Health Systems

Catalog description

The US healthcare system is in the midst of a tumultuous transformation. The goals of this course are to understand the key principles on which the US healthcare system was established, how it functions today, and how to help it work successfully in the future. Students will review historical milestones and readings and discern with fellow students and faculty the underlying principles on which the US healthcare system is based; describe current principles and mechanisms of healthcare finance, healthcare delivery, and healthcare policy, and discuss how they impact health systems performance and health outcomes; and learn and utilize key quality improvement skills and methodologies, systems-based healthcare approaches, team function, behavior change theories and methodologies, project management, and interpersonal skills needed to improve population health outcomes, the experience of healthcare, and to reduce overall health/healthcare costs. Students will work in teams and submit a project proposal to improve the health of a specified population. Prerequisite: none. Credit 3. (Degree requirement)