Syllabus

Master of Business Administration

HCL 655: Healthcare Market Strategy

Credits - 3

Description

This course examines the strategic design, positioning, and delivery of healthcare services within complex healthcare systems. 

Students analyze healthcare market dynamics, service line strategy, and competitive positioning in medical group practices, hospitals, and integrated health systems. Emphasis is placed on internal strategy execution, patient and consumer behavior, brand development, service line development, and patient experience design. Students evaluate service delivery opportunities, craft strategies, assess emerging care models, and integrate operational, financial, and quality metrics to support organizational performance and value-based care.

Materials

Required:

Walston, Stephen L. (2023). Strategic healthcare management: Planning and execution, third edition. Health Administration Press. (NOTE: This text has limited availability through the UNE Library; please log out of the text after each use.)

Djakeli, K. (2023). Modern Healthcare Marketing in the Digital Era (1st ed.). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. (Available through the UNE Library)

Khalil, Hanan (2024). Value-based healthcare. La Trobe University, Open Educational Resources Collective. (Open Educational Resources)

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

  1. Appraise healthcare market dynamics to identify strategic opportunities and limitations.
  2. Evaluate payer dynamics and reimbursement structures as strategic forces shaping market opportunity, competitive positioning, and service line viability. 
  3. Evaluate healthcare consumer choice and patient experience to inform competitive positioning and service design decisions.
  4. Design service line and brand positioning strategies that align organizational capabilities with target market opportunities and patient experience priorities.
  5. Assess emerging healthcare care models for their strategic fit and implications for value‑based care delivery.
  6. Assess the execution risk associated with strategic initiatives in complex healthcare systems. 
  7. Judge organizational performance using financial, operational, and quality metrics to determine whether a strategy is achieving intended outcomes.
  8. Construct a strategic market recommendation for executive and board‑level audiences.

Assignments

For all assessments and learning activities, see Brightspace for the full assignment descriptions and instructions. Read the prompts carefully and use the rubrics to confirm how assignments and discussions will be graded.

Course Project: Integrated Market Strategy 

Throughout this course, you will work with a healthcare organization of your choice and take on the perspective of a Director of Marketing or similar healthcare leader responsible for market strategy, consumer insight, patient experience, service line growth, and organizational positioning. Your task is to evaluate how the organization competes, how patients and consumers experience its services, and how it could strengthen its positioning in an increasingly complex and value-based healthcare market.

Weekly Assignments (Building Blocks)

Each week, students complete one scaffolded building block that contributes to the final Integrated Market Strategy Presentation due in Week 7. Assignments are written in an executive style and require students to apply strategic analysis to a real healthcare organization of their choosing.

Discussions

Graded discussions ask students to think and communicate like healthcare leaders. Prompts place students in realistic leadership scenarios such as preparing a memo for a strategic planning retreat or navigating stakeholder disagreement.

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

Assessment ActivityPoints
Academic Integrity Agreement1
Week 1 Assignment: Building Block 1 - Anchor Organization Selection & Market Snapshot5
Week 1 Video Discussion: Welcome & Introductions5
Week 2 Assignment: Building Block 2 - Market Economics Brief10
Week 2 Discussion: The Retreat5
Week 3 Assignment: Building Block 3 - Consumer Segmentation & Journey Map11
Week 4 Assignment: Building Block 4 - Service Line & Strategic Positioning11
Week 5 Assignment: Building Block 5 - Service Delivery & Organizational Readiness Assessment11
Week 6 Assignment: Building Block 6 - Execution Risk & Performance Management11
Week 7 Assignment: Integrated Market Strategy Presentation20
Week 7 Discussion: Tensions and Stakeholder Alignment5
Week 8 Discussion: Leading the Future of Healthcare 5
TOTAL100

Grade Scale

Grade Points Grade Point Average (GPA)
A 94 – 100% 4.00
A- 90 – 93% 3.75
B+ 87 – 89% 3.50
B 84 – 86% 3.00
B- 80 – 83% 2.75
C+ 77 – 79% 2.50
C 74 – 76% 2.00
C- 70 – 73% 1.75
D 64 – 69% 1.00
F 00 – 63% 0.00

Schedule

Term Dates: 7/8/2026 – 8/28/2026

Week 1: Wednesday – Sunday
Week 2: Monday – Sunday
Week 3: Monday – Sunday
Week 4: Monday – Sunday
Week 5: Monday – Sunday
Week 6: Monday – Sunday
Week 7: Monday – Sunday
Week 8: Monday – Friday

WEEK TOPICS ASSESSMENTS DUE
1

What Does It Mean to Compete on Value in Healthcare?

  • Academic Integrity Agreement
  • Welcome & Introduction Video Discussion
  • Week 1 Assignment: Building Block 1 – Anchor Organization Selection & Market Snapshot
  • Discussion initial post due Friday by 11:59 PM ET
  • Discussion response posts due Sunday by 11:59 PM ET
  • Assignment due Sunday by 11:59 PM ET
2

From Market Structure to Economic Pressure: How Payment Models Shape Strategic Risk

  • Week 2 Discussion: The Retreat
  • Week 2 Assignment: Building Block 2 – Market Economics Brief
  • Discussion initial post due Friday by 11:59 PM ET
  • Discussion response posts due Sunday by 11:59 PM ET
  • Assignment due Sunday by 11:59 PM ET
3

From Payment Pressure to Consumer Insight: Patient Experience as Strategy

  • Week 3 Assignment: Building Block 3 – Consumer Segmentation & Journey Map
  • Assignment due Sunday by 11:59 PM ET
4

