Memorandum
To:
Gayle R. Davis, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
George Grant, Dean of the College of Community and Public Service
From: Stephen Borders, MHA Coordinator
Date:
5/28/2016
Re:
Accreditation of the MHA Program
CC:
Mark Hoffman, Director of the School of Public and Nonprofit Administration
There are many colleges and universities that purport to offer training for the demanding field of
healthcare management. When a prospective student considers attending graduate school, an accredited
program assures the student that the program strives to be exceptional. Without accreditation, quality is
hard to distinguish. The lack of an accrediting process leaves the student unsure of the quality of the
educational experience. Therefore, we propose that the Master of Health Administration program seek
accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Health Management Education (CAHME).
Recognized by the Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation,
CAHME is the resource for the healthcare field in setting, measuring, and authoritatively attesting to the
quality of academic education in healthcare management.
Employment of medical and health services managers is expected to grow 16% from 2006 to 2016, faster
than the average for all occupations. The health care industry will continue to expand and diversify,
requiring managers to help ensure smooth business operations. Good managers in all settings will be
needed to improve quality and efficiency of health care while controlling costs, as insurance companies
and Medicare demand higher levels of accountability. Locally, the economy in the greater Grand Rapids
area is betting its future on healthcare. The area is already home to a number of health care organizations,
such as the Van Andel Research Institute, a world-class medical research facility that has gained
worldwide recognition for research into the genetic and molecular origins of cancer and other diseases. In
addition, it is home to Priority Health, rated as one of the nation’s top health plans (11th in the country) by
U.S. News & World Report Michigan State University is locating its medical school adjacent to the
GVSU Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences and Spectrum’s Butterworth Hospital. Millions of
dollars are currently being spent on new hospitals, such as the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital known
as the Medical Mile. Currently, there are no CAHME accredited programs in West Michigan, but
Michigan State University, Central Michigan University, Western Michigan University and Davenport
University are now currently offering various forms of health management programs in Western
Michigan. Accreditation will set the GVSU MHA program apart from an increasingly crowded field.
It has been 8 years since the MHA program was approved by the university and four years since it
awarded the first degree. Interest and enrollment of the MHA have exceeded all expectations. The past
decade has produced a profound change in the growth of health programs not only at GVSU, but the
overall economy of West Michigan. In order for the MHA program to have sustainable growth and
credibility in the healthcare market, accreditation is essential. Employers of our graduates want assurance
that what students learn and experience properly prepare them for the wide variety of management
responsibilities they might encounter. CAHME accreditation will do just that. In addition, CAHME
accreditation will provide the HMA program with the credibility it needs to take on a position of
leadership in West Michigan to seize upon the opportunities available and help shape the future of the
community. This in turn will allow the MHA faculty to establish deeper working relationships with
members from the health care community, place students in higher profile and more appropriate
internships, and develop a curriculum that is more appropriate for today’s healthcare manager. As the
program grows, CAHME accreditation should also make GVSU a more attractive option when recruiting
new faculty.
Budget:
It is anticipated that CAHME accreditation will take approximately three academic years to achieve.
Thus, we have developed a three-year budget detailing the request for additional funding required for
CAHME accreditation. CAHME accreditation will require a number of new course offerings within the
MHA program. We plan to fill these course offerings by requesting new adjunct positions and as well as a
new faculty member. In addition, there are some one-time fees associated with accreditation as well as
some recurring expenses. The proposed compensation structure below for the adjunct faculty and new
faculty member include all appropriate fringe costs.
Proposed Budget Request
Adjunct Salaries
New Faculty Member
Supplies/Travel
CAHME Candidacy
CAHME Site Visit
CAHME Membership
Travel to Annual AUPHA Meeting
.
Develop/Maintain
MHA Board
Miscellaneous
Academic
Year 20092010
$
6,480
$
$
1,400
$
4,750
$
$
$
2,400
$
750
$
300
Academic
Year 2010 2011
$
6,480
$
81,420
$
1,400
$
4,750
$
$
$
2,400
$
750
$
300
Academic
Years 20112012
$
6,480
$
81,420
$
1,400
$
$
10,000
$
3,750
$
2,400
$
750
$
300
Total
$
$
$
16,080
97,500
106,500
Budget Narrative:
Academic Year 2009-2010: We are requesting funds for two new adjunct positions for course offerings
in Healthcare Quality and Management and Long-Term Care Administration. We will develop our
application for CAHME candidacy as we perform our self-study and begin building an advisory board
from health care leaders within the community. These activities will require travel to health care providers
throughout West Michigan to establish internships for MHA students. In addition, we have budgeted for
two faculty members to attend the Association of University Programs in Health Administration
(AUPHA) annual meeting. AUPHA is the parent organization of CAHME and representation at the
yearly meeting is strongly encouraged. We are also requesting an additional faculty member. We would
plan on posting the position in the fall of 2009.
Academic Year 2010-2011: The new faculty member would join the MHA program in the fall of 2010 at
the assistant professor level. The anticipated 9-month salary for this position is $59,000. We will continue
to expand/redesign our course offerings to be consistent with CAHME standards and the new faculty
member would take a prominent role in these new course offerings. As the program expands from 45 to
51 hours and with a greater emphasis on health care courses, we believe we will continue to need support
for at least two adjuncts. As we complete our self-study, this will be the final year of CAHME candidacy.
Academic Year 2011-2012: We are requesting $10,000 for the CAHME site-visit and hope to achieve
accreditation status by 2011-2012. We will then move from CAHME candidacy to full CAHM
membership, resulting in a reduction from $4,750 to $3,750 in annual dues. All other costs are consistent
with requests from earlier years.