Health Care Administration

HCA 101 - Healthcare Systems and Admin (3 credits)

This course will focus on surveying the American health care system, while examining types of health care providers and the skill set needed to support industry change, e.g., organizational leadership, patient services management, budgeting and planning, marketing, health information technology , industry trends, public policy, ethics, and the impact of the global economy on the delivery of health care. (Formerly: HCA 201, HCA 301: Health Care Systems in the United States).

HCA 105 - Medical Terminology (3 credits)

This course will focus on medical terminology, with an emphasis on recognizing, evaluating, and deducting meanings of medical words by applying word-building rules. Study will be directed to define word parts and apply word-building rules to form words from suffixes, prefixes, and roots in the combining form. An additional focus of study will be to define and use words pertaining to the various sub-specialties of medicine.

HCA 201 - HC Quality Concepts & Principles (3 credits)

This course will focus on information and historical trends for some of the most important issues and challenges in health care quality. This course will provide the knowledge base and the tools required by the novice health care manager seeking to expand his/her scope of responsibilities. This course is also intended for more experienced health care managers who are seeking to expand their repertoire of resources to effectively and confidently do the job. Topics include definitions of quality in health care, dimensions of quality care and performanc (including outcomes, overuse, and underuse), variation in practice patterns, errors and threats to patient safety, service flaws, and forms of waste such as data sources, costs, causes, and remedies. (Formerly titled: "Health Care Systems in the U.S.")

HCA 211 - Healthcare Finance (3 credits)

This course will focus on the managerial aspects of financial analysis. It includes analysis of financial statements, costs, capital projects, and working capital, Medicare, Medicaid, changes and rate setting under reimbursement schedules, budgeting, ROI methodology, forecasting, and strategic planning. (Formerly: FIN 211). Recommended Prerequisite(s): ACC 101.

HCA 261 - Physician Practice Management 1 (3 credits)

This course will introduce today’s healthcare environment including the various types of healthcare providers and healthcare organizations. Students will compare the different types of physician practices. Topics to be explored will include: duties of the medical office manager, the types and importance of communication amongst all stakeholders, tasks and responsibilities involved in managing the front office, appointment scheduling, patient protected health information (PHI) and non-PHI records management, human resource management, and the legal and ethical issues related to all of these areas.

HCA 263 - Physician Practice Management 2 (3 credits)

This course is a continuation of the exploration of the knowledge and skills needed to manage a physician practice. Topics included will be: regulatory and compliance concepts, use of technology in the medical office, information technology, medical office policies and procedures, accounting and payroll, billing and collections, health insurance, medical coding, quality improvement, risk management, disaster planning, and marketing the physician practice. Prerequisite(s): HCA 261

HCA 265 - Provider Credentialing 1 (3 credits)

This course will focus on the basic steps in the provider credentialing process and the responsibilities of a provider credentialing specialist. The purpose and use of medical staff bylaws will also be covered along with an introduction to the peer review process.

HCA 267 - Provider Credentialing 2 (3 credits)

This course will focus on the intermediate steps in the healthcare provider credentialing process and the responsibilities of a provider credentialing specialist. The purpose and use of medical staff bylaws will also be covered along with healthcare law, terminology and cases. Prerequisite(s): HCA 265

HCA 301 - Contemporary Ethical Issues in HCA (3 credits)

This course will focus on an examination of the contemporary ethical issues that arise in the context of health care. This ncludes such issues as informed consent, termination of life support, research ethics, genetics and cloning, reproductive technologies, and professional ethics. The course will also include an introduction to main ethical principles, codes of ethics, and ethical theories that are relevant to understanding and resolving ethical problems/issues. It will also examine current political issues such as the impact of finances which may have an effect on the health care decision-making process, with a focus on the ethical implications of health care policies and decisions. (Formerly: PHIL 301). Prerequisite(s): ENG 101, ENG 102.

