Developing Health Care Organizations

HADM 4000, Fall 2009, 3174 Haley, 4:00-5:15 MW -- Mark Burns, Instructor

IMAGE: Health Facility Staff Members

Course Introduction

This material is an designed to give you a basic introduction to HADM 4000, Developing Health Care Organizations. If you're in the class on the first day, you'll receive a paper copy.

In the introduction, you'll find:

  1. Course Objectives
  2. Methods and Grading
  3. Textbook
  4. Initial Readings
  5. Additional Syllabus Components
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- COURSE OBJECTIVES -

This course will review issues in the administration of health services with particular emphasis upon developing organizational strategies for effective interfacing of medical, nursing, allied health and administrative staff with patient needs. Upon successfully completing this course, the student will be able to:

  • Identify terms and concepts associated with techniques of internal coordination, decision making, human resources development, inter-organizational relations, innovation, organizational development, and quality control for health services administrators.
  • Discuss those techniques and their relation to the larger sociopolitical environment of health services organizations.
  • Apply those techniques to actual situations in health services administration.
  • Critically evaluate alternative techniques for health services administration.
  • More effectively use electronic workgroups.
  • More effectively produce professionally written projects.
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- METHODS AND GRADING -

HADM 4000 is an advanced course designed primarily for students in the Program in Health Administration. Pre-requisite to the course is HADM 2200 (Health Policy) or 3300 (Introduction to Health Administration), as well as MATH 1690. If you do not meet one of these requirements, please see me to discuss this.

Course Requirements

 

Component Date Weight
Research Paper Outline Sept. 14 5%
Research Paper Draft Oct. 28 10%
Research Paper Dec. 2 25%
Executive Summary Dec. 2 10%
Mid-Term Exam Oct. 12 20%
Final Exam Dec. 15 30%

  • The Research Paper, around twenty typed pages, will intensively analyze a topic related to one of the concerns of the course. Students must
    1. consult me for approval of a topic no later than Aug. 26, and preferably earlier, using Blackboard e-mail to notify me of your choice,
    2. immediately after approval of your topic, be sure to check for possible sources ASAP and notifiy me promptly if you forsee a problem with insufficient sources. This should be done no later than Aug. 31
    3. obtain a copy of my Guidelines for Research Papers,
    4. be responsible for following those guidelines in all aspects of the paper.
    5. submit an electronic copy in Microsoft Word (via Blackboard e-mail) of a proposed outline no later than Sept. 14. For those unfamiliar or uncomfortable with outlines, some good examples appear on the following Website: This particular outline includes statements of purpose, thesis, and audience, which I do not require, but the structure of the outline itself is very good. The outline will be returned with comments which should be incorporated into the next component. In some cases, students may be asked to submit a redraft of the outine before proceeding.
    6. submit one typed copy and one electronic copy (via Blackboard e-mail) of a rough draft no later than Oct. 28. (This draft does not need to include an Executive Summary)
    7. turn in the Research Paper and Executive Summary (physical and electronic copies of each) no later than Dec. 2. The physical copy of the rough draft should also be included. Do not staple the research paper and rough draft together.
    Papers should include a bibliography of sources used, including call numbers of any in the AU library. At least half of these sources should be professional journals.

  • The Executive Summary will be a separate element of the research paper, consisting of one page, single spaced, summarizing the most important points of the paper, including its most crucial implications for practical administration.

  • The Mid-Term Exam will be a closed-book, objective test (multiple-choice and terms) covering assigned readings and in-class materials (including lectures, class discussions, posted Blackboard materials, and outside speaker presentations) Test Procedures are covered in the Additional Course Information.

  • The comprehensive Final Exam will be a closed-book, mixed subjective-objective test. The subjective component will be based on study questions given to the class at the last class meeting. Test Procedures will be the same as above.

  • Class Discussion will not be explicitly graded for regular class days. However, all students are expected to come to class prepared to use the information in the readings assigned for that day. Knowledegeable participation in general class discussion and in-class exercises will be used to help decide cases of "borderline" final grades, both positively and negatively. In the unfortunate event that I find large numbers of students neglecting the readings to the point that reasonable class discussion based on of reading material becomes impossible, I reserve the right to institute "pop tests" that can impact up to 10% of student grades, with consequent readjustment of other grade factors. Students are expected to attend any sessions involving outside speakers. Speakers will be announced in class and on the class Blackboard Site (see below).

  • As an alternative to discussion in the physical classroom, students are also welcome to raise questions or make comments on the course's Blackboard Site. (see below). Details on this opportunity will be discussed in class.

