University of South Carolina, Department of Health Services Policy and Management
MHA Program Content (knowledge) Areas Covered, Semester-wise
Content Area
Semester/Course numbers
Fall I
Spr I
SumI &II
Fall 2
Population health and status assessment
1
The socioeconomic determinants of population health and health disparities
712,714
2
Different models of health promotion; the theory and practice of health
promotion
714
3
Behavioral and lifestyle factors affect health and illness
4
766
EPID
700/
/
/
/
712,714
/
766
/
Methods for assessing community health needs
714
718
766
770
5
Mobilizing community action to address health problems including cultural
competence
/
/
/
6
Healthcare settings (ambulatory, long term care, mental health etc)–
organization, challenges and social justice issues
714
766
/
7
Environmental factors in health and risk assessments
714
718
/
Health policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation
8
The distribution of health services; inequalities, inequities and social
disparities in health services
712,714
731
766,768
9
The measurement, monitoring and significance of quality of care indicators
714
/
766,768
10
The various payment schemes relating to payment for health care in the
public and private sector
712,714,733
718,731
766,768
/
770,732
University of South Carolina, Department of Health Services Policy and Management
Content Area
Semester
Fall I
11
The effects of competition and privatization through stakeholder analysis
712
Spr I
SumI &II
Fall 2
718
768
732
Organizational development/organizational behavior theory and application
12
The application of organizational behavior theories for improving employee /
satisfaction and engagement
791
768
/
13
The development, assessment and redesign of specific organizational
systems using organizational theory
/
791
766,768
770
14
Organizational culture, benchmarking and reward systems that can influence /
behaviors of organizations and the members of organizations
791
766,768
/
Management and structural analysis of healthcare organizations, including evaluation and redesign
15
Situational, and environmental factors that influence effective decision
making and organizational performance
733
718, 791
766,768
770
16
Assessing the performance of health services organizations
733
718,731,791
768
732
17
Principles and practices of turning around financially distressed
organizations
/
/
768
732
18
Issues involving mergers and acquisitions, vertical and horizontal
integration, joint ventures and other financial arrangements with providers
and vendors
714
718
766,768
770,
732
19
Structural designs for health services organizations, organization of work,
and circumstances when they may be most appropriate
/
791
768
/
University of South Carolina, Department of Health Services Policy and Management
Content Area
Semester
Fall I
Spr I
SumI &II
Fall 2
20
Sources of power and authority and how it is distributed among
organizational subunits, such as to management and the medical staff
/
718,791
768
/
21
Medical staff and physician relations
/
718
724, 766,768
/
Operations assessment and improvement
22
Optimizing resource use through the appropriate application of quantitative 733
methods (e.g. simulation, forecasting, linear programming) using sound data
collection methods including accounting data such as flexible budgeting,
accounting job order, process costing, micro-costing, breakeven analysis
716
/
732
23
Optimizing service delivery, consumer responsiveness, and resource use
through use of queuing theory
/
716
/
/
24
Emergency preparedness and disaster management in hospitals
/
/
766
/
25
Applying management techniques to project planning for efficiency and
effectiveness, including Critical Path Method
/
716
/
/
/
718,791
766,768
/
Management of human resources and health professionals
26
Methods and techniques associated with job analysis, employee recruitment
and retention, selection and placement, training and development,
performance appraisal, compensation and benefits management, and labor
relations
University of South Carolina, Department of Health Services Policy and Management
Content Area
Semester
Fall I
Spr I
SumI &II
Fall 2
27
HR management of physicians – credentialing, privileging, disciplining
/
/
724, 768
/
28
Succession planning
/
/
768
/
29
The legal, ethical and economic factors which affect management of human
resources
/
718, 791
724, 768
/
30
Motivation, job satisfaction, and compensation systems with special focus on 714
the unique needs of physicians and other health professionals
791
766,768
732
31
Changes in human resource management approaches in the last decade
/
768
/
/
Information systems management and assessment
32
The historical development of information systems in the health services
industry
/
/
/
713
33
The language and terminology of health services information systems
management
/
/
/
713
34
Techniques and methods to evaluate information systems including
