Health Systems Management-Care Coordination Concentration

Total Hours Required for Degree:  120

Amy Bufford, EdD, MSN, RN

Coordinator of Health Systems Management

 

Purposes

The purposes of the Health Systems Management (HSM) degree are to prepare the graduate to:

1. Understand current and future healthcare industry trends and issues.
2. Develop, communicate, and manage resources and solutions to challenges for healthcare systems.
3. Improve overall quality and outcomes of healthcare systems and services.
4. Obtain employment in a variety of mid-level work settings including hospitals, healthcare clinics, consulting companies, insurance providers, community facilities, and not-for-profit as well as managed care organizations.

 

Institutional Mission Reference

The Health Systems Management (HSM) degree supports McNeese State University’s mission as an institution dedicated to successful education of the undergraduate and graduate students and services to the employers and communities in the southwest Louisiana region. All McNeese programs embrace a broad, general education foundation and foster studied acquisition of content knowledge and the demonstration of discipline-specific skills and dispositions. Our mission specifies that among our programs and services are those in support of allied health fields and industries.

 

Program Objectives

The program objectives for the Health Systems Management (HSM) degree are to:

1. Ensure viable levels of student enrollement, retention, and completion appropriate to institutional resources and goals.
2. Provide a comprehensive curriculum that reflects disciplinary foundations and remains responsive to contemporary developments, student and workforce demand, and university needs and aspirations.
3. Prepare the student for employment or graduate school in Healthcare Management, Healthcare Quality Improvement, Care Coordination, or closely related field.

 

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Health Systems Management (HSM) program will be able to:

1. Critically evaluate the impacts of historical, political, social, and cultural events on healthcare trends and healthcare systems.
2. Incorporate scholarship, research, and analytic methods to lead evidence-based practice change and continuous quality improvement.
3. Utilize healthcare management theory to design and improve healthcare management.
4. Evaluate healthcare outcome data and make recommendations for healthcare delivery improvement.
5. Serve as a resource for individuals with acute and chronic health conditions.
6. Utilize knowledge of health policy to facilitate advocacy initiatives, social justice, and ethical care.
7. Assume mid-level leadership roles in organizations and systems which positively impact the health of individuals and populations.

 

Internships

The HSM requires senior-level internships in each area of concentration. Internships provide students with career-related experiences prior to graduation and offers opportunities to network and build professional references for the future. A minimum of 320 field-based hours are required in the last semester of the program. Students will be required to demonstrate the ability to apply concepts, methods, and theories related to areas of concentration in a healthcare setting. The coordinator of the HSM program reserves the right to limit the number of students for internships based on clinical resources.