HCA 311 - Healthcare Economics (3 credits)

This course will focus on how microeconomic theory can be used to understand the operation of health care markets, and analyze various problems and issues relating to health economics, including international comparisons. The course will review and analyze the Affordable Care Act and its impact on the current and future health care economics. Current political issues will also be addressed as they relate to health care economics. (Formerly: ECO 401, ECO 311). Prerequisite(s): ENG 101, ENG 102.

HCA 350 - Transcultural Competency in HCA (3 credits)

This course will focus on exploring the importance of transcultural competencies as standards of care in health service organizations. The long-term goal of cultural competency in health care delivery is to decrease disparities in health outcomes. The national standards for transcultural competency, are as promulgated by the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care (CLAS) and The Joint Commission. The CLAS standards (U.S. Department and Health Services, 2000, 2007, 2013), recommend health care organizations ensure cultural competence of the professional staff. Specific accreditation standards developed by JCAHO support the tenets of the CLAS standards (The Joint Commission, 2014). The course premise is that patients and families will more likely seek care and support care regimens where the health care is delivered in a facility that is sensitive and responsive to their particular values, beliefs, practices, and where language services are available that support effective communication. Units in the course offer basic information on the general characteristics and traditions of several cultural and religious groups while cautioning the student not to stereotype, over-generalize, nor to characterize all members of a cultural or ethnic group as alike. Transcultural principles and application to health care organizational environments are explored. The role of health care administrators in facilitating culturally competent environments is integrated to assist students in gaining knowledge of formulating policies and procedures to reach such organizational goals. The course emphasizes cultural competence as an ongoing journey - not an end point. Prerequisite(s): ENG 101, ENG 102.

HCA 401 - Regltry & Accred Agenc Requ for HCO (3 credits)

This course will focus on examining the regulatory and accrediting environments and discussing the difference between them as they apply to health care organizations. Topics will include HIPPAA regulations, corporate compliance, regulating bodies and accrediting agencies, and current legal and political health care issues. Prerequisite(s): ENG 101, ENG 102.

HCA 411 - Health Care Law (3 credits)

This course will focus on the issues that arise where state and/or federal law and the American health care system intersect. Prerequisite(s): ENG 101, ENG 102.

HCA 450 - Leadership in HCA (3 credits)

This course will focus on the role of leadership in health care administration. Prerequisite(s): ENG 101, ENG 102.

HCA 499 - Health Care Administration Capstone (3 credits)

This is the required capstone course in the Charter Oak State College Health Care Administration concentration and should be taken in the student's last semester. The student can have no more than 6 credits remaining in their major to complete in their degree program prior to enrolling in this course.Health care is a complex and evolving industry that requires distinction in its management from senior leaders to frontline or new managers. The capstone course is a culmination of the Health Care (HCA) Administration program that sets the groundwork for this course. This course requires students to broaden their knowledge by synthesizing program content to health care decision-making, multidisciplinary collaboration, and evidence based management practices to achieve high quality, patient satisfaction, and fiscally sound operations. The primary objective of will be to advance the comprehension and collaboration of health care administration through practical applications to prepare students to assume managerial responsibilities in one of the many types of health care settings. It is expected students think comprehensively, strategically, and demonstrate command of the health care program content through critical thinking and problem solving, use the language of the health care industry, and apply industry principles and/or theories to contemporary health care issues through high quality academic and professional writing and critical thinking.This course must be taken at Charter Oak State College. (Formerly titled: Strategic Managament in HCA Capstone.) Prerequisite(s): ENG 101, ENG 102.

HCA 505 - Legal & Ethical Iss in Healthcare (3 credits)

This course provides a framework for analysis of legal and ethical issues in the provision of healthcare. This course is an overview of health law issues and includes the conceptual foundations for societal, institutional, and individual dilemmas in healthcare delivery and the legal aspects of clinical and financial decision-making. It covers government regulation including legal constraints, liability, negligence, patient rights, confidentiality, as well as, corporate and administrative responsibility.

HCA 510 - Advanced Healthcare Finance (3 credits)

This course focuses on theory and applications of economic analysis and managerial decision making based on healthcare policy topics in the healthcare financial environment. Emphasis is on capital financing, managed care contracting, physician contracts, equity financing, payment systems, decision making and performance reporting and analysis for specific healthcare entities. A key objective of the course is to develop the student’s ability to engage in long-term financial forecasting and planning.

