Syllabus

Schedule

Course Dates

Week 1: Jan 15 – Jan 22
Week 2: Jan 22 – Jan 29
Week 3: Jan 29 – Feb 5
Week 4: Feb 5 – Feb 12
Week 5: Feb 12 – Feb 19
Week 6: Feb 19 – Feb 26
Week 7: Feb 26 – Mar 5
Week 8: Mar 5 – Mar 9

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The assignment and discussion descriptions mentioned below are summaries. Please make sure to review the full prompts in Brightspace.

Week 1:  Introduction to Healthcare Finance

Learning Outcomes

1. Compare for-profit, nonprofit and public/governmental healthcare organizations.
2. Differentiate the four leadership elements of management.
3. Examine the three financial management viewpoints (senior leadership, clinical managers and support managers) in a healthcare organization.

Learning Activities

Week 1 Discussion: Introduction 

• In an introductory video* (less than 3 minutes), introduce yourself to your peers in the class. Share anything you would like about your background and experience and why you are taking this course. 

*If video recordings are not acceptable to you, please reach out to your instructor, otherwise an introductory video is required.

• In a reply post to a peer, share one scholarly reference related to this week’s topics and briefly describe why this reference is relevant. 

Week 1 Discussion 2: Healthcare organizations

Initial Post:

• In your discussion post, briefly contrast for-profit, nonprofit and public/governmental healthcare organizations. 
  • Research and locate an example of one type of organization in your broad geographic area where you reside: county or state. 
  • Identify services provided to the community, and how services are funded. 
  • Support your post with a minimum of two external credible sources using AMA citations. 

Reply Post:

• In a reply post to one peer, share your thoughts as to which type of organization (for-profit, nonprofit or governmental) may be most effective in the delivery of healthcare services. Provide examples to illustrate.
  • Use examples to illustrate. Support your post with a minimum of 1 credible scholarly source using AMA format.

Week 1 Acknowledgement of Academic Engagement Quiz

Week 1 Assignment: Financial Management Viewpoints

Students will research one financial management viewpoint (senior leadership, clinical managers or support managers) in a healthcare organization to then:

• Propose how the approach used by the leader selected can influence financial management positively and negatively based on the view they hold.
• Recommend how the leader selected can improve the financial performance of an organization by carrying out the four major elements of management (planning, organizing, controlling and evaluating).

Students are expected to provide examples to illustrate.

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Week 2 – Strategic Planning and Developing a Business Plan

Learning Outcomes

1. Compare the major components of strategic planning including the development of mission, vision and value statements.
2. Examine the steps in developing a business plan including the establishment of goals and SMART objectives.
3. Distinguish the three levels of management response in the strategic planning process.

Learning Activities

Week 2 Discussion: Strategic Plan

• In your discussion post:
  • Examine the major components of a strategic plan. 
  • Compare how a business plan aligns with an organization’s strategic plan. 
  • Differentiate the three levels of management (Senior, Mid-level, Managerial level) responsibilities in the planning process. 
  • Use examples or graphics to illustrate. Support your post with a minimum of 2 external scholarly sources using AMA citations. 

Week 2 Project Preparation Assignment: Mission, Values and Goals

• This assignment is part of your preparation for the final project in this course. It aims to equip you with the necessary knowledge and experiences applicable to the final project.
  • Review Final Project Instructions: Familiarize yourself with the guidelines for the Final Project. In this scenario, you assume the role of a public health consultant hired by a nonprofit health system to craft a business plan for the establishment of a public/community health entity within the health system. Assignment Requirements:
  • For this preparation assignment, compose a 3 – 4 page paper encompassing the following components:
  • Mission, Vision, and Values: Develop comprehensive mission, vision, and value statements for the newly envisioned public/community health entity.
  • Entity Name: Propose a distinctive name for the newly established entity.
  • Goals and SMART Objectives: Define two overarching goals for the program areas offered by the new entity. For each goal, articulate two SMART objectives.
  • External Sources: Support your proposal with a minimum of four scholarly external sources. Ensure adherence to AMA style for proper formatting.

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Week 3 – Assets, Liabilities, Revenues and Expenses

Learning Outcomes

1. Examine major sources of revenue related to the provision of public health services such as the four public health programs described in the final project for this course.
2. Examine typical expenses related to the provision of public health services such as the four public health programs described in the final project for this course.
3. Differentiate between direct and indirect costs related to the provision of public health services such as the four public health programs described in the final project for this course.

Learning Activities

Week 3 Discussion: Direct and Indirect Costs

Initial Post:

• In your initial discussion post, differentiate between direct and indirect costs in the delivery of healthcare services.
  • Predict the direct and indirect costs you would anticipate for each of the program areas outlined in the final project for this course. Support your post with a minimum of two external scholarly sources using AMA citations.

Reply Post:

• In a reply post to one peer, identify direct and indirect costs that may be different than that of your peer.
  • Describe why this difference may exist. Use examples to illustrate. Support your post with a minimum of one external scholarly source using AMA citations. 