forecasting, planning, design, requirements determination, procurement,
development, and assessment techniques from an electronic environment
perspective
714
/
/
713
35
Current threats and opportunities, such as privacy and security issues,
associated with the management of information systems
733
/
/
713
University of South Carolina, Department of Health Services Policy and Management
Content Area
Semester
Fall I
Spr I
SumI &II
Fall 2
Legal principles - development, application, and assessment
36
The historical foundations of the appropriate judicial system, language and
terminology such as basic legal principles: torts, negligence, and contracts,
specific to health care
/
/
724,766,
/
37
Current legal concepts: revised case law, statutory law, and regulation, as
well consequences of management decisions in relating e to compliance,
fiduciary responsibilities, and assessment of risk exposure)
/
718
724,766
732
38
Regulations of HCOs: certificates of need, accreditation processes including
JACHO, AntiTrust
/
718
724, 766,
732
39
Legal concepts and regulations in healthcare finance, including HIPAA,
EMTALA, Stark Law, executive compensation, providers business
relationships, forbearance agreement
/
/
768
732
724, 766,768
/
Governance – structure, roles, responsibilities, and alignment to executive leadership
40
The nature and role of governance as applied to for-profit and not-for-profit
organizations and specifically to hospitals and health systems; resulting from
legal obligations to stockholders versus other constituents and emanating
from the appropriate regulations
765,
University of South Carolina, Department of Health Services Policy and Management
Content Area
41
The legal status of health services organizations in terms of corporate
structure: owners; stakeholders, constituents, community and accountability
in defining governance parameters in not-for-profit, tax exempt healthcare
organizations
42
The relationship between the governing board, the CEO and executive
management and the respective roles of governance and management
43
Issues related to board and committee recruitment, selection and composition
the role and contribution of individual governing board members; and ethical
issues of governance among paid and unpaid boards
Semester
Fall I
Spr I
SumI &II
Fall 2
/
718,
724, 766,768
/
765
718
766,768
732
/
/
768
/
Leadership - visioning, change management and team development
44
Clear and compelling communications about organization purpose and goals
765
718
766,768
/
45
Leading organizational change efforts using sound organizational change
principles
765
718,791
766
/
46
The development and maintenance of high performance teams
765
791
768
/
47
Leading by using evidence- based principles of effective management
/
791,718
768
/
765,714,733
718,731,791
766,768
770,732
733
731,791
768
770,732
Written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
48
Effective managerial communication in writing
49
Effective, convincing oral presentations
University of South Carolina, Department of Health Services Policy and Management
Content Area
50
Demonstrating the ability to work well in teams
Semester
Fall I
Spr I
SumI &II
Fall 2
733
731,791
768
770,732
Statistical analysis and application
51
Needs analysis, market assessment, outcome evaluation, forecasting, and
quality improvement, using statistical analysis tools
712,
716,718
/
732
52
Planning and executing data collection strategies (primary and secondary)
BIOS 700
716,718
/
/
53
Constructing and managing databases
BIOS700
716
/
732
54
Applying appropriate statistical tools, techniques and procedures for data
screening and analysis of variation and co-variation
712, BIOS
700
716
/
/
55
Interpreting substantive results and communicating results in different
venues
712, 733,
BIOS700
716
/
/
712,714,733
/
768
732
Economic analysis and application to decision making
56
Costing techniques: including opportunity cost, sunk cost and the cost
benefit principle)
57
Assessing demand (including marginal benefit and valuation)
712
716
/
/
58
Planning production (including diminishing marginal returns, with specific
reference to "flat of the curve" medicine and values of current therapies cast
in terms of marginal v. average)
712
716
/
/
59
Calculating labor costs and the flow of funds
733
731
/
732
University of South Carolina, Department of Health Services Policy and Management
Content Area
Semester
Fall I
Spr I
SumI &II
Fall 2
/
/
732
60
Calculating discounting and return on investment
712,733
61
Dynamic v. static efficiency (including the role of organizations in promoting
economic growth and welfare)
712,733
/
/
62
Calculating insurance theory and risk-pooling
712
/
/
Market analysis, research, and assessment
63
Analysis of market segmentation including (demographics and disease
frequency, health service/product usage patterns, health behaviors and
beliefs, and health expectations)
