Course Descriptions
Below is a list of core and elective course descriptions. Call (309) 268-4319 or e-mail nrekhter@lincolncollege.edu if you have any questions.
- Medical Terminology
- U. S. Health Care System
- Principles of Epidemiology
- Insurance and Reimbursement
- Health Care Policy
- Legal Aspect of Health Care Administration
- Health Care Human Resources Management
- Health Care Marketing
- Health Care Ethics
- Applied Health Care Administration (capstone)
- Health Administration Internship
*Major Electives:
- Contemporary Health Care Issues
- Long Term Care Management
- Physician Practice and Ambulatory Care
- Health Care Quality
- Employee Health Benefits Administration
*Electives would be offered on the rotation basis. Review the rotation schedule - PDF 23 KB
Medical Terminology: terminology and vocabulary basic to different areas of health, medical science, hospital services, and allied health specialties. Develops skills in correct written and oral usage of medical terms.
U.S. Health Care System: an overview of health care system components –need and health status, access and utilization, facilities, personnel, alternative delivery systems and health care quality. The course promotes an understanding of the environment that thrives on continuing adaptation to change.
Principles of Epidemiology: The course will introduce students to the basic concepts and principles of epidemiology and how these concepts are applicable for students' own needs in the health care field. Topics reviewed could include outbreak investigation, infectious disease epidemiology, and an introduction to epidemiologic study design and surveillance. In this introductory course, students should develop a general understanding of the key historical events, main concepts, and common terminology of epidemiology and epidemiologic research. Students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the material by application and interpretation through problem solving.
Insurance and Reimbursement: In-depth examination of insurance and reimbursement practiced in today's healthcare industry, their history, current status, and their future. Topics include private and public insurance systems, prospective and retrospective reimbursement, managed care, current trends, and contracting.
Healthcare Policy: This course investigates the formulation of healthcare priorities, the development of legislation, the implementation of legislative provisions through administrative action, and the modification of health policy within the context of the provision of services.
Legal Aspect of Health Care Administration: This course is designed to examine the major legal aspects of hospital and health care administration and to provide students with practical knowledge necessary to identify legal issues and to understand the legal ramifications of strategic decisions. It is also designed to familiarized students with the emerging health care policies that court is likely to confront.
Health Care Human Resources Management: This course offers a review of the principles and practices essential for the development and management of an effective personnel program in health care agencies and institutions. It covers employee recruitment, selection, training, promotion and separation, as well as compensation, labor regulations, legal framework of bargaining, contract administration and grievance procedures. Techniques of supervision and issues such as professionalism, career paths, safety and environmental health regulations, and the impact of unionization on health care institutions also receive attention.
Health Care Marketing: This course examines the theory of marketing and provides techniques for the planning and marketing of health services, programs and organizations to different population groups including strategies for outreach activites. The course will explore relationship between planning and marketing and the history and methods of area-wide and institutional planning.
Health Care Ethics: This course examines healthcare related ethical decision making challenges from a managerial perspective. Broader policy issues associated with ethical dilemmas at an institutional/societal level, such as end of life decisions, patients-physicians relationships, and others are explored.
Applied Health Care Administration (capstone): This capstone course brings together many concepts that students have learned in the degree program and provides an opportunity to apply the acquired knowledge to managerial decision making. The course follows a case-study approach to examine healthcare administrative decision making challenges from an individual managerial perspective
Health Administration Practicum: The Health Administration Practicum consists of field visits to health service delivery agencies and gives students an opportunity to see a variety of health care delivery systems and settings first hand and to interact with practicing health care providers and managers. The Practicum encourages students to create a network that would assist them in future job placement activities.
Health Administration Internship: The Internship program is designed to provide students with work experience that complement their classroom preparation. It gives students an opportunity to apply classroom knowledge and skills to the projects/situations in the real health are environment, to gain valuable work experience, to identify alternative career opportunities, and to make connections with professionals who might provide letters of recommendation or help with job searches
Major Electives*
Contemporary Health Care Issues: an overview of some of the crucial policy, ethical, and managerial challenges that current health care system is faces. Students are engaged in identifying major contemporary health care issues and challenges and how they affect distinct segments of our society.
Long Term Care Management: An overview of long-term care services, including the nursing home, respite care, independent living and assisted living communities, continuity of care, adult day care, home care, social health maintenance organizations (S/HMOs) and community services dedicated to improving care for the chronically ill. The distinctive functional, procedural, social, emotional, and environmental issues which relate to cost effective management of long-term care services would be discussed.
Physician Practice and Ambulatory Care: The development of new ambulatory care services and the alternative delivery systems has increased in today's competitive and cost-conscious health care environment. This course will review factors affecting current demand and the services that have been provided, including health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred provider organizations (PPOs), convenience and specialized health centers (surgical care centers, urgent care centers, rehabilitation centers), and physician group practice. The distinctive skills, knowledge and managerial style required in the administration of these services will be examined.
Health Care Quality: This course concentrates on providing the basic concepts for defining health care quality. It also explores the traditional mechanisms, current developments and challenges in the definitions, measurement, techniques, assessment and continuous improvement of quality in the health care setting. The concepts of Total Quality management (TQM) and Continues Quality Improvement (CQI) would be introduced and discussed.
Employee Health Benefits Administration: As health care costs and health insurance premiums continue to rise, employers have become actively involved in the health care system and more aggressive about the administration of employee health benefits. This course examines forces affecting employer action and specific cost containment strategies, including health education and promotion activities, employee assistance programs, health benefits design and administration and price and utilization controls.
*Electives would be offered on the rotation basis. Review the rotation schedule - PDF 23 KB
Updated 10/28/08