Courses

This is a survey of the principles and practices involved in supervising employees and administering personnel programs. It includes the study of human resource planning; recruitment; selection; training and development; and compensation and benefits. (3 units; Spring & OPS)

This course provides an overview of various health information systems, with emphasis on case studies of systems utilized in areas such as patient care, clinical decision-support, disease and demographic surveillance, imaging and simulation, and safety and environmental assessment. Fundamentals of proposing, reporting, and refereeing evaluation studies are covered. Legal and ethical issues related to training, security, confidentiality, and the use of informed consent are also addressed. (3 units; Fall & OPS)

This course deals with the financing and reimbursement functions associated with medical care in the United states. Primary attention is directed towards the economic purpose, structure, operation, and performance of the private health insurance industry. Emphasis is placed on the business of providing health insurance products such as underwriting, medical claims cost control, pricing, and marketing. In that context, managed care techniques, benefit package designs including consumer directed health plans, and cost sharing mechanisms are discussed. Attention is also paid to the Medicare and Medicaid programs, the impact of government regulations on the operation and performance of the private health insurance industry, and health care reform. (3 units; Spring & OPS)

Students will explore the current forces driving the push toward quality outcomes and accountability at all levels and settings of healthcare, while focusing on the philosophy of continuous improvement through teamwork and statistical thinking. Students will use structural tools for analysis, decision making and performance measurement. Prerequisite: STA 144. (3 units; Fall)

Students explore and analyze current ethical issues such as biomedical research, insurance statutes, and demand management. Students survey the extensive legal foundations of healthcare, and apply current case law to contemporary situations. Topics include legal aspects of legislation, patient rights, data security, professional liability, and labor relations. (3 units; Spring)

The purpose of this course is to expose students to current and relevant administrative issues prevalent within the healthcare sector. In addition, this course will help students develop the knowledge and skills to work with industry professionals to design a project scope and memorandum of understanding with a healthcare company to address a current issue. Prerequisite: STA 144. (3 units; Fall)

The purpose of this course is to focus on the use of communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community decisions regarding health. The seminar will focus on the following contexts of health: the multidimensional nature of health communication; understanding empirical research in health communication; behavioral theories in health communication; rhetorical theories in health communication; legal and ethical concerns in health communication; the communication of risk and uncertainty; and the design of health campaigns. Students will be required (a) to research and prepare a health communication strategy for use in a specific context and (b) to design an accompanying print or hypertext document to be used in that context. (3 units; As offered)

Principles and methods used to investigate the distribution, determinants, and prevention strategies for disease in human populations. Major topics include: disease classification, measures of disease frequency and relative effect, comparisons and contrasts of analytic study designs, methods used to isolate effects, statistical significance testing, interpretation of results, and screening for latent disease. (3 units; Fall & OPS)

The purpose of this course is to provide students with an overview of the health care policy process in the United States. Students will gain an understanding of how the health care system works and how health care policy has been made in the U.S. Review and analysis of current various proposals for health care reform will be conducted. Prerequisite: HSC 104. (3 units; As offered & OPS)

This course introduces students to the executive and management skills necessary for successful leadership in public organizations. Emphasis is on assessment of personal growth needs and enhancement of administrative skills, including communication, decision-making, motivation, leadership styles, and team building. (3 units; Fall odd years & OPS).

This course is designed to be a culminating exercise for students to reflect upon, evaluate, and assimilate knowledge and experience they gained by participating in an action research project with a local healthcare provider. This course continues the student’s development in a research and reflective experience that utilizes the memorandum of understanding developed in HCA 490. At the completion of this course, students will prepare a presentation (both oral and written) that focuses on that experience. (3 units; Spring)

This course provides a supervised internship in a community-based setting. The student will work in their chosen field of study, under the supervision of a professional, and will periodically report their practicum experience to the instructor to reflect their field experience. The course entails two major components: (1) internship experience, (2) review and assessment of the student's attainment of professional competencies. A total of 90 hours of on-site work, observation, or participation is required. Prerequisites: Senior status and permission of the Department Chair. (3 units; Fall/Spring/Summer)