Week 3 – Project Preparation Assignment: Sources of Funding

This assignment is part of your preparation for the final project in this course. It aims to equip you with the necessary knowledge and experiences applicable to the final project.

Assignment Requirements:

• For this preparation assignment (2-3 pages)

• Revenue/Funding Plan:
  • Develop a plan outlining how the newly formed entity, as described in the final project, will seek sources of revenue/funding for each program area.

• Research and Recommendations:
  • Investigate and recommend specific sources of revenue that the newly formed entity should actively pursue.

• Anticipated Annual Expenses:
  • Propose and justify the expected annual expenses, including staffing types (nursing, technicians, clerical, management), supply costs, and other expenses essential for each program.
• Support your writing with a minimum of four scholarly external sources. Paper must be formatted in AMA style.

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Week 4 – Managing Staffing, Supplies, Equipment & Facilities

Learning Outcomes

• Calculate full-time equivalent positions to support financial management activities and decision-making.
• Differentiate productive and non-productive time in the delivery of public health services.

Learning Activities

Week 4 Discussion: Productive and Non-Productive Time

Initial Post:

• In your initial discussion post, distinguish the difference between productive and non-productive time for staff working in the delivery of healthcare services.
  • Propose the productive and non-productive time you would anticipate for each of the four program areas, (immunizations, prenatal and postpartum services, smoking cessations and domestic violence prevention), outlined in the final project for this course.
  • Support your post with a minimum of two external scholarly sources using AMA citations.

Reply Post:

• In a reply post to one peer, compare your description of productive versus non-productive time with that of your peer.
  • Describe any differences you and your peer had in categorizing productive versus non-productive time.
  • Support your post with a minimum of one external scholarly source using AMA citation.

Week 4 – Project Preparation Assignment – Staffing and Full-Time Equivalents

• This assignment is part of your preparation for the final project in this course. It aims to equip you with the necessary knowledge and experiences applicable to the final project.

Case Scenario:

• Imagine you are the manager of a new public health service employing 15 full-time equivalent (FTE) registered nurses. 
• These nurses work from Monday to Friday throughout the year (52 weeks), excluding holidays.
• Each FTE nurse has a standard workload of 40 hours per week, with an allocated 10% non-productive time. Due to the challenges in recruiting registered nurses, your director has advised you to create a staffing configuration accommodating nurses with weekly hours of 40, 32, 28, and 20. 
• Your task is to use the provided template to calculate available FTEs for those working 40 hours per week for the entire year and formulate a staffing pattern in FTEs that meets program needs from Monday to Friday, 52 weeks per year.

Requirements:

• Utilize the provided template to calculate FTEs for nurses working 40 hours per week/52 weeks per year. 
• Make a copy of the document, complete it and upload. 
• Click on the FTE and Staffing Pattern Template
• Click on the “make a copy Button”, this will save the FTE and Staffing Pattern Template to your UNE Google Drive. It will automatically open in your own UNE google drive, where you can then work with the document.
• Develop a staffing pattern in FTEs to fulfill program requirements throughout the week.
• Support your analysis with a minimum of four scholarly external sources, employing AMA citations.

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Week 5: Types of Budgets including Operating and Capital Budgets

Learning Outcomes

Examine types of budgets and budget approaches used by healthcare organizations.

1. Prepare operating and capital budgets for four (4) programs to be offered by a newly-formed community health organization.

Learning Activities

Week 5 Discussion: Different Types of Budgets

• Briefly describe the four types of budgets (master, operating, capital, cash) you learned about in this module.
• Then, place yourself in the position of the director of the newly-formed organization described in the final project and propose a participative approach you might use in involving program staff in the budgeting process for their programs.
• Support your post with a minimum of two external scholarly sources using AMA citations.

Week 5: Project Preparation Assignment: Types of Budgets

• Project preparation assignments are designed to equip you for the final project by providing applicable knowledge and experiences. This assignment focuses on creating operating budgets for the newly-formed community health entity’s four programs outlined in the final project instructions.

Project Preparation Assignment: Instructions

Budget Preparation:

• Utilizing information from your weekly reading and additional research, generate operating budgets for each of the four programs offered by the newly-formed community health entity. Refer to the provided program operating budget templates in the spreadsheet with four tabs at the bottom.

Budget Components: Revenue Projection:

• Present a 12-month revenue projection for each program, including anticipated revenue sources.

Salary Costs:

• Provide a list of anticipated positions for each program, indicating the FTE equivalent for each position. 
• Divide the salary for each position into 12-month increments (January through December).

Benefit Costs:

• Factor in benefit costs associated with the anticipated positions.

Non-Salary Expenses:

• Identify a minimum of 7 items essential for operating each program. 
• Distribute the cost of each expense item evenly over the 12-month period.

Budget Constraints:

• Ensure that the total operating budget expenses align with and do not exceed the total revenue allocated for each program.

