HCMT 530 - Healthcare: Across the Continuum and Trending Topics

The U.S. health care system constitutes a significant portion of our nation’s economy, accounting for approximately $3.0 trillion in 2014. According to the U.S Department of Labor, there are more than twelve million jobs in hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies, home health service providers and nursing homes. This estimate does not include many of the important support services that focus on insurance, reimbursement, compliance, regulation, and more. If a person “works in healthcare,” that can mean anything from the direct bedside care of a patient in a hospital, managing an ambulance and transport company, selling and marketing a new medication, or lobbying government offices for policy or regulatory changes. This course will explore the multiple layers of the healthcare industry and expose students to facets that may not be obvious through routine interactions. In addition, because nothing in healthcare remains static, we will focus on trending news items and how they may affect policies, payments, or patient care.

(Cr: 3