From Consumer Insight to Strategic Choice: Positioning and Service Lines Under Value-Based Care

  • Week 4 Assignment: Building Block 4 – Service Line & Strategic Positioning
  • Assignment due Sunday by 11:59 PM ET
5

Care Models and Strategic Fit for Your Positioning

  • Week 5 Assignment: Building Block 5 – Service Delivery & Organizational Readiness Assessment
  • Assignment due Sunday by 11:59 PM ET
6

Execution Risk & Performance Management

  • Week 6 Assignment: Building Block 6 – Execution Risk & Performance Management Plan
  • Assignment due Sunday by 11:59 PM ET
7

Integrated Market Strategy

  • Week 7 Assignment: Integrated Market Strategy Presentation
  • Week 7 Discussion: Tensions & Stakeholder Alignment
  • Discussion initial post due Friday by 11:59 PM ET
  • Discussion response posts due Sunday by 11:59 PM ET
  • Assignment due Sunday by 11:59 PM ET
8

Leading the Future of Healthcare

  • Week 8 Discussion: Leading the Future of Healthcare
  • Discussion initial post due Wednesday by 11:59 PM ET
  • Discussion response posts due Friday by 11:59 PM ET

 

Student Resources

Online Student Support

Your Enrollment and Retention Counselor is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.

Questions? Please reach out to your student success team member.

UNE Libraries:

  • Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Brightspace.
  • Research by Subject: Business & Entrepreneurship Collection
  • Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.

UNE Student Academic Success Center

UNE's Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of free online services to support your academic achievement. Writing support, ESOL support, study strategy and learning style consultations, as well as downloadable resources, are available to all matriculating students. To make an appointment for any of these services, go to une.tutortrac.com. For more information and to view and download writing and studying resources, please visit:

Accommodations

Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.

Online Peer Support

Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.

Information Technology Services (ITS)

Students should notify their student success team member and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.

ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week 

Phone: Mon-Fri: (207) 602-2487

After Hours/Weekends: (877) 518-4673

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The Career Ready Program provides tools and resources to help students explore and hone in on their career goals, search for jobs, create and improve professional documents, build professional network, learn interview skills, grow as a professional, and more. Come back often, at any time, as you move through your journey from career readiness as a student to career growth, satisfaction, and success as alumni.

Policies

Passing Grade Statement

A grade of 80% or higher is required to pass the course. A grade lower than 80% will result in you having to repeat the course. Obtaining two "Fs" in the program may result in dismissal from the program.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Statement

Generative AI (GenAI) applications (like ChatGPT) have proven to be powerful and effective tools, and students are encouraged to become familiar with and use them. However, as with any tool, students must use GenAI in ways that support their roles as learners and professionals. The use of AI in academic work falls under our academic integrity agreement, ensuring that all AI applications are used in alignment with our commitment to honest and responsible learning.

In situations in which AI tools are used as a resource, students must:

  • Ensure that all submitted academic work adequately demonstrates student learning (i.e., that the student, rather than a machine, has met the learning outcomes related to the assessment).
  • Acknowledge, in written assessments and extra-curricular applications, the role played by AI tools in producing the student’s work (this can usually be done in a citation or by including a session transcript).
  • Take ultimate responsibility for accuracy of results, think critically about them, and never substitute them for professional human judgment.
  • Monitor GenAI output for bias and risks for vulnerable populations and underrepresented groups.

As GenAI continues to evolve, students should also stay abreast of best practices and changing risks and benefits.

Please note that individual courses or assignments may have specific guidelines regarding AI use — please refer to your faculty’s directions or assignment instructions for details.

The Student Orientation has a module "Artificial Intelligence Literacy for Students", please refer to this module for more information about navigating the use of AI.

Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool

UNE uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.

Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. 

You can learn more about Turnitin in the guide on how to navigate your Similarity Report.

Technology Requirements

Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements.

Late Policy

Students are responsible for submitting work by the date indicated in Brightspace. In a professional environment, deadlines matter because work impacts teams, clients, and decisions, and this course reflects those expectations.

Quizzes and Tests: 

Quizzes and tests must be completed by the posted deadline .

  • No late submissions are accepted
  • Students are encouraged to plan accordingly, as these are time-sensitive assessments

Assignments: 

Each assignment includes an automatic 48-hour grace period after the posted deadline.

  • No penalty
  • No explanation required

After the grace period:

  • Up to 5 days late: 10% deduction per day
  • More than 5 days late: Not accepted without prior instructor approval

Discussion posts:

Discussion activities depend on timely participation and peer engagement and therefore do not include a grace period.

  • Initial posts: Must be submitted by the deadline; late initial posts are not accepted
  • Response posts: May be submitted within 48 hours after the deadline for up to 50% of the response post grade.

Students are expected to communicate proactively if they anticipate difficulty meeting a deadline. In cases of significant or unforeseen circumstances, extensions may be considered at the instructor’s discretion.

UNE Student Handbook

UNE Course Withdrawal

Please contact your Enrollment and Retention Counselor if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. Tuition charges may still apply. Students are strongly urged to consult with Student Financial Services, as course withdrawals may affect financial aid or Veterans benefits.

Attendance Policy

Students taking online graduate courses through the College of Business will be administratively dropped for non-participation if a graded assignment/discussion post is not submitted before Sunday at 11:59 p.m. ET of the first week. Reinstatement is at the purview of the Dean’s Office.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.