Credit Hours:
Course (Semester) Dates:
Course Number and Title: AM 570 Financial Analysis and Performance
Cohort Code and Semester: tDPT 24 / OTD 20, Semester 2
1 credit hour
Fall 2012: September 4 – December 20
Course Type:
Faculty Information:
Online
Melissa Sweetman, OTD, OTR/L msweetman@rmuohp.edu
*note: please use
WebStudy email for class matters as much as possible
Course Description: Students in this course will learn to apply financial concepts to case situations, and will be introduced to concepts used in corporate and small business finance. Participants learn how to read and use financial statements in order to monitor and improve financial and productivity aspects of healthcare organizations.
Topics include financial statement analysis, financial math and forecasting, budgeting, estimation of a firm's required return, and value-added analysis. Topics are focused on financial strategies from the prospective of practice managers, healthcare administrators, lenders, and investors.
Course Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Describe financial statements and basic financial terms
2. Explain the budgeting process
3. Describe activity based costing and budgeting
4. Understand the importance of financial statement analysis
5. Evaluate financial statements
6. Apply financial math to budget, forecast and estimate profitability
7. Describe how managers can use financial statements to improve organizational performance
8. Synthesize practical skills for financial management in a healthcare organization
Prerequisites: None
Methods of Evaluation:
Unit
Task Title. Detailed information to be found in weekly instructions below .
1
2
3
Forum Discussion Revenue Sources
Forum Discussion Costs
Forum Discussion Profit Analysis
This syllabus may be subject to change in order to better meet course objectives
4
4
3
Points
Course
Objective(s)
Targeted
1,4,7
1,4,7
1,4,7

3
4
5
5
6
7
7
-------
Assignment #1 Profit Analysis
Forum Discussion Planning and Budgeting
15
4
Forum Discussion Managing Financial Operations 3
1,4,5,6
1,2,3
1,4,5,7
Assignment #2 Managing Financial Operations
Forum Discussion Financial Reporting
15
4
Forum Discussion Analyzing Financial Conditions 3
Final Paper 45
1,4,6,7
4,5,6
1,4,5,6,7
1-8
Total 100 -----------------------
Grading Scale:
TC
NS
R
AC
AW
AF
F
P
I
IP
Letter
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
AE
W
Percentage
100-93
92-90
89-87
86-83
82-80
79-77
§
76-73
§
72- & below
Pass
Incomplete
In Progress
Academic Extension
Withdrawal
Transfer Credit
Grade Not Submitted
Repeat Course
Audit Course
Administrative Withdrawal
Administrative Failure
***
***
***
***
***
***
0.00
0.00
Grade Value
4.00
3.70
3.30
3.00
2.70
2.30
2.00
0.00
***
***
***
§
Indicate non-passing grades for programs beginning on or after January 1, 2011.
***No numeric value computed in GPA.
Materials:
Required Text:
Gapenski, L.C. (2009). Fundamentals of Healthcare Finance. Chicago: Health
Administration Press. ISBN 978-1-56793-315-4
(note: Mn Time is used for all due dates, unless otherwise indicated)
(Note: 11:59 PM Mountain is the time for all due dates, unless otherwise indicated.)
Course Orientation This online course will be divided into 7 units of study, each 2 weeks in length. Each unit will be directed by a forum discussion question(s), and may include readings and deliverable(s) or formative assessment(s). Students should complete readings; review accompanying PowerPoint slides; and peruse forum
This syllabus may be subject to change in order to better meet course objectives

supplemental materials within each module before joining forum discussion(s). As this is a 1 credit hour course, it will be impossible to entirely cover all aspects of financial analysis and performance. I strongly encourage you to utilize your discussion forums to facilitate conversation regarding any questions you may have on topics that we are covering, and to email me with any burning questions relating to topics that we may not have time to cover in class.
Course Instructions Each unit of study will require participation in a forum discussion.
Most units contain two questions for you to answer. One question focuses on basic content knowledge and the other focuses on application to your practice. While the content knowledge questions are fairly straightforward, there may be times when you are not clear on the topic or may wish to have further clarification/discussion of that topic. Please be sure to request this in your posting as I doubt otherwise there will be much discussion taking place on those postings. However, the application questions most often do elicit good discussion among the class. This is a great opportunity to share your best practices or seek advice on your financial challenges. To help with the organization of each forum, please use the subject line of your posting to identify whether you are answering the knowledge question or the application question. While a specific format for forum postings is not required, be sure to utilize the spell-check function, avoid casual jargon, and take time to formulate clear, thoughtful posts.
Responses to your peers’ postings are not required for full credit (see forum grading rubric) but by doing so, learning opportunities are broadened.
When saving documents to email to me (unit assignments and final paper), please save the file as: coursenumber.lastnamefirstinitial.assignment.doc. For example, my file name for assignment #2 would be: APM570.SweetmanM.Assignment2.doc
Intro Forum: Sept. 4
– 9.
Welcome to class! I know by now you are probably tired of answering this question for every instructor, but I would really appreciate it if you would
BRIEFLY please tell me:
 a little bit about yourself

your management experience to date

management/leadership goals

what you would like to learn from this course.
This introductory forum is not graded; it is simply an opportunity for us to get to know each other a little in the context of your administration/management experience.
UNIT1: Sept. 4 - 17. Revenue Sources
Tasks:

