MHSA 7250 – Quantitative Methods in Healthcare Management II
Spring 2014
Thursday, 5:30 – 8:15P
Solms 204
Joey Crosby, Ph.D, R.Ph
University Hall 154B
(912) 344-2657 (office)
(912) 344-3490 (fax)
(912) 660-0263 (mobile)
E-Mail:
joey.crosby@armstrong.edu
Office Hours:
Monday: 1:30 - 5:30P
Wednesday: 11:00A – 1:00P
Thursday: 1:30 - 5:30P
Other days/times by appointment only
**Office hours subject to minor weekly variations. Setting up
an appointment to see me is the best way to ensure I’ll be
available.
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When:
Where:
Instructor:
Office:
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Course Description
As per the AASU graduate catalog, the course involves the application of
various quantitative methods of analysis to support operations-based decision
making within contemporary health services organizations. This course will focus
on various areas of operations management in health services organizations –
including, but not limited to, staffing, patient flow/scheduling, capacity and
resource planning, quality management, productivity management, inventory
control, etc. – where operations research/analytical methods such as linear and
nonlinear programming, queuing theory, decision modeling, simulation, and
regression analysis can be utilized to facilitate informed decision making by the
health services administration professional.
Operations management/research applications arise commonly in the
health services delivery field, including applications in strategic management
such as health systems and supply chain design, facility planning and design,
equipment evaluation and selection, process selection, and capacity planning.
Other planning problems include demand and capacity forecasting, scheduling
and workforce planning, job design, inventory management, and managing
system productivity and quality. As the health services environment continues to
evolve towards a more institutionally competitive, highly regulated enterprise, the
need for greater efficiency and “profitability” in daily operations will continue to
increase in importance.
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of the requirements and assignments for
this course, it is anticipated that each student will be able to demonstrate
the following competencies as referenced in the Healthcare Leadership
Alliance Health Services Management Competency Model, version 2.0:
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Learning Objective / Competency
Knowledge of the historical evolution
and rationale for the adoption and use
of operations management / research
methods within health services
organizations over time
Knowledge of various planning and
control functions (e.g., production
planning and scheduling, inventory
management, project management)
associated with the production and
distribution processes, which converts
scarce resources into goods and
services, and delivers them to
customers/ patients.
The ability to select and execute
appropriate qualitative and quantitative
approaches that are available to solve
problems within each function,
including (but not limited to)
optimization modeling, decision
analysis, and/or simulation
modeling/forecasting.
The ability to select and execute
appropriate qualitative and quantitative
approaches to develop solutions to
operational problems that reduce costs
while maintaining or increasing output,
quality, and customer service
The ability to demonstrate effective
written, oral communication, and
presentation skills
The ability to utilize commonly
available computer software (i.e.
Microsoft Excel) to facilitate the
appropriate analysis/modeling of
various sources of data
HLA Domains
Domain 4:
Knowledge of the
Healthcare
Environment
Assessment
● Lecture and
Class Discussion
Domain 5: Business
Knowledge and
Skills
● Lecture and
Class Discussion
● Operations
Project Proposal
Domain 5: Business
Knowledge and
Skills
● Homework
assignments
● Operations
Project Proposal
Domain 5: Business
Knowledge and
Skills
● Homework
assignments
● Operations
Project Proposal
Domain 1:
Communication and
Relationship
Management
Domain 5: Business
Knowledge and
Skills
● Homework
assignments
● Operations
Project Proposal
● Homework
assignments
Course Textbook
Ozcan, YA. Quantitative Methods in Health Care Management, 2nd Edition.
Jossey-Bass Publishing. (Primary)
Albright, C, Winston W, and Zappe, C. Data Analysis and Decision-Making with
Microsoft Excel. Revised 3rd Edition. Southwestern-Cengage Learning
(Secondary – we used this text in MHSA 6200, and will use this for supplemental
applications in this course)
Course Evaluation and Grading
The grading scale used to evaluate student performance will be the same
as that used in other AASU courses: 90-100 (A); 80-90 (B); 70-79 (C); 65-69 (D);
<65 (F). Any deviations from this standard grading schedule will be a result of
the distribution of class scores on particular assignments as well final grades.
Each student’s grade in this course will be based on the following (with the
relative weights for each):
1.
2.
Homework Assignments
Course Examination
60%
40%
Problem Assignments
Throughout the semester, students will be assigned selected problems
from the textbook and/or from additional operations research/management
science sources to coincide with the material covered in the lecture and
demonstration part of the class. The purpose of these assignments is to allow
the student an opportunity to gain valuable experience in the use of spreadsheet
software (MS-Excel) to model commonly occurring operational problems in
health care, using selected operational research methods and techniques, so as
to derive potential solutions to improve operational performance (e.g. reduce
costs, increase productivity, output, quality, etc.). While it will be important for
students to grasp the fundamentals of using spreadsheet software to develop
various models for this purpose, arguably the most important learning outcome of
these assignments is for students to develop/refine their ability to take the results
of the modeling process and interpret their meaning for purposes of managerial /
business decision making. Problems will be selected that emphasize BOTH
modeling as well as interpretation issues.
