Syllabus

Master of Business Administration

HCL 645: Strategic Growth in Healthcare

Credits - 3

Description

This course examines the strategies and frameworks healthcare organizations use to achieve sustainable growth in competitive markets. Professionals analyze accountable care organizations, provider network integrity, and physician alignment as foundational elements of healthcare growth strategy. Emphasis is placed on external growth strategy, including market expansion, ecosystem positioning, direct-to-consumer marketing, service line expansion, and the role of healthcare liaisons in building organizational reach and reputation. Professionals evaluate growth opportunities, develop market expansion strategies, and assess how strategic partnerships, integrated care networks, and digital health technology adoption drive long-term organizational performance. Professionals also examine how workforce shortages, infrastructure constraints, and climate-driven access challenges influence sustainability and organizational reach within broader healthcare ecosystems.

Materials

No textbook is required for this course. Articles and resources are provided throughout the course.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

  • Analyze internal organizational performance and external market conditions to identify strategic opportunities and priorities for healthcare growth.
  • Evaluate growth strategies that improve organizational performance across fee-for-service, value-based, and hybrid care environments.
  • Assess the role of referral network integrity, physician alignment, strategic partnerships, and ecosystem relationships in supporting sustainable healthcare growth.
  • Develop integrated healthcare growth strategies that align marketing, business development, operations, finance, analytics, clinical leadership, and payer relationships to achieve organizational objectives.
  • Evaluate healthcare growth initiatives using financial, operational, and market performance data to support continuous improvement and long-term sustainability.
  • Present evidence-based strategic growth recommendations that effectively communicate complex analyses and secure executive support for implementation.

Assignments

Discussions and Peer Feedback

Discussion activities ask students to apply course concepts to realistic healthcare leadership situations, make and defend strategic decisions, and respond to classmates from different stakeholder perspectives. The discussions move from introducing professional experiences to debating referral and expansion decisions, and finally to reflecting on collaboration and leadership. Peer responses are used to challenge assumptions, strengthen recommendations, and learn from classmates’ professional perspectives. 

Strategic Growth Milestone Assignments

Across Weeks 1–6, students will develop a healthcare growth strategy for the same organization through a series of connected assignments. They assess the organization and its growth challenge, analyze networks and relationships, develop complementary growth priorities, create a performance measurement plan, recommend a build/buy/ally expansion approach, and then revise their strategy when new information is introduced. The work uses several professional formats, including presentations, executive briefs, a spreadsheet, and an executive memo. Each milestone builds on earlier analysis toward the final recommendation. 

Final Growth Proposal

For the final assignment, students will refine and integrate their strongest work from the previous six weeks into an executive growth proposal for senior leadership. The eight-slide presentation and recorded executive briefing communicate the growth opportunity, key findings, strategic priorities, expansion approach, execution plan, measures of success, changes in the strategy, and a clear request for leadership support, demonstrating both strategic judgment and executive communication.

Grading Policy

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

Grade Breakdown

Points
Academic Integrity Agreement1
Week 1 Discussion: Welcome and Introduction Video4
Week 1 Assignment: Current State Assessment10
Week 2 Discussion: We need more referrals. Now what?5
Week 2 Assignment: Inspect the Infrastructure10
Week 3 Assignment: Design the Structure10
Week 4 Assignment: Performance Management Plan10
Week 5 Discussion: Build It Buy It or Find a Partner?5
Week 5 Assignment: Market Expansion Proposal10
Week 6 Assignment: Emerging Opportunity Recommendation10
Week 7 Assignment: Final Growth Proposal20
Week 8 Discussion: Growth Is a Team Sport5
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: October 28, 2026 – December 18, 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 Assessments Due

Week 1: Rapid Assessment of Current State

  • Academic Integrity Agreement
  • Week 1 Discussion: Welcome and Introduction Video
  • Week 1 Assignment: Current State Assessment

Initial Discussion Posts due Friday at 11:59 PM ET

Discussion Responses due Sunday at 11:59 PM ET

Assignment due Sunday at 11:59 PM ET

Week 2: Enhancing Network Integrity – Reducing Referral Leakage
  • Week 2 Discussion: We need more referrals. Now what?
  • Week 2 Assignment: Inspect the Infrastructure

Initial Discussion Posts due Friday at 11:59 PM ET

Discussion Responses due Sunday at 11:59 PM ET

Assignment due Sunday at 11:59 PM ET

Week 3: Designing Integrated Growth Strategies
  • Week 3 Assignment: Design the Structure

Assignment due Sunday at 11:59 PM ET

Week 4: Measuring What Matters
  • Week 4 Assignment: Performance Management Plan

Assignment due Sunday at 11:59 PM ET

Week 5: Expanding Through Build, Buy, or Ally
  • Week 5 Discussion: Build It, Buy It, or Find a Partner?
  • Week 5 Assignment: Market Expansion Proposal

Initial Discussion Posts due Friday at 11:59 PM ET

Discussion Responses due Sunday at 11:59 PM ET

Assignment due Sunday at 11:59 PM ET

Week 6: Leading Through Uncertainty and Emerging Opportunities
  • Week 6 Assignment: Emerging Opportunity Recommendation

Assignment due Sunday at 11:59 PM ET

Week 7: Making the Case for Growth
  • Week 7 Assignment: Final Growth Proposal

Assignment due Sunday at 11:59 PM ET

Week 8: Sustaining Alignment and Reflecting on Leadership
  • Week 8 Discussion: Growth Is a Team Sport

Initial Discussion Posts due Wednesday at 11:59 PM ET

Discussion Responses due Friday at 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

Career Ready Program

UNE Online supports its online students and alumni in their career journey!

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.