defining policy problems, addressing alternative solutions and examining effects of health policies.  The framework used for achieving these aims will be to consider health policy from the perspective of the main stakeholders in the system: patients, providers, health plans, suppliers (e.g., pharmaceutical and manufacturing industry) and payers.  Course materials include a policy analysis textbook, peer-reviewed articles, and case studies of contemporary health policy issues.

HPM 3135 – HEALTH POLICY

This course is the doctoral version of HPM 2135.  Doctoral students have supplemental reading and writing requirements for this course.  The course assists students in developing or enhancing key packets of knowledge, skills, and abilities (which form competencies) sufficient to permit them to better analyze and credibly predict results of the health policymaking process in the U.S. and to learn more about how to exert influence in the health policymaking process as part of their professional roles.