  • There will be three Assessment Meetings throughout the course to give each student and instructor the opportunity to review the student's goals for the course and progress. These meetings are not required but each will add one extra point to the student's final grade. Student should make appointments for these meetings at least 24 hours in advance. The first of these will be Tuesday, August 25. (Students with a documentable conflict on that day may see me on my regular office hours through August 31.) The second and third assessment will be two-day events beginning Sept. 16 and Nov. 2.

Communication Matters

It is a class requirement that students usethe class Blackboard Site site or their A.U. e-mail accounts to communicate with each other and with the instructor. These methods provide students experience in modern electronic communications. The primary source of e-mail communication with the instructor should be through our class Blackboard Site. (see below) This site is simlar to using professional workgroups.

The class Blackboard Site is a center for course announcements and communications which allows students to pose discussion issues, post comments, and raise questions outside the physical classroom. Students should check this site at least one day prior to each scheduled class meeting for announcements and relevant class readings; failure to do so is the sole responsibility of the student. This site is restricted to class members; access requires your standard Auburn IT user name and password. Informational materials posted to this resources are just as much "fair game" for tests as standard lecture/reading/class discussion materials.

 

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- TEXTBOOKS -

The textbooks for the course will be available only at J & M Bookstore and J & M II.

  • Fried, Fottler, and Johnson, Eds., Human Resources in Healthcare. 3rd Ed. Chicago: AUPHA Press, 2008.
  • Griffith, John R. The Well-Managed Health Care Organization. 6th Ed. Ann Arbor, Michigan: AUPHA Press, 2007.
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- INITIAL CLASS MEETINGS -

This is the schedule for the first class meetings of the course. The complete schedule appears in a separate Web document. In notations below, "G" stands for the Griffith text; "F" for the Fotler text.

- THE ADMINISTRATIVE MATRIX -
  • Date: Aug. 17 (M)
    • Topic 1: Course Organization; General Overview.
      • Reading: none
    • Topic 2: Inside a Fragmented System
      • Reading: none.
  • Date: Aug. 19 (W)
    • Topic: Dealing with System Fragmentation
    • Readings:
      1. G, Ch. 1, "Emergence of the Health Care Organization," 1-26.
      2. F, Ch. 4, "Healthcare Professionals," 71-98.
  • Date: Aug. 24 (M)
    • Topic: The Role of Physicians
    • Reading: G, Ch. 6, "The Physician Organization," 203-252.
  • Date: Sept. 2 (T)
    • Topic 1 : The Role of Nurses
      • Reading:
        1. G, Ch. 7, "Nursing Organization," 253-292.
        2. F, Ch. 15, "Nurse Workload, Staffing, and Management," 393-432.
    • Topic 2 : The Role of Other Direct Providers
      • Reading: G, Ch. 8, "Clinical Support Services," 293-340.
    • Other: Paper Topic Due
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-ADDITIONAL SYLLABUS COMPONENTS -

The other parts of this syllabus are listed below. If you are taking the class, you are responsible for reading ALL of them, as well as this introduction, and following their instructions.

Are you reading this introduction on the Worldwide Web? Simplicity itself. Use the links below to read each component. As you probably know already, that also means you can save them as printed copy or files on your computer or USB drive.

Are you reading a paper handout? Then you can access this introduction--and its links to the other course components--through the Worldwide Web address "http://www.auburn.edu/~burnsma/HADM4000/intro.html". If you don't know how to access the World Wide Web, request the handout "Finding This Course on the World Wide Web" from the instructor.

  1. Course Schedule. Complete list of all the activities, required readings, etc., for each day of the semester. Consult this list before every class day. There is a lot of written material to cover in this class, and it's much easier to keep up than to try to catch up later!
  2. About the Instructor. Information about Mark Burns and his expectations for the class.
  3. My Office Hours, contact information, etc.
  4. Additional Course Information you need to be aware of.
  5. To correctly prepare the research paper, you will also need to read the following:
Components of the syllabus, as well as other useful links to course materials, may be quickly accessed through the Course Hub, at http://www.auburn.edu/~burnsma/HADM4000/hub.html.

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On System Shakeout

". . .the old is dying and the new cannot be born. In the interregnum, a great variety of morbid symptoms appear."
--Antonio Gramsci

Have comments or ideas for other information that should be included here? Send your suggestions!

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Course Introduction Page for HADM 4000 by MB, Ver. 17.03--(last updated 08/17/09)

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