Signature Assignment: Professional Goals

Wk 1 – Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (BSHA) Program Overview

All the individual assignments in this course have two options. You may choose which option you would like to complete, based on your health care experience. Option 1 is provided for those with little to no previous health care experience. Option 2 is provided for those with previous health care experience or those currently working in the field. These options are provided to better meet your needs and to help you maximize the effectiveness of this course. If you have any questions or concerns about which option you should complete, please ask your instructor.

Note: The rubric for this assignment was developed to only include the shared (common) elements of Option 1 and 2.

Key Concepts

1. Describe the purpose of the Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (BSHA) program.

a. Program description

i. The Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (BSHA) program is designed to integrate a framework of general education courses with a health care curriculum that prepares the graduate with the foundational knowledge needed to enter today's challenging health industry. The BSHA curriculum addresses the basic body of knowledge, understanding, and skills identified as relevant to an ever-expanding and diverse health care arena. Coursework includes content in some of the following areas: management, finance, legal and ethical parameters, risk and quality management, human resources, and information systems. Upon completion of the core curriculum, health care students have the opportunity to select an area of focus that is designed to expand their professional opportunities.

b. Program aligns to industry and educational standards

i. General education courses provide the start to your educational journey and can lead to your success with skills like writing and thinking.

ii. Program courses/curriculum continue the journey with discipline-related content.

iii. The program curriculum aligns to the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) criteria for program content areas.

iv. Coursework aligns to industry standards provided by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).

v. Course content focuses on building a greater understanding of the diverse health care industry.

1. This includes examples like medical device manufacturing, technology, nonprofit organizations, insurance, and public health.

vi. You will develop business skills for the evolving health care sector.

vii. You will value the opportunity to expand learning with team interaction and skills valued in the workplace.

2. Explain the importance of the preferred course sequence.

a. Courses are designed to build on each other.

b. Following a guided framework builds on a continuity of learning.

c. Foundational courses are lower division and are taken first.

i. These courses may be completed at the associate degree level.

d. These courses provide a framework of content.

3. Identify program options.

a. Core courses

i. Core coursework will focus on business knowledge and skills and expanding a student’s view of the health care industry.

ii. Health care can take you in many different directions, so the core courses and prerequisites provide a cross section of content areas that can be applied to health care or non-health care sectors.

b. Electives

i. You can apply elective credits from a variety of areas.

ii. You also may select to complete your program with specific graduate courses.

iii. If you use this option, the courses can apply to your bachelor’s and graduate degree programs, which can provide an effective pathway to your chosen MHA program.

c. Elective Tracks

i. Health administration: Blending general education courses with a health care curriculum, you’ll be prepared to enter today's challenging health industry with foundational health administration knowledge. You’ll study management, finance, legal and ethical parameters, risk and quality management, human resources, and information systems.

ii. Lifespan management: Prepare for professional opportunities in the long-term care industry. You’ll gain fundamental knowledge and skills to help manage programs, employ effective strategies to market services and to maintain regulatory compliance, financial viability, and quality management.

iii. Health information systems: Do you want to work with information technology within the health care industry? You’ll focus on database concepts, information networking and telecommunications, system design and the project management of health information systems. Course content educationally prepares you to sit for the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Certified Associate in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CAHIMS) exam after you complete your program coursework. Note: All courses in the track must be completed to be prepared for the third-party certification.

iv. Retail health management: You’ll study curriculum related to the management of retail health care clinics. Courses focus on health care system partnerships, reimbursement, regulatory and compliance, and technology integration.

Wk 2 – BSHA Student Learning Outcomes

The BSHA programmatic student learning outcomes (PSLOs) are the foundation for the program and provide you, the faculty, and the college with clear program expectations. Supported by the program mission statement, PSLOs provide you with the expected knowledge and skills needed upon graduation with a degree in health administration.

These are the core competencies that employers expect and need when hiring students with a BSHA degree. The PSLOs are meant to be attained over the entire program and you will be given the opportunity to practice these concepts multiple times, but knowing the end goal can help you prepare as you progress through the program. It is a great way to identify your strengths and areas for improvement so you can continue to work on each one as you get closer to degree completion.

Both worksheets provided for this week’s assignment contain three parts. Please ensure you complete all three parts for whichever option you choose.

Key Concepts

1. Identify the student learning outcomes for the BSHA program.

a. Assessment overview

i. What is assessment?

1. Assessment is the process used to verify students are attaining the necessary knowledge and skills required for the degree program.

2. Assessment enhances students’ educational experiences.

3. Assessment promotes a culture of evidence and continuous improvement.

ii. Why does it matter to the BSHA program students?

1. Helps students obtain professional goals

2. Improves productivity of students

3. Increases workplace productivity

4. Equips students to potentially become leaders in their communities

iii. What are the components of assessment for the BSHA program?

