Health Care Administration
This is an archived copy of the 2019-20 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.mtmercy.edu.
The health care administration major prepares students for professional administration positions in all areas of health care and health care services. Positions in health care facilities may include physicians' offices and practices, chiropractic clinics, hospital administration, rehabilitation and long-term care facilities. The demand for health care professionals and administrators is expected to grow for the foreseeable future. The coursework required for this major provides the students with a well-rounded background in business with a concentration in health services issues including regulation, law, compliance, informatics, and financial issues. health care administration majors are required to complete an internship or practicum experience. A long-term care internship and two gerontology courses are available for those students pursuing a long-term care license.
See the Graduate section of this Catalog for more information on Graduate programs offered at Mount Mercy.
Courses
HS 109 Health Care Dilemmas: 3 semester hours
The purpose of this course is to heighten the student's awareness of current health care dilemmas confronting our society and to provide students a framework within which to analyze these dilemmas utilizing ethical theories, principles and rules. Using the case study approach, this course explores the ethical aspects of health care dilemmas that arise from a variety of issues including modern medical technology, health care costs, health care literacy, and access to health care.
HS 200 Organization of Health Care Services: 3 semester hours
This course relates organizational principles to the operation of health care facilities, including personnel management, communication structures, and governance with emphasis on leadership and motivation. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or permission of instructor.
HS 201 Quality Patient/Resident Care: 3 semester hours
This course relates physical, psychological and sociological needs of residents/patients to services provided by health care facilities and the role of leadership. Prerequisites: PS 101, SO 122, PL 269 and HS 200.
HS 203 Health Administration Practicum: 3 semester hours
This course provides application of concepts and practical experience in an appropriate health care setting. Skills required: Interpersonal communication, business writing, general writing, understanding of research methods, ability to think critically, ability to translate theory into practice, ability to evaluate and predict outcomes, analytical thinking. Prerequisite: Completion of HS 200 Organization of Health Care Services, HS 201 Quality Patient/ Resident Care, and HS 320 Health Services Regulations preferred.
HS 205 Essentials and Practice in Health Care Navigation: 3 semester hours
This course explores the current topics and issues in health care navigation. Study will include health literacy, population health, health insurance, as well as current health care delivery models and trending non-clinical careers in health care. Prerequisite: HS 200.
HS 210 Introduction to Public Health: 3 semester hours
Public health affects every person and influences quality of life for every community both locally and globally. This introductory course in Public Health engages the student in exploring population health through the social, cultural, environmental, biological, economic and behavioral lenses of the health of a society. Students will learn public health terminology and gain understanding of the differences between health care and public health, as well as study historical and contemporary public health issues and cases. Prerequisite: SO 122.
HS 215 Introduction to Epidemiology: 3 semester hours
This introductory course in epidemiology studies the incidence, distribution and control of diseases and health related factors relative to the health of the individual, community and global environments. Methods, principles, and applications of population based epidemiology will be explored. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or permission of instructor.
HS 220 Health Literacy: 3 semester hours
This course is designed to elevate the abilities of health care professionals to teach individuals and communities about health care services, processes and systems. The student will learn to find, analyze and explain health care information to others using health literacy processes. In addition, the student will use essential communication skills to develop inter-professional relationships with providers and clients. Prerequisite: CO 101.
HS 300 Principles of Leadership for Health Care Navigation and Administration: 3 semester hours
Health Care management deals with processes while health care leadership is about influence. This course is designed to explore leadership concepts styles, skills, values, and practice that are essential to administrators and advocates as they become leaders in health care professions today. Prerequisite: HS 200 and HS 201.
HS 305 Spiritual and Cultural Perspectives in Health Care Management: 3 semester hours
This course relates the integral components of religion and culture in health care choices, treatments, and decision-making relative to the patient experience. Human resource management issues, health policy considerations, and inclusivity in organizational mission are areas of study in this course for students who will be in leadership roles in health care environments. Prequisite: HS 200 & HS 201.
HS 309 Analysis and Application of Health Insurance: 3 semester hours
This course provides advanced study of health insurance principles and terminology as well as types of insurance such as Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, Exchanges, and others. Students gain navigation skills as they explore coverage decisions, worker's compensation, filing claims, and administrative activities. Prerequisite: HS 200.
HS 320 Health Care Law, Regulations and Compliance: 3 semester hours
This course provides an overview of federal, state and other regulatory agencies' policies for health care facilities. Areas covered include: labor issues, liability, licensure requirements, environmental management, policy and procedure writing. Agencies covered will include: JCAHO, NCQA, Medicaid and Medicare. Prerequisites: completion of HS 200 with a minimum grade of C, BA 203, and PL 269 or HS 109.
HS 399 Special Topics: Health Care: 3 semester hours
This course includes an examination of major issues, selected topics or current trends in the study of health care. Course content and subtitle will vary. The course may be repeated with consent of the instructor. Prerequisite: Junior status or above.
HS 415 Health Care Informatics: 3 semester hours
In preparation for health care leadership in rapidly changing, complex health care delivery systems, students will examine clinical informatics models, electronic-based patient records, health information technology standards (HIT), health information exchange (HIE), clinical decision support systems, and evaluation of technology that influences health care delivery models, practices, and patient outcomes. HS 200 or permission of instructor.
