Health Systems Administration

English Composition 1201 is a writing-intensive course that prepares students for all levels of academic discourse. Emphasis is placed on the art of persuasion, on the development of students’ critical thinking skills, and on key rhetorical concepts such as audience, purpose, and voice. Students learn the various steps to the writing process, from brainstorming to final revision, and learn the importance of writing coherent, unified, and organized essays that are fundamentally and mechanically sound. Though primarily a writing course, English Composition 101 also helps students see the connection between reading and writing. In addition, students learn the art of academic research and documentation. ENG1201 is determined by performance on a placement test or by satisfactory completion of ENG1100.

This course is an accelerated version of ENG1201. Enrollment in ENG1601 is determined by high performance on a placement examination or invitation into the AIC Honors Program.

The basic concepts of BIO1100 are used as background to develop an understanding of the structure and function of mammalian organ systems and their evolutionary development. One two-hour laboratory period per week with laboratory fee. This course is intended for non-science majors and may be used to satisfy the general education requirement for scientific awareness.

A continuation of BIO1101, this laboratory course emphasizes the microscopic and macroscopic examination of mammalian organ systems. One two-hour laboratory period per week with laboratory fee.

This course covers the basic principles of behavior, that make up the foundation of psychology. Emphasis is placed on the biological basis of behavior, sensation, perception, learning, language, memory, thinking, infancy, and childhood. The methods of inquiry used in psychology are also emphasized.

Marketing is a key activity that enables businesses and organizations to achieve their goals by satisfying the needs of others through mutually beneficial relationships. This course will provide students with an understanding of important marketing theory and practices, including: the marketing concept; the marketing environment; market segmentation, product positioning; product and brand strategies; pricing strategies, marketing communication strategies; distribution strategies; consumer and business buying behavior; and electronic marketing.

ENG1202 is an advanced writing course and is designed to extend reading and writing skills developed in English 1201. Emphasis is placed on critical and analytical writing and the analysis and interpretation of texts. Students are exposed to a variety of texts from fields across the curriculum. They write essays in response to what they read by formulating and defending a thesis, by synthesizing sources, and by evaluating information and ideas from multiple perspectives. In addition, students demonstrate an ability to do research and to document their work in the major academic styles.

This course is an accelerated version of ENG1202.

Overview of the basic principles of public health practice, including the infrastructure of public health, the tools employed by public health practitioners, biopsychosocial perspectives of public health problems, health promotion and prevention of disease and injury, quality assurance and improvement, and legal and ethical concerns.

Provides an introduction to principles of epidemiology, with a focus on preparation to read an interpret research in public health.

This course offers an introduction to the principles of management and their application to business. The basic management concepts of planning, organizing, controlling, motivating, communicating, staffing, and leading provide the basis for understanding of the management profession and a basis upon which higher level management courses can build more specialized knowledge.

This course is an introduction to statistical methods as they are used in the social sciences. Both descriptive and inferential statistics are covered, including sampling, probability, and hypothesis testing. Specific parametric and non-parametric analyses include analysis of variance, the t-test, Chi-square, and correlation.

This course examines the various tools and techniques used in analyzing quantitative data; including descriptive statistics, probability and random variables, sampling design, theory of estimation and hypothesis testing for parameters of a single population, student ‘t’ and normal distributions. A year of high school algebra is recommended but not required. The course will make active use of technology by requiring the use of computer software.

This course presents the principles of statistics as applied to the analysis of biological and health data. Topics include descriptive statistics, probability distributions, hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, non-parametric statistics, and regression analysis. The course will make active use of technology by requiring the use of computer software.

This course provides an overview of the American healthcare system.  Beginning with a historical look at healthcare in the United States, students will examine the important demographic, social, and economic issues that challenge the current healthcare delivery system and will gain an understanding of the difficulty in meeting the needs of both providers and consumers in this nation’s quest for equal access to quality care.

• Identify key historical events and policies that have shaped the U.S. healthcare system.
• Describe how the U.S. healthcare system operates today, including major organizations and types of healthcare providers.
• Explain the role of government in healthcare, including key programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act.
• Recognize the importance of public health in healthcare, including disease prevention, health promotion, and population health efforts.
• Differentiate between inpatient, outpatient, and long-term care services, and describe their basic functions.
• Outline how healthcare is paid for in the U.S., including private insurance, government programs, and out-of-pocket costs.
• Summarize key healthcare laws and ethical principles, such as patient rights, medical confidentiality, and informed consent.
• Discuss strengths and challenges of the U.S. healthcare system, including cost, access, and quality of care.