1. Mission statement

2. Student learning outcomes

3. Curriculum maps

4. Benchmark assignments

5. Rubrics

b. Mission statement

i. Concise statement that clearly articulates the general value and principles of the program and its curriculum

ii. Consistent with the university’s mission and purposes, and learning goals

iii. Includes what the title of the program is, whom the program is intended for, what the program intends to do, and how the program will do it

iv. BSHA mission statement:

1. The Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (BSHA) program is designed to support the educational and career progression needs of both aspiring and experienced health care professionals through comprehensive and integrated learning. Students focus on developing key market-driven competencies and skills, which address the opportunities and challenges of an ever-changing health care industry.

c. Student learning outcomes (SLOs)

i. Used to assess student learning at the program level

ii. Clear, concise, measurable, and observable

iii. Specify the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and habits of mind that we intend students to attain as a result of a learning experience

iv. Describe what students learn rather than what faculty will do or cover

v. Refer to a destination rather than the path

vi. Identify what students should be able to perform upon completion of an academic program

vii. Three main components

1. Verb—identifies the behavior or type of thinking to be demonstrated

2. Learning statement—specifies what learning will be demonstrated in the performance

3. Criterion—standard of acceptable performance

viii. Faculty driven—collaborate with college to determine program student learning outcomes

d. BSHA student learning outcomes

i. SLO #1: Graduates will be able to analyze a health care organization from a market-based perspective.

ii. SLO #2: Graduates will be able to analyze financial and economic issues in the health care industry.

iii. SLO #3: Graduates will be able to examine the impact of legal and regulatory requirements on the delivery of health care.

iv. SLO #4: Graduates will be able to examine the application of risk and quality management concepts in the health care industry.

v. SLO #5: Graduates will be able to analyze the use and application of technology within a health care organization.

vi. SLO #6: Graduates will be able to apply management and adaptable leadership skills in the health care industry.

2. Explain the impact of student learning outcomes on students.

a. Curriculum map

i. Method to align curriculum with program student learning outcomes

ii. Identifies where every student in the program has sufficient opportunity to achieve all the program student learning outcomes

iii. Ensures program curriculum is cohesive and systematically aligned with program learning outcomes

iv. Alignment between program student learning outcomes, course student learning outcomes, and all course activities and assignments

v. Ensures that students have repeated opportunities to achieve the program learning outcomes throughout the program

b. Preferred course sequence

i. Sequence that should be followed to ensure content is learned in a logical manner

ii. Important for students to ensure content is first introduced, then reinforced, and finally mastered

iii. Be sure to follow the preferred course sequence as much as possible to ensure the best learning experience of program content

c. Benchmark Assignments

i. Benchmark Assignments are course-embedded assignments that are used to gather evidence on program student learning outcomes

ii. Benchmark Assignments will be threaded throughout the BSHA program to allow the college to gather information on student performance as it relates to the student learning outcomes.

iii. Allows the college to make improvements in the curriculum and program to increase the student learning experience

iv. These assignments cannot be changed by faculty as it allows consistency in the assignment information that aligns to the student learning outcome where data collection occurs

d. Placement of Benchmark Assignments

i. Benchmark Assignments are placed throughout the program to offer students multiple opportunities to master the content. However, because it takes time to master program content, the benchmark assignments are generally introduced later in the program toward degree completion.

ii. Benchmark Assignments are locked and will have a specific analytic rubric for faculty to use during grading

iii. The rubrics are viewable to faculty and students

e. Benefit of SLOs to students

i. By mastering SLOs, the students will be prepared for the health care industry as the curriculum is aligned to industry standards

ii. The SLOs align to industry standards and competencies

iii. Allows students the opportunity to practice the SLOs many times over the program and strengthen areas for improvement by knowing where to focus attention in weaker areas

iv. Provides program expectations at the beginning of the program to ensure students have a clear path to degree completion

f. Alignment of BSHA SLOs to industry competencies

i. Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA)

1. The program curriculum aligns to the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) criteria for program content areas.

ii. American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE)

1. ACHE Competencies Assessment Tool is an instrument for health care executives to use when assessing health care management

2. The Competencies Assessment Tool helps identify critical competencies needed for managing in the health care industry

a. The five competencies are: communication and relationship management, leadership, professionalism, knowledge of the health care environment, and business skills and knowledge

g. Rubrics

i. Course-embedded assignments are used to collect information on student’s performance of the student learning outcomes (Benchmark Assignments).

ii. Rubrics are used by all faculty to obtain consistent data across the program.

3. Explain the impact of student learning outcomes on the program.

a. Assessment process

i. Assessment planning

ii. Collecting evidence and analyzing data

iii. Implementing improvements

iv. Monitoring effectiveness of improvements

b. Continuous improvement

i. Improvement to curriculum

ii. Improvement to program

iii. Improvement to university processes and procedures

iv. Improvement to any area that has an impact on the student learning outcomes

1. Student support services

2. Course content

3. Faculty qualifications

c. Transparency and accountability

i. Promote a culture of evidence

1. Students

2. Faculty

3. Accrediting bodies

d. Improve student learning experience

Wk 3 – Health Care Career Opportunities

This week, you will look at various health care professionals and the structures in which they function. This knowledge will help you understand how your role fits within the overall health care structure. There are also many support roles within health care that are essential to the industry. This week also gives you the chance to identify various health care employers, industries, and opportunities in your community.

Key Concepts

1. Identify the career spectrum within the health care industry.

a. Unlicensed health care team members

b. Licensed team members

c. Leadership roles

d. Industries that support health care delivery

i. Health care manufacturing

1. Stryker Corp., 3M, Johnson & Johnson, Baxter International

ii. Insurance/managed care

1. UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, Humana, Universal American Corp., Health Net, Coventry Health Care

iii. Pharmaceuticals

1. Abbott Laboratories, GlaxoSmithKline, Wyeth, Pfizer

iv. Waste management

1. Waste Management, Healthcare Waste Management, World Health Organization (WHO), Aramark

v. Facility design

1. Environments for Aging (EFA)

2. Health Care Institute