Course Examination
The course examination will be of the comprehensive, take-home variety
with students allowed 1-2 weeks to complete the exam towards the end of the
semester (see course schedule for tentative dates). The format of the
examination will be comprehensive, including any/all materials covered in lecture
as well as problems assigned throughout the term. Students are typically
allowed to use their class notes, textbook(s), computer software (e.g. MS Excel)
and/or any other reference material(s) (e.g. student diskette) deemed appropriate
for the purpose of completing the exam, but student collaboration on any part of
the examination will be prohibited. As part of the examination process, students
will be expected to synthesize a substantial amount of information (quantitative
as well as qualitative) into a professionally prepared document in a fairly short
period of time.
Student Performance / Conduct Expectations
At each registration, students must agree to abide by the rules of the
Honor Code and the Code of Conduct. The Honor Code and Code of Conduct
are printed in the AASU Catalog, Students Illustrated and on the University
website. Any student desiring assistance with any matter related to these Codes
is invited to seek assistance in the Division of Student Affairs.
Commensurate with their obligations associated with adherence to these
defined codes of conduct, all students in this course are expected to:
1. Exercise honesty in all matters, both academic and personal in nature.
2. Be fair and courteous with others, treat them fairly and with respect,
showing sensitivity to cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity and personal
dignity.
3. Accept personal responsibility for appropriate behavior as defined by
the Codes.
4. Know the offenses under each Code and the penalties for violating
them.
5. Understand that they are responsible for knowing and following any
additional written or verbal requirements given by the professor, which
relate to honor or conduct and which are inherent to the classroom or
University functions.
6. Know what plagiarism is, as defined under the Honor Code; recognize
that it undermines individual and academic integrity and ensure that it is
avoided in both spirit and deed.
Student Performance / Conduct Expectations (continued)
7. Understand that the Codes apply at all University activities whether on
the main campus or at other locations.
8. Remember that they are representatives of Armstrong Atlantic State
University and that they must always conduct themselves in a manner that
brings credit upon themselves and the University.
Any student determined to be in violation of one or more of the provisions
of these codes will be subject to all proscribed academic and/or disciplinary
penalties as outlined in the Code of Student Conduct. Lastly, it should be noted
that student ignorance of the specific provisions within the Code of Student
Conduct is not an acceptable defense in any such proceedings. Students should
thus exercise particular care to refrain from any activity or behavior that has the
appearance of constituting a violation of the Code.
The MHSA program has also adopted the following honor code policy as
established by the Department of Health Sciences, effective Fall 2008:
This Honor Code policy applies to all students enrolled in a course taught
by Health Sciences faculty. Students who are caught violating AASU’s Honor
Code and Code of Conduct in any Health Sciences course will be subject to the
following disciplinary action:
1. The first instance will result in a score of zero (0) on the assignment in
question;
2. The second instance, regardless of whether it occurred in the same
course as the first, will result in an automatic failing grade (F) for the
course;
3. The third instance, regardless of whether prior instances occurred in
the same course, will result in dismissal from the program.
All Honor Code violations will be documented in the student’s
departmental file. Moreover, the instructor reserves the right to: (1) accelerate
the above three penalties based on the instructor’s assessment of the severity of
the violation; (2) report the Honor Code violation to the appropriate program
coordinator; (3) review assignments and exams from previous Health Sciences
courses for possible Honor Code infractions; and (4) refer instances of honor
offenses to the Office of Student Affairs and the AASU Honor Court.
Tentative Course Schedule (subject to change)
Date
Topics Covered
Ozcan Ch.
Jan. 16
Course Introduction
Historical evolution of operations management
Operations management (OM) in health care
Principles of organizational decision-making
Ch. 1, 3
Jan. 23
Organizational decision-making – labor
Staffing and scheduling principles
Quantitative metrics for staffing and scheduling
Labor planning techniques
Ch. 7, 8
Organizational decision-making – labor
Ch. 9
Labor productivity metrics and assessment
Data Envelopment Analysis
________________________________________________________________
Jan. 30
Feb. 6
Organizational decision-making – capital
Supply chain and inventory management
Concepts, metrics, and management techniques
Ch. 11
_______________________________________________________________
Organizational decision-making – special projects
Ch. 13
Project management and planning
Concepts, metrics, and management techniques
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Feb. 13
Organizational decision-making – capacity
Ch. 14
Queuing models and capacity planning
Capacity analysis and cost estimation
________________________________________________________________
Feb. 20
Organizational decision-making – capital
Ch. 10
Resource Allocation – concepts and techniques
Linear (continuous variable) optimization methods
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Feb. 27
March 6:
Organizational decision-making – capital
Resource Allocation – concepts and techniques
Integer (discrete variable) optimization methods
N/A
Tentative Course Schedule (subject to change)
Date
Topics Covered
Ozcan Ch.
March 13
Organizational decision-making
Ch. 3
Conditions of risk/uncertainty
Techniques for addressing risk/uncertainty
Decision-analysis techniques and criteria
________________________________________________________________
March 20
AASU Spring Break – no class meeting
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March 27
Organizational decision-making
Ch. 3
Conditions of risk/uncertainty
Techniques for addressing risk/uncertainty
Decision-tree modeling with Precision Tree software
April 3:
Organizational decision-making
Conditions of risk/uncertainty
Simulation modeling techniques
Simulation software demonstration
Ch. 15
April 10:
Organizational decision-making
Conditions of risk/uncertainty
Simulation modeling techniques
N/A
April 17
Organizational decision-making
Ch. 2
Conditions of risk/uncertainty
Data forecasting – concepts, metrics, and techniques
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April 24
Distribute course examination (tentative)
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May 1:
Course examination due (tentative)