Online Bachelor’s in Healthcare Management Curriculum

This course lays the foundation of the healthcare system as it relates to healthcare management. It focuses on the history, evolution, and development of the present American health care system including the role of the various health care providers.

Students will examine operational concepts related to delivering quality, consistent, and cost-effective patient care within a variety of organizations and across the healthcare system. Topics include finances, project management, patient flow performance management, process improvement and supply chain management.

A course in professional standards for practice managers. Participants in this course will gain knowledge of how to effectively communicate within healthcare settings. Consideration will be giving to understanding the range of stakeholders in healthcare settings, the impact of social media, how to effectively communicate with patients and families, and the role of communicating for purpose and policy change. Students will develop personal communication skills and gain understanding of the importance of collaborative problem-solving, cultural sensitivity, and the need for continuous learning through presentations, case studies and written assignments.

Human resources management includes legal, behavioral, and administrative aspects of personnel management. Students will enhance their managerial skills through deeper understanding of recruitment and retention of personnel, training and evaluation practices, compensation and benefit systems, in addition to the impact of legal and regulatory environment.

This course is an in-depth examination of quality and regulatory compliance issues associated with a healthcare practice environment. It offers a broad base of foundational compliance knowledge with real-world solutions, as well as the study and application of regulatory requirements for quality and performance improvement. Topics include an overview of the OIG recommended Compliance Program for Physicians, coding/billing and reimbursement issues, and discussions related to compliance with regulations and statutes, e.g.,OSHA, CLIA, HIPAA Privacy and Security, and other quality-based programs affecting healthcare such as pay-for-performance and RAC programs. Students will explore quality improvement techniques with an emphasis on the roles of patient and health professional in improving healthcare delivery, outcomes tracking, analysis, and impact on practice performance and patient care.

Revenue cycle management is critical to the success of the medical practice. In addition, the coding aspect of provides a basis for billing and quality assessment. Practice topics include the evolution and current practice of ICD diagnosis coding, procedure coding, coding guidelines, how codes are used for claims submission and processing, determining medical necessity, payment methodologies and accounts receivable management strategies.

Students will learn about the evolution of software and technology in the healthcare environment and learn how to identify what technology is appropriate based on the needs, size, specialty and sophistication of a medical practice. They will also gain an understanding of federal mandates, such as "MACRA", "MIPS", etc., relate to technology. A discussion of privacy and security standards as related to HIPAA, including the application of HIPAA requirements as related to healthcare management software, will be undertaken. Students will learn how to maneuver through the software and technology selection, negotiation and implementation process through case studies and written assignments.

Course participants will examine decision making along the legal and ethical dimensions of practice management. Course concepts include the current health care environment and the types of practices and licensing and certification of health care professionals; criminal law and torts that are relevant to the health profession, , as well as ethical theories, morality, employee and patient rights and responsibilities, consent, legal reporting, professional liability, and end-of-life issues. Additionally, students will explore various risk management strategies, including the development, implementation, and maintenance of policies and procedures to prevent or minimize the impact of adverse events.

This course applies financial management principles to practice management and healthcare systems. Topics will include resource allocation, cost analysis, and funding sources as well as how financial decisions are made, reported, and implemented in practice management.

Patient partnership and engagement is the key to a successful practice and healthcare system. In this course, students will have the opportunity to examine formal and informal programs and strategies used to make this partnership and engagement enhance the medical practice’s performance, quality care and outcomes, and patient satisfaction.

This introductory survey course provides an overview of public health in the United States, its core functions, and specific health issues that impact the health of the population.

The Practicum is designed to give students the opportunity to learn about practice management by immersing themselves in the daily activities of a practice management professional. During the practicum, students often observe meetings, work collaboratively on site projects, conduct informational interviews, with the goal of increased understanding of the profession and potential career paths. Specific assignments during the practicum will be tailored to the opportunities available at the assigned site.

The capstone project is the culmination of the student academic experience. In this course students will examine current healthcare policy and emerging trends. They will be asked to identify a current problem, initiative, or issue in healthcare practice management and analyze that topic from multiple perspectives drawing on knowledge gained throughout the program. The goal of the capstone is to develop a deeper understanding of a topic of importance in practice management, to study available options, programs, and relevant research, and to generate and present practical solutions to clients and colleagues.

This course lays the foundation of the healthcare system as it relates to healthcare management. It focuses on the history, evolution, and development of the present American health care system including the role of the various health care providers.

This course provides a multidisciplinary perspective of the biological, psychological and sociocultural aspects of aging. An overview of the issues that significantly impact the older adult, their family and society is presented. The demographic profile of America's older adult serves as a basis for explaining issues related to physical and mental health changes, role transitions, care and living arrangements for the older adult.

Knowledge of normal and abnormal age-related change is essential to professional practice in many disciplines. This course explores the processes of aging, using several theoretical frameworks and practice models to promote understanding of the biophysical and psychosocial domains of the aged person. Strategy and intervention toward health promotion is emphasized.

The behavioral, affective, cognitive, physiological and causative theories of delirium and dementia are presented. The assessment of individuals with cognitive impairment and interventions for the related disorders are discussed. The course also examines the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease on the total family functioning. The impact of this disease on the physical, emotional and social health of the caregiver is explored. Caregiver burden is defined and ways of assisting the caregiver are outlined.

The student will learn the history and current state of long-term care regulations and the dynamics that led to their implementation. The class will focus on the CMS State Operations Manual, OSHA, Life Safety Code, malpractice trends, end-of-life issues, and other laws and regulations that govern long-term care. Prerequisite: SRLM-212 or SRLM-220

This course provides an overview of the senior services industry and the different forms of senior health care and living services. Students will learn about the day-to-day management of assisted-living communities, including resident care, operations, funding, staffing, successful marketing and community relations. Students will also examine the future of the industry and approaches to creating next generation of assisted-living services.

This course provides students with a foundation in nursing home administration with emphasis on operations management, environment, finance/reimbursement, care delivery and other topics related to the long term care clients and the greater community.