Overview of major global health issues; the socioeconomic, biological, and environmental causes and consequences of disease; and global health metrics, ethics, policies, and practices.

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of law and the legal system as these apply to business transactions. Specific topics covered in the course are: contracts, agency, intellectual property rights, negotiable instruments, forms of business ownership, personal property, and real property.

The course will be situated within the historical context of the United States, including the social, political, economic, cultural, legal, and ethical theories related to health disparities. Several frameworks regarding health disparities will be used for investigating and discussing the empirical evidence on disparities, research and outcome measurement issues, policy and policy formation concerns, and intervention practices. Disparities will be discussed in terms of racial/ethnic differences in health and health outcomes as well as disparities among other subgroups (e. g., the poor, women, uninsured, disabled, and non-English speaking populations) will also be included and discussed.

This course provides insight into the rapidly growing area of healthcare marketing. Building on a basic foundation of marketing principles, it focuses its attention on marketing for healthcare providers, organizations, health-related products and medical devices. PRE-REQUISITE(S):  NONE

• Define key marketing concepts and explain their relevance to the healthcare industry.
• Describe the steps involved in developing a marketing strategy, including goal setting and competitive positioning.
• Identify factors that influence consumer behavior in healthcare, including patient decision-making and provider choices.
• Explain the role of marketing research in understanding consumer needs and improving healthcare services.)
• Describe how healthcare organizations build customer loyalty through relationship marketing and patient engagement.
• Recognize the impact of digital marketing on healthcare, including social media, websites, and online advertising.
• Summarize the key elements of the marketing mix (4Ps)—product, price, place, and promotion—as applied to healthcare.
• Identify ethical considerations in healthcare marketing, including patient privacy, truthful advertising, and regulatory compliance.

This course provides a conceptual framework for understanding and studying the dynamics of behavior in organizational settings and for applying these concepts to improving organizational effectiveness. Included are personality, organizational theory and structure, the decision process, the communication process, group dynamics and leadership, and conflict resolution.

An introduction to the basic principles and techniques of writing for the media. Formats include informational, persuasive and entertainment content for a variety of audiences across multi-media – traditional media like radio, TV and print as well as web sites, bulletin boards and even e-mail and text messages. Students will write copy for news (print and broadcast), the web, advertising, public relations, television and the screen as well as personal and professional correspondence.

This course examines the ethical and legal framework of the healthcare system and the issues that healthcare managers must deal with in order to address effectively the concerns of stakeholders, comply with governmental regulations and act in concert with the ethics of the medical professions.  It includes analysis of the legal challenges of malpractice, patient confidentiality and conformity to administrative guidelines.  It also applies classical theories of ethical decision making – utilitarianism, deontology, social justice – to issues faced by those managing healthcare establishments such as patient rights, use of human subjects, tissues in medical research, and end of life decisions and protection of intellectual property.

• Explain the fundamental concepts of medical law, ethics, and bioethics, and analyze their significance in modern healthcare decision-making.
• Describe the structure and function of the legal system, and evaluate its role in regulating healthcare professionals and organizations.
• Analyze the impact of healthcare policies, regulations, and laws on providers, patients, and healthcare organizations.
• Examine the physician-patient relationship, including legal and ethical responsibilities related to informed consent, patient rights, and fiduciary duty.)
• Evaluate the causes and consequences of professional liability and medical malpractice, and propose strategies for risk management and legal compliance.
• Identify the public duties and responsibilities of healthcare professionals, including mandatory reporting, public health laws, and workplace ethics.
• Demonstrate an understanding of patient confidentiality, HIPAA regulations, and medical records management, applying legal and ethical principles to real-world scenarios.
• Assess complex ethical and bioethical dilemmas in medicine, such as end-of-life care, genetic testing, and emerging healthcare technologies, using ethical decision-making frameworks.

The ecological position of human populations within the global ecosystem and impacts of natural environmental factors and pollutants on human health will be explored. Specifically, how the body reacts to environmental pollutants; physical, chemical, and biological agents of environmental contamination; vectors for dissemination (air, water, soil); solid and hazardous waste; susceptible populations; biomarkers and risk analysis; the scientific basis for policy decisions; and emerging global environmental health problems.

This course offers an introduction to the principles of strategic management of health care organizations including hospitals, ambulatory and long-term care facilities. It focuses on their organizational structures and functions as it addresses key issues pertaining to the delivery of care, services offered and their value to the community they serve. This course will explain how healthcare leaders must become strategic thinkers with the ability to evaluate a changing industry, analyze data, question assumptions, and develop new ideas. Lastly, this course demonstrates how strategic managers in carrying out the strategic plan, must evaluate its success, learn more about what works, and incorporate new strategic thinking into operations and subsequent planning.