714
718
768
/
64
Analysis of consumer behavior ( perceived risk and levels of involvement,
consumer capability to comprehend information and willingness to engage in
information search)
712
716
768
/
65
Application of concepts of adoption of innovation; analysis of channels,
referral behavior, and access
718
768
/
66
Building markets through integrated communications
/
768
/
67
Integrating pricing, and the basics of market research
712,733
732
/768
732
733
731
768
732
Financial analysis and management
68
Time value of money; capital budgeting; risk and return; investment decision
analysis; and lease valuation
University of South Carolina, Department of Health Services Policy and Management
Content Area
Semester
Fall I
Spr I
SumI &II
Fall 2
69
Variance analysis and analyzing financial statements to understand variance
analysis and for strategic financial planning
712,733
731
768
770,732
70
Use of pro forma development and evaluation, cost allocation and budgeting
733
731
768
732
71
Use of cost containment tools
712,733
731
/
732
72
Developing capital, operating budget and cash flow budgets
733
731
/
732
73
Using cost accounting procedures to measure productivity
733
/
/
732
74
Use of inventory management tools
733
/
/
/
75
Financial management principles and practice under managed care
reimbursement models
/
731
768
732
76
Pricing strategies and revenue management
/
731
/
732
77
Financial management, pricing and costing of charity care and bad debt(61e)
/
731
/
/
Ethics in business and clinical decision-making
78
Analysis of principal moral and ethical principles relating to healthcare;
bio-ethics and medical treatment decision-making
712,714
791
724, 766
/
79
Examining corporate ethics including duty to patients and shareholders,
social responsibility, disclosure
/
718,731
724, 768
770
80
Corporate compliance and how it influences ethical practice
/
/
724,766
732
81
Professional codes of ethics and how they relate to personal integrity
/
791
724,766
/
University of South Carolina, Department of Health Services Policy and Management
Content Area
Semester
Fall I
Spr I
SumI &II
Fall 2
/
/
768
/
791
724, 768
732
82
Medical professional self regulatory disciplinary processes
83
Understanding professional codes of ethics and how they relate to personal
integrity
84
Social responsibility of healthcare organizations/community benefit
712
731,791
766,768
732
85
Ethics in interprovider arrangements, including fraud and abuse, tax,
antitrust
/
791
724,766
/
733
718,791
768
770
/
718
/
732
733
718,791
766,768
770
Strategy formulation and implementation
86
Analysis of the relevant health or medical environment including competitor
analysis, and internal organizational analysis
87
Development and presentation of a business plan
88
Directional strategies, alternative selection methods for strategies, value
adding service delivery and support strategies, plan development, and
management evaluation and control activities
89
Strategic asset management in HCOs – plant, facilities, real estate
/
/
768
/
90
Strategic financial planning and capital project analysis
/
/
/
732
714
/
766,768
770
Quality assessment for patient care improvement
91
How healthcare quality is defined and assessed in a variety of healthcare
settings including accreditation
University of South Carolina, Department of Health Services Policy and Management
Content Area
Semester
Fall I
Spr I
SumI &II
Fall 2
92
The economic impact, differences, synergies and conflicts created by the
differing perspectives related to healthcare quality. i.e. patient , provider,
payer, and societal perspectives
714
/
768
770
93
Infrastructures and facilities planning for quality and patient safety(71a)
/
718
768
/
94
The standards, laws, regulations and accreditation criteria applied to clinical
quality improvement and outcomes
/
/
766,768
/
95
The economic and non-economic gains related to quality improvement
including the role of ethics in the provision of quality healthcare
/
/
768
770
96
Improvement of healthcare quality though understanding and analysis of
patient care delivery systems
/
/
768
770
97
Use organizational design and organizational leadership principles to
implement QA/QI
/
791
768
/
/
/
/
/
PDS
/
/
100 Giving and receiving feedback from peers, superiors, and subordinates(78)
/
/
768
/
101 Seeking skills enhancement when necessary (i.e., public speaking, applied
research, business writing)
765
/
768
/
/
/
768
/
Professional development and advancement
98
Preparing appropriate career progression documents
99
Cultivating professional networks for mutual support and career
development purposes
102 Life-long learning activities for professional improvement
University of South Carolina, Department of Health Services Policy and Management
Content Area
103 Conducting oneself in a manner that cultivates confidence and trust
Approved April 26, 2010
Semester
Fall I
Spr I
SumI &II
Fall 2
765
/
768
/