Readings: Chapter 3
This syllabus may be subject to change in order to better meet course objectives

Chapter 3 Power Point *(power point presentations will be posted to
WebStudy Materials 3 days prior to unit start date)
 Forum Discussions :
Knowledge Question 1: Briefly describe the provider incentives and risks under each of the following reimbursement methods:

Cost-based

Charge-based

Prospective payment

Capitation
Application Question 2 : Consider the primary revenue sources at your place of employment. Keeping risks and incentives in mind, state at least 3 ways of generating increased revenue dollars. Feel free to offer suggestions or engage in further discussion with your peers.
UNIT 2: Sept. 18 – Oct. 1. Costs
Tasks:

Readings: Chapter 4
Chapter 4 Power Point *(power point presentations will be posted to
WebStudy Materials 3 days prior to unit start date)

Forum Discussions:
Knowledge Question 1 : What is a cost pool? What is a cost driver? How is the cost allocation rate determined?
Application Question 2 : Identify at least one primary cost in a cost pool at your place of employment. What may be an associated cost driver? As before, feel free to comment on your peer’s posts and engage in further discussion.
UNIT 3: Oct. 2 - 15. Profit Analysis
Tasks:

Readings: Chapter 5
Chapter 5 Power Point *(power point presentations will be posted to
WebStudy Materials 3 days prior to unit start date)
This syllabus may be subject to change in order to better meet course objectives


Forum Discussion: What is profit (CVP) analysis? Why is it so useful to healthcare managers? What is a profit and loss (P&L) statement and what important information can you glean from it related to your therapy practice?

Assignment #1: Complete questions 5.4 and 5.8 found in the End-of-Chapter
Problems on page 141 of your text. Be sure to answer all parts of each question for full credit. Grading will be based on completeness, adherence to directions, accuracy of answers, clarity, and quality of work. Please upload your work into WebStudy via a Word document. There is no specific format required, but be sure that your name is on your document. Due by October 15, 2012.
UNIT 4: Oct. 16 - 29. Planning and Budgeting
Tasks:

Readings: Chapter 6
Chapter 6 Power Point *(power point presentations will be posted to
WebStudy Materials 3 days prior to unit start date)

Forum Discussions:
Knowledge Question 1 : What are the key differences between traditional and activity-based costing?
Application Question 2 : In your place of employment, what type of budget do you use? Conventional/zero-based? Top-down/bottom-up? Who writes the budget and who is held responsible for managing it? Please share a bit about the budgeting process for your practice.
UNIT 5: Oct. 30 – Nov. 12. Managing Financial Operations
Tasks:

Readings: Chapter 7
Chapter 7 Power Point *(power point presentations will be posted to
WebStudy Materials 3 days prior to unit start date)

Forum Discussion: What are some of the key performance indicators (KPIs) for your practice? Please share at least 3 ways to positively impact those KPIs.
Please feel free to share some of your best practices with your peers or engage in further discussion.

Assignment #2: Complete questions 7.3 and 7.6 found in the End-of-Chapter
Problems on page 203 of your text. Be sure to answer all parts of each
This syllabus may be subject to change in order to better meet course objectives

question. Grading will be based on completeness, adherence to directions, accuracy of answers, clarity, and quality of work.
Please upload your work into
WebStudy via a Word document. There is no specific format required, but be sure that your name is on your document. Due by November 12, 2012.
UNIT 6: Nov. 13 - 26. Financial Reporting
Tasks:

Readings: Chapter 11
Chapter 11 Power Point *(power point presentations will be posted to
WebStudy Materials 3 days prior to unit start date)

Forum Discussions:
Knowledge Question 1: What is the difference between net income and cash flow? Is financial condition more closely related to net income or to cash flow?
Application Question 2: Briefly describe the format of an income statement and list examples of each category that are found in your therapy practice.
UNIT 7: Nov. 27 – Dec. 15. Analyzing Financial Conditions
Tasks:

Readings: Chapter 13
Chapter 13 Power Point *(power point presentations will be posted to
WebStudy Materials 3 days prior to unit start date)

Forum Discussion: What is the primary difference between financial statement analysis and operational analysis? How are both types useful to healthcare managers and investors?

