HPA Course Descriptions

This course introduces students to the system that we have developed to deliver health care in the United States, with international comparisons. The topics include the organization and financing of health care systems, access to health care including health insurance, regulation and policy issues, and the health care workforce. 3 credits.

Explores the key and active role played by human resources in health services organizations. Introduces students to the role of the human resources function and to the challenges that healthcare managers and leaders will face. Emphasizes strategic human resources, talent management, performance management, the role of the regulatory environment in human resources and making the connection between financial and non-financial rewards and workforce management. The course also identifies issue between management and the labor force. 3 credits.

Provides broad but significant immersion into the requisite core knowledge and skills of financial management and accounting in the healthcare sector. Emphasis will include but not be limited to managerial and financial accounting, fiscal analysis, fiscal planning, and fiscal reporting. Decision making with regard to capital budgets and expenditures are reviewed. 3 credits.

Provides students with immersion into the study of organizational behavior, integrated with the study of organizational theory, to develop evidence-based approaches to analyze, manage, and lead change within healthcare organizations. Emphasis on groups and teams, diversity and cultural competence, individual attitudes and perceptions, communication, organizational change, cognitive processes, leadership, power and influence, stress and well-being, conflict management, decision making and negotiation! skills, motivation, and strategies to improve employee and organizational success. All aspects of this course will be presented and discussed via a distance learning format (using Blackboard). 3 credits.

This course introduces students to population health as one of the organizing concepts in public health and the orientation that differentiates public health from medicine. Consistent with public health tradition, health is discussed from an ecological perspective, and the course presents current knowledge about the multiple determinants of population health including socioeconomic status, the physical environment, medical care, individual behavior, and genetics and the interaction of these factors. Also covered is the measurement of population health, sources of data, and methods for assessing population health improvements. 3 credits.

This course will provide students with a comprehensive view of the reasons behind the rapid rise in medical expenditures in the United States over nearly four decades, and the measures that have been proposed to address this problem. This course will cover the following topics: the demand and supply of medical care; the dynamics of competition in the healthcare industry; the role of government in medical care; general understanding of health care institutions, including Medicare, Medicaid, managed care, hospital and physician behavior, and pharmaceutical markets; and health care reform. 3 credits.

This course is designed to provide students with an overview of concepts and issues related to healthcare leadership. Through the examination of management topics and healthcare situations, the student will explore the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in a diverse healthcare environment. Topics include healthcare leadership, organizational design as it relates to the uniqueness of healthcare organizations, managing professionals, and supervisory to mid-level management. It is designed for the Health Policy and Management concentration but is open to all students. 3 credits.

This online course explores the terminology and tools for identifying and applying appropriate operations management (OM), decision analysis (DA) and operations research (OR) techniques to problems in healthcare. Students will receive exposure to OM, DA and OR techniques in order to have practical experience solving problems in planning, scheduling, resource allocation, procedural decisions, and measurement of health care processes. All aspects of this course, with the exception of the optional synchronous Zoom learning sessions, will be presented and discussed via a distance learning format (using Blackboard). 3 credits.

Explores the way in which legal matters relevant to health professionals are analyzed, discussed and resolved through the lens of policy, ethics, governance and law.  Topics may vary, but typically will include many of the following: structure of the U.S. legal system; power of state governments in matters affecting health care; governmental power and the right to privacy; constitutional issues in social welfare benefits; governmental regulation of health care providers and payers; the scope and discretion of administrative agencies in health care; antitrust laws; fraud and abuse laws; and negligence in the delivery and financing of health care.  3 credits.

Explores the fundamentals of strategic planning and leadership in the health sector. Emphasizes mission, vision, values, creating business plans and conducting strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analyses. Explores the impact of leadership style on the strategic planning process. 3 credits.

Provides an in depth examination of leadership theory and the essential qualities required to lead successfully in the fluid and changing healthcare environment. Explores the key characteristics of successful health leaders, including the values that guide personal and professional behavior through the lens of an interactive capstone research project. 3 credits.

Explores two critical components of healthcare administration through a split module format, dedicating seven weeks per topic and one week exploring the synergies between both topics. The first module will explore information systems management and the second module will explore healthcare quality and performance improvement concepts. The Information Systems Management module will discuss how healthcare decision-making and management are increasingly driven and dependent upon information. The sheer diversity of the information required by the healthcare enterprise surpasses the information needs of almost any other type of organization. Healthcare managers at every level of the organization are forced to be information managers. The Quality and Performance Improvement module will explore healthcare quality management methodologies and examine the impact on healthcare productivity, quality and patient safety. Students will understand and utilize the concepts of performance improvement and continuous process improvement to improve product and service quality and competitiveness. Students will understand the history of quality improvement in healthcare and how quality concepts may be applied to improve clinical outcomes, patient safety, patient satisfaction, financial outcomes and employee and physician satisfaction. An emphasis will be placed on the critical importance of data analytics to monitor performance improvement activities. CQI and lean strategies are introduced to students as well. 3 credits.

Explores management techniques and standard practices in long-term care in the health sector.  Emphasizes skilled nursing, home care, assisted living, adult day care, home health care and senior retirement communities. Provides direction and insight for understanding industry certification. 3 creditsThis course introduces students to the system that we have developed to deliver health care in the United States, with international comparisons.  The topics include the organization and financing of health care systems, access to health care including health insurance, regulation and policy issues, and the health care workforce. 3 credits.

This course provides a 100-hour field placement that provides students with opportunities to gain practical health management experience in the health services field. Field placements strive to integrate real-world experience in administration and management of health services by enhancing health administrative skills under the direction, mentorship or supervision of a knowledgeable preceptor in an environment that promotes learning. Students will complete aspects of the health management integrative experience on site in individual practicum placement settings. In addition to the field placement and under supervision of a faculty member, students will maintain and submit weekly logs of their activity and attend three synchronous sessions that will allow reflection, synthesis, and professional development based upon the individual experiences of students. 3 credits.

Note: Students with placements within Stony Brook University Hospital will be required to set-up a Castlebranch account for background checks and compliance requirements. Students will be responsible for any associated fees.

This online course is an introduction to biostatistics and epidemiology. In the first half of the course students will be introduced to the principles and methods of epidemiology. The second half focuses on the statistical methods used throughout the health sciences. At the end of the course students will be able to interpret epidemiological studies and have a basic understanding of the statistical methods these studies employ. NOTE: This class cannot be counted towards the MPH degree. 3 credits.

Explores professionalism and ethics in the field of health management. Facilitates the application and integration of health management competencies gainedin year one of coursework to realistic case studies using interdisciplinary team based methods.  Students will continue to enhance communication skills, skills that encourage functional interdisciplinary teamwork and will develop presentation skills, problem solving skills, networking strategies, professional etiquette and have the opportunity to engage in professional development activities. 3 credits.

Explores the essential components of physician practice management, including the structure and organization of solo practice and group practices.  Includes operating and administrative issues, information management, health informatics, patient care systems, corporate compliance, physician credentialing, finance and management reporting, risk management, operations, practice valuation, marketing and planning, leadership, compensation, governance, billing, coding, medical malpractice, collections, reimbursement mechanisms, human resource management, physician compensation and quality of care.  Explores the factors influencing physician practices, physician-hospital relationships, leadership and governance.  3 credits.