• Discuss current and future challenges for the health care industry.
• Identify the stakeholders in healthcare settings, and the roles they play
• Understand the impact of new and emerging laws, regulations, and initiatives.
• Contrast the primary-care and specialty-care models.
• Describe recent health care reforms that affect the primary-care model.
• Describe SWOT Analysis and how it is applied to health care.
• Articulate Strategic Thinking, strategic planning, and tools used by leadership.
• Differentiate and assess the internal and external environment of health care.
• Construct action plans from strategic plans.

Overview of community health within the context of public health practice. Students will discuss foundations of community health, explore major health concerns, analyze determinants of health, and evaluate strategies to improve health of communities.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the financial structure, market forces, government policies and regulations, controls and techniques that apply to the healthcare sector of the economy. It examines the perspectives of multiple stakeholders – patients, physicians, hospitals, insurance companies, and government – in allocating costs and realizing profits from the delivery of healthcare. It also provides grounding in the financial tools and techniques needed to analyze complex healthcare problems and recommend sound solutions that maximize benefits to all parties while minimizing costs.

• Analyze the economic framework of the healthcare industry;
• Compare the distinctive economics of healthcare in the United States to the systems prevalent in other countries;
• Apply the tools of economic and financial analysis to analysis of specific issues such as the rising cost of healthcare, the role of human capital, criteria for capital investment, quality metrics and quality improvement, costs and benefits of specific healthcare initiatives;
• Describe the regulatory and social environment of healthcare and its impact on delivery, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Patient Care and Affordable Care Act (PCACA), the role of tax preferences, tort and liability parameters, the role of the insurance industry, and the structure of government funded health programs;
• Evaluate pricing strategy, cost structure, quality metrics, and investment criteria that drive financial viability in the healthcare sector
• Given the overwhelming impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the course will also take a look at the globalization of health risks and analyze the response of public authorities to the pandemic, including tradeoffs between public health measures and the overall health of the economy and the social fabric.

This course will examine the essential concepts, principles, organizational skills, and political processes integral to the development, formation, and analysis of public health policy. Senior Level.

This course will differ from traditional courses in information technology management education which tends to focus on systems analysis and disparate technologies while ignoring the context of problem solving that is so crucial to successful healthcare organization management.  This New Applies Technologies Approach focuses on principles and practices and the usefulness of healthcare information technology to the healthcare organization and manager.  It is important for all students taking this course to understand that the field of information technology management not only describes why firms do what they do but can also point to future strategies for managers.

This course does not presume that students have a significant information technology management background or even have taken an information technology course.  Yet for students with a substantial background in information technology management, the course should be interesting and rich enough to provide a significant learning experience.

• Analyze the structure and function of different health care delivery systems and their impact on health information management.
• Describe the evolution of the health information management (HIM) profession) and identify key roles and responsibilities within the field.
• Examine major legal and ethical standards in health information management, assessing their influence on patient data protection and professional responsibilities.
• Identify and compare various health care clinical data content and classification systems, explaining their role in health record documentation and coding.
• Understand methods for ensuring health care quality data management, and clinical health statistics (Chapter 8) to support evidence-based decision-making.
• Demonstrate the application of health informatics and research methods in analyzing health care trends and improving patient outcomes.
• Describe fundamental database management and health information systems principles in organizing and retrieving health records efficiently.
• Assess emerging trends in health informatics, including the integration of artificial intelligence and digital tools in modern health care settings.

The purpose of the internship is to provide students with a real-world, management-related experience in the healthcare sector. Students participate in projects that have implications for organizational efficiency, cost-effective delivery of health services or improved healthcare system performance.

This course focuses on the integration of health systems administration knowledge, skills, and practice acquired during the program. Emphasis will be on summarizing, analyzing and synthesizing major key concepts and critically evaluating strategies to be applied in administration of health and public health systems. Focus will be on current challenges locally and globally.  Capstone projects can take a variety of forms, including a qualitative or quantitative research project, a healthcare program proposal, a grant application, a literature review, or market analysis.

Learning Outcomes:

Capstone projects should demonstrate:

• Synthesis of knowledge of healthcare delivery systems, policies, and regulations
• Critical evaluation of the impact of social, environmental, and economic determinants of health on health systems administration,
• proposing evidence-based solutions to improve health equity and reduce disparities. (Aligns with program outcomes: health determinants, community engagement)
• Application of leadership, team collaboration, community engagement, and project management related to health system cost and quality improvement.
• The ability to apply research, analysis and proposal development using critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and stakeholder analysis, to health systems issues