HCA 515 - Leadership & Strat Plan Healthcare (3 credits)

This course will provide students with an overview of the foundational principles of leadership including motivation, team building, power and politics, leadership tools and ethics. The focus of the course is on resource assessment, changing regulatory and other factors that influence the health services environment, and the impact this has on the strategic planning process. The course provides extensive practice with techniques and tools for strategic planning in health administration.

HCA 520 - Healthcare Marketing (3 credits)

This course is designed to build innovative, customer-centric thinking and investigates the decision-making processes of marketing leaders operating within complex and competitive health care settings. Marketing concepts and strategies are presented relative to the development, implementation, and successful management of dynamic health care organizations.

HCA 525 - Epidemiology & Population HI (3 credits)

This course is a comprehensive analysis of the U.S. health care delivery system including the interface with the public health system from a systems approach. This course introduces epidemiological principles and analytics for enhancing utilization management, quality improvement, and outcome assessment. This course covers topics within the core disciplines of public health and studies the distribution and determinants of health-related conditions for disease control using health information technology. (Formerly titled: Community Health Concepts).

HCA 535 - Healthcare Information Governance (3 credits)

This course provides an emphasis on the business application of health law and an orientation to the organization and administration of health organizations and health information. This includes legal and regulatory issues, marketing, utilization management, information management, and information systems. The objective of this course is to prepare students to effectively identify, use and manage health information technologies for security, regulatory and compliance issues, system acquisition, health information exchange, alignment of technology initiatives, strategic planning and assessing value in health information.

HCA 605 - Management & Supervision Healthcare (3 credits)

This course focuses on the operations management and the strategic implementation of programs. It provides students with an overview of the foundational principles of management, including management thinking, planning, motivational theories, strategies, cost and revenues, effective management teams and effective management behavior in health care and the health care systems in the United States. This course focuses on the role of Management and Supervision in Health Care Administration.

HCA 610 - Policy & Regulator Strat Healthcare (3 credits)

This course is designed to introduce students to the basic concepts of health policy including policy formulation, implementation and modification. The latter two activities are illustrative of the interrelationship between health policy and health care regulation. Accordingly, contemporary policy and regulatory strategy will be examined through the prism of health care reform and the stakeholders whose interests are impacted by certain policy choices or by the passage or interpretation of a law.

HCA 620 - HC Performance Impr/Quality Mgt (3 credits)

In the context of the continual transition of healthcare value to quality, students in this course will learn the fundamentals of performance measurement and how they are related to performance activities. Students will learn about and apply techniques and tools for reducing cost and improving care in health organizations. Through the study of operations management, students will be able to explain how operation and process improvement relates to healthcare trends. While examining a range of tools for managing and improving quality, students will be able to identify their application within health services organizations.

HCA 640 - Applied Stats Research in Hlth Sci (3 credits)

In this course, graduate students will develop the knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions as professionals working in the health services field. This includes the utilization of descriptive and inferential statistics to assess health data and covers the principles and methods of data analysis and inference. The course is designed to provide students from a variety of backgrounds with the foundations of research methods in health services administration and health informatics. Emphasis is on the use and application of various data analysis techniques and their assumptions in analyzing health related data and data sets. The course is also intended to acquaint students with the conceptual and methodological issues of research design and secondary data analysis widely used in empirical health services research. This course concludes with the production of a scientific research proposal for the final project of the Program’s Capstone Course. (Formerly Titled: Research Methods in Healthcare).

HCA 695 - Health Administration Masters Cap. (3 credits)

This course is a culmination of the program and examines the structure and interrelationships of health status and healthcare resources. This course has an interdisciplinary lens and focuses on current topics of interest in the various fields of health administration and health services management. This course serves as the final course for the program. Students will be reviewing all the activities of a Health Care Administration Manager, assessing their professional development and authoring a scholarly research paper for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. A letter grade of a “B” or better is required for the successful completion of the Capstone course. Prerequisite(s): HCA640