Health Care Administration Courses

HCA 2000 INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION (3)
A study of the United States health care system, its nature, organization, and functions. Study of how providers, managers, and consumers interact in the health care system. Current issues, with an emphasis on legislative initiatives, are studied.
Prerequisite: none
Offered: fall

HCA 2300 MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY (3)
Introduces prefixes, suffixes, and word roots used in the language of medicine. Topics include medical vocabulary and the terms that relate to anatomy, physiology, pathological conditions, and treatment of the conditions that can affect the eleven systems of the human body. Upon completion, students should be able to pronounce, spell, define, understand, and interpret over 11,000 medical terms as related to the body’s systems and their pathological disorders.
Prerequisite: none
Offered: fall and spring

HCA 3050 MANAGING HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS (3)
An introduction to the overall management of health-related organizations. Emphasis is on integrating fundamental tools, concepts, applications, and principles as a basis for successful management of a health related business. Focus is on managerial leadership, problem solving and critical thinking within contemporary health care-related organizations.
Prerequisite: none
Offered: spring

HCA 3300 HEALTH CARE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT (3)
An introduction to the strategic management process in health care organizations. Provides the concepts and theories pertaining to strategic planning/management and marketing approaches to patients, medical staff, and other major stakeholders. A comprehensive approach to translating the strategic plan of the organization into a functional marketing plan that can assist in operational decision-making.
Prerequisite: none
Offered: spring

HCA 3400 HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR (3)
The course will serve as an introductory course in health care organizational behavior. This course examines the nature and dynamics of organizational behavior affecting the health services administrator and other individuals. The course aims to develop students’ awareness of their own behavior and how it can affect their work within health services organizations. Behavioral patterns, organizational design, organizational development and assessment are studied in order to guide students in the decision-making process within health organizations and their role as health services administrators.
Prerequisite: none
Offered: spring

HCA 3500 ECONOMICS AND FINANCE OF HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS (3)
An introduction to health economics and financial management applications in health-related organizations. Specific information is presented concerning reimbursement systems, insurance, accounting, Medicare/Medicaid, investment decisions, capital financing, government regulations, liability issues, accessibility, budgeting, and human resources. National health insurance and state/local initiatives will be discussed.
Prerequisites: None
Offered: fall or as needed

HCA 3600 HEALTH CARE INFORMATICS (3)
The course covers fundamental concepts of management information systems; current and developing health and business information systems of interest to managers in health services organizations; healthcare information system architecture; security and privacy issues; uses of healthcare information for clinical and strategic analysis and decision support; techniques required to develop and evaluate an information system request for proposal; and thoughts on the future of healthcare information systems 385 including community health and Web-based access to health information. The course will also cover current information and issues regarding the latest technology applications.
Prerequisites: None
Offered: fall or as needed

HCA 4100 MANAGED CARE AND MEDICAL GROUP PRACTICE MANAGEMENT (3)
A course focusing on the managed health care arena and the relationship of medical group practice management to the constantly changing environment of managed care. Students receive a strong background in many facets of managing a medical group practice and concepts/practices of managed care in health care delivery systems. Emphasis is on integrating concepts and management theory with specific skills and competencies to improve the student’s success in the ever-changing demands of medical group practice management.
Prerequisites: None
Offered: spring

HCA 4200 LONG TERM CARE ADMINISTRATION (3)
A study of the modern long-term care center as it has evolved over time. Analysis of the various settings for long-term care such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, retirement homes, home health care, and adult day health care centers. Issues of medical organization, legal, financial, human resources, and current topics are discussed.
Prerequisite: none
Offered: as needed

HCA 4400 MEDICAL CODING (3)
A course focusing on the managed health care arena in terms of the translation of diagnoses, procedures, services, and supplies into numeric and/or alphanumeric components for statistical reporting and reimbursement purposes. Emphasis is on integrating concepts with assessment of billing options for solid claims process to ensure the appropriate compensation for ambulatory services rendered.
Prerequisite: HCA 2300 or permission of instructor
Offered: fall

HCA 4500 HEALTH CARE RESEARCH METHODS/SENIOR SEMINAR (3)
The capstone course for the health care administration major and it synthesizes material from entire curriculum. The focus is upon the health care administrator as a professional. Classroom material is integrated with experimental learning through a major research project.
Prerequisite: Must be a senior who has completed 24 credits of HCA coursework, or permission of instructor
Offered: fall

HCA 4700 FOUNDATIONS OF HEALTH CARE POLICY (3)
The student examines significant health care policy issues. Special emphasis is given to public policies with broad implications, such as Medicare, regulation, and financial assistance for the uninsured. The process of policy decision making is explored. Methods and approaches for the research of policy issues are reviewed.
Prerequisite: permission of instructor
Offered: spring

HCA 4800 HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION INTERNSHIP (3)
Learning operational aspects of the health care industry through a minimum of 200-hour work experience via placement within a health care facility or related organization. Supervision and evaluation are conducted by a faculty member and an on-site preceptor. Weekly classroom contact and written reports with the instructor is required. Placement involves discussions with student, faculty, and on-site preceptor. The intern develops managerial skills through varied experiences in the performance of administrative tasks and through direct participation in the problem-solving process.
Prerequisite: permission of instructor
Offered: spring

HCA 4850 SPECIAL TOPICS IN HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION (3)
Studies in specialized, upper-level applications of health care administration theory and practice.
Prerequisite: permission of the department chair
Offered: as needed

HCA 4990 INDEPENDENT STUDY IN HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION (TBD)
An opportunity for a well-qualified, upper-division student to engage in special research in his/her major. Prerequisite: approval by the faculty advisor, the supervising professor, the department chair, and the college dean before approval by Provost. Credits to be determined.
Offered: as needed