HS 430 Financial Issues in Health Care Organizations: 3 semester hours
This course focuses on the unique financial issues and problems in a not-for-profit health care setting. Students will understand the impact of government in the financing of health care and health care facilities. General financial and economic principles will be viewed in light in this type of environment. Prerequisites: BC 265 and BC 266 or BC 202.
HS 441 Independent Study: Health Care: 1 semester hour
Independent Study in Health Care.
HS 442 Independent Study: Health Care: 2 semester hours
Independent Study in Health Care.
HS 443 Independent Study: Health Care: 3 semester hours
Independent Study in Health Care.
HS 450 Internship in Health Care: 6 semester hours
The internship will take place in various health care settings. Students will work directly with the professionals who are most knowledgeable about the specific interest area of the student. Required long term care internships may be accommodated by this internship.
Health Care Administration Major:
| CO 101 | Oral Communication | 3 |
| NU 113 | Medical Terminology | 1 |
| PS 101 | Introductory Psychology | 3 |
| SO 122 | Introduction To Sociology | 3 |
| Choose One: | 4 - 4.5 | |
| Biology Of Human Concern | ||
| Foundations of Biology & Scientific Inquiry I and Biostatistics and Scientific Investigation I | ||
| Basic Microbiology | ||
| BA 203 | Principles of Law | 3 |
| BA 270 | Business Statistics | 3 |
| or MA 135 | Basic Statistics | |
| BC 202 | Accounting: Information for Decisions 1 | 4 |
| BK 208 | Principles Of Marketing | 3 |
| BN 204 | Principles Of Management | 3 |
| EC 251 | Macroeconomics Principles | 3 |
| or EC 252 | Microeconomic Principles | |
| EN 123 | Professional Writing | 4 |
| HS 200 | Organization of Health Care Services | 3 |
| HS 201 | Quality Patient/Resident Care | 3 |
| HS 320 | Health Care Law, Regulations and Compliance | 3 |
| HS 415 | Health Care Informatics | 3 |
| HS 430 | Financial Issues in Health Care Organizations | 3 |
| Internship: | 3 - 6 | |
| Internship in Health Care | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Politics and Public Policy | ||
| Politics and Economic Policy in the United States | ||
| Industrial/Organizational Psychology | ||
| Medical Sociology | ||
| Aging In America | ||
| Family Child Welfare | ||
| Basic Helping Skills | ||
| Total Hours | 58-61.5 | |
| 1 | Or BC 265 Principles Of Accounting I and BC 266 Principles Of Accounting II |
Academic Requirements for the Health Care Administration Major
All health care administration majors must achieve a minimum grade of C- in all major courses. This applies to equivalent courses transferred from other institutions.
The following is the typical sequence of courses required for the major*:
| Freshman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Winter | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Writing Compentency | 4 | CO 101 | 3 | Historical Roots Domain | 3 |
| Literature Domain | 3 | Health Care Elective | 3 | ||
| Portal | 3 | PS 101 or SO 122 | 3 | ||
| Fine Arts Domain | 3 | EN 123 | 4 | ||
| Health Care Elective | 3 | BN 204 | 3 | ||
| 16 | 3 | 16 | |||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Winter | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| PL 269 | 3 | Health Care Elective | 3 | BA 270 or MA 135 | 3 |
| Holistic Health Domain | 3 | PS 101 or SO 122 | 3 | ||
| BK 208 | 3 | BA 203 | 3 | ||
| BI 123 | 4 | EC 252 | 3 | ||
| Health Care Elective | 3 | ||||
| 13 | 3 | 15 | |||
| Junior | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Winter | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| HS 200 | 3 | HS 430 | 3 | HS 320 | 3 |
| HS 201 | 3 | HS 300 | 3 | ||
| BC 202 | 4 | Internship | 3 | ||
| Global Awareness Domain | 3 | HS 109 | 3 | ||
| Health Care Elective | 3 | ||||
| 13 | 3 | 15 | |||
| Senior | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Winter | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BN 304 | 3 | Religious Studies Domain | 3 | ME 450 | 1 |
| BA 305 | 3 | HS 415 | 3 | ||
| HS 305 | 3 | Internship | 3 | ||
| HS 309 | 3 | BA 435 or 436 | 3 | ||
| Health Care Elective | 3 | Health Care Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 3 | 13 | |||
| Total Hours: 128 | |||||
Note: Elective courses could be used to fulfill Health Care Administration elective requirement, for a second major, a minor, a course of interest, internship or study abroad experience.
Note: See the Curriculum section for more information on Portal, Competency, Domain, and Capstone courses.
*Disclaimer
The course offerings, requirements, and policies of Mount Mercy University are under continual examination and revision. This Catalog presents the offerings, requirements, and policies in effect at the time of publication and in no way guarantees that the offerings, requirements, and policies will not change.
This plan of study represents a typical sequence of courses required for this major. It may not be applicable to every student. Students should contact a department faculty member to be sure of appropriate course sequence.