Assignment: ( F inal Paper). Due December 15, 2012 . Take time to review all of your readings and class discussions. After doing so, write a 5-7 page workplace application paper.

Describe a typical financial analysis process including the analysis of a simple financial statement (you may use your own from work, search for one on the internet, or ask me for one to use).

Be sure to describe strengths and weaknesses of the financial condition and performance of the organization being reviewed.

Include how you as a manager would positively impact the financial condition of the organization using concepts you learned in this course.
This syllabus may be subject to change in order to better meet course objectives

Papers must be in American Psychological Association (APA) 6 th edition format (for
OTs) or American Medical Association Manual of Style (AMA) 9th edition format
(for PTs). Final paper must not exceed 7 pages excluding cover and appendix
(please include the financial statement you are analyzing as an appendix). Grading will be based on completeness, adherence to directions, clarity, and quality of work.
STUDENTS -- Be sure to complete your course evaluation! The link will be sent to you near the end of the semester. Your comments are anonymous, and are of utmost importance in assisting us to consistently improve this course and the overall program. Thank you!
WebStudy Access
WebStudy may be accessed at http://rmuohp.webstudy.com
. The student’s username and password are provided at the start of the semester. For assistance, email webstudy@rmuohp.edu
.
WebStudy Tutorial and Support Information http://www.rmuohp.edu/index.php?/current_students/student_services/webstudy_inform ation/
NOTE: Assignment submission files must be under 10 MB. Files over 10 MB will need to be compressed. Photos should always be compressed to web-resolution size.
For more information or more detail on policies please refer to the University Handbook.
Academic Integrity
Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions expects students, faculty, and administrators to maintain the highest of professional standards. Established policies of conduct and behavior are outlined in detail in the University Handbook, and students are encouraged to review them.
The University’s students are expected to adhere both to their professional code of ethics and to the University’s ideals and values of truth, integrity, and personal authenticity. It is the responsibility of the student to refrain from
This syllabus may be subject to change in order to better meet course objectives

infractions of academic integrity, from conduct that may lead to suspicion of such infractions, and from conduct that aids others in such infractions.
Late Assignments
Students are responsible for tracking their own course deliverable deadlines and are advised to utilize the “Calendar” feature of WebStudy to view a summary of their due dates for all courses. Should a student run into difficulty meeting a particular deadline, it is his/her responsibility to be proactive in communicating his or her situation to the respective faculty member. The faculty member has the authority to grant or deny extensions to due dates, and/or to deduct points for late assignments. If a late assignment will prevent the faculty member from being able to submit the student’s grade by the grade deadline for the course, the student must coordinate with the
Registrar’s office and the faculty to file an Incomplete contract and fee, which will grant the student up to one additional semester to complete the coursework (specific due date to be approved by the faculty member). If no assignment has been received and no
Incomplete course status has been posted by the grade deadline for the course, the reg istrar will post an Administrative Withdrawal (AW) on the student’s transcript, and the student will be required to re-take the course.
Incomplete (“I”)
An “I” grade is assigned when extenuating non-academic circumstances, i.e. serious illness or other unavoidable circumstances, prevent the student from completing the course requirements by the end of the designated instruction period. If the faculty member concurs with the student that extenuating circumstances are present, the student shall fill out an Incomplete Grade Contract that is signed by the faculty member and graduate program director (GPD). The Incomplete Grade Contract may be obtained from the registrar for a $50 fee.
Email Communication Guidelines
University expectations regarding faculty/student communications are three (3) business days as a reasonable time limit to respond to email inquiries. If the faculty member (or student) will be out of town, an out-of-office auto-reply message and/or notification to the students (or faculty) ahead of time is the proper procedure.
Requests for Accommodations
Refer to the University Handbook for full details. The process for obtaining program modification for students with disabilities includes the following steps:

Upon acceptance, a student may choose to disclose his or her disability by submitting a voluntary disclosure of disability letter to the Student Services
Office. Documentation and relevant information about the nature of the disability is required from a licensed professional.

After the student has returned his or her form and official documentation (no older than five years), the Diversity and Disabilities Advisory Committee will discuss the recommended and required modifications.
This syllabus may be subject to change in order to better meet course objectives


The student will then be informed in writing regarding the outcomes of the decision. The disability officer of the Diversity and Disabilities Advisory
Committee will coordinate all accommodations with the student’s faculty and others, as applicable.

No services can be provided unless the student voluntarily discloses the disability at the time of application or following the establishment of a new diagnosis.
This syllabus may be subject to change in order to better meet course objectives