External Sources:

• Support your budgetary analysis with a minimum of four scholarly external sources.
• Submit these sources in a separate Word document and format all citations using AMA format.

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Week 6: Financial and Operating Indicators

Learning Outcomes

1. Formulate operating indicators such as expense indicators, efficiency indicators and utilization indicators for the four public health services outlined in the final project for this course.

2. Evaluate a clinic that provides physician and physical therapy services by conducting a vertical and horizontal trend analysis.

Learning Activities

Week 6 Discussion: Budget Indicators

Initial Post:

• In the discussion board this week, formulate possible operating indicators such as expense indicators, efficiency indicators and utilization indicators for the four public health services outlined in the final project for this course.
• Analyze how these indicators might be useful in developing a business plan for the newly formed department of the health system.
• Support your post with a minimum of two external scholarly sources using AMA format.

Reply Post:

In your reply post to a peer, compare your operating indicators with those of your peer.

• Discuss whether your peer identified indicators that you consider to be important that you had not thought about.
• Support your post with a minimum of one external scholarly source using AMA format.

Week 6 – Assignment: Trend Analysis

This assignment is designed to help you as a public health leader analyze service delivery data. Although this assignment is not directly related to the final project, it will help you as you manage public health programs in your future career.

 In this assignment, you will analyze operating data trends in a physician clinic where therapy services are offered in addition to medical care. A table entitled: Vertical and Horizontal Analysis of 2022 Semmelweis Clinic Operations is on page 185 of your textbook. Review the table in detail. In a 2-page paper, conduct a trend analysis of the data provided in the table. Support your writing with a minimum of four scholarly external sources. Your paper must be formatted in AMA style. 

• As you conduct your trend analysis, remember that comparative analysis is an important tool when considering the fiscal and operational dimensions of an organization. As such, you should consider the following questions:
  • • What does the data displayed in the table tell you? What is the overall business operation in this clinic?
    • Do the percentages of revenue in comparison to expenses make sense? 
    • Are revenues and expenses increasing or deteriorating year-over-year? 
    • Are there any areas where expenses are increasing faster than revenue?
    • Is there any evidence that supports increases or decreases will continue into future years? 
• In conducting your trend analysis, it will be helpful to consider the following factors:
  • Overall relationship between income and expense
  • Percent change in revenue from 2021 to 2022
  • Increases in therapy revenue versus physician revenue
  • Increases in salaries and related expense in relation to increases in revenue
  • Increases in non-salary expense in relation to increases in revenue

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Week 7: Measurement Tools and Business Plan

Learning Outcomes

1. Describe the use of measurement tools to improve financial and operational performance in an organization.
2. Create a business plan for a newly formed community health entity.

Learning Activities

Week 7 Discussion: Measurement Tools

• In your discussion post, evaluate why the leader of the newly-formed community health organization described in the final project might use measurement tools to assess financial and operational efficiencies and challenges on an ongoing basis.
  • Then, research and recommend specific measurement tools that might be relevant for the new organization. What are the advantages and disadvantages of these tools?
  • How can measurement tools assist public health professionals to prevent waste in the delivery of services in the community? Provide examples to illustrate. 
• Support your post with a minimum of two external scholarly sources using AMA format.  

Final Project – The Business Plan 

• A large nonprofit healthcare system has made the decision to expand its services in the community beyond the current four hospitals, primary and specialty practices employing 200 physicians, a Medicare-certified home health agency (HHA), and a skilled nursing facility, (SNF). Service expansion is the result of the needs assessment conducted by the health system. 
• The expansion of services will include a new department under the umbrella of the health system which will provide traditional public health services not currently provided by the county public health department.
  • These services will include: childhood and adult immunization services; prenatal and postpartum programs and home visits to supplement the existing obstetrical and pediatric physician practices provided by the health system; smoking cessation (including vaping) programs; and domestic violence prevention and response programs. 
• You are a public health consultant engaged by the health care system to write a business plan for the new entity.

The business plan should be 10-12 pages, double-spaced (not to exceed 12 pages excluding references and appendix) following the format below. Remember to incorporate the feedback you received from your instructor on your project preparation assignments.

Format Specifications:

• Use 12 font Times New Roman.
• Set 1-inch margins.
• Include page numbers. 
• Use sub-sections with sub-headings in bold font. 

• Cover Page: 

• Title with the name of the new entity proposed in week 2 and the author (you) to bring attention to the business plan.
• You may add graphics such as pictures or clip art to the cover page.

• Business Plan Components:

1. Executive Summary of the business plan that grabs the reader’s attention and summarizes critical information from the plan. (1 page).
2. Description of the health system, including why this newly-formed public health organization is an important part of the health system’s strategic plan (1 page).
3. Market overview, including challenges related to the four new program areas (1 page).
4. Mission, vision, and value statements with a description of how these statements will guide the new entity created in week 2 (1 page).
5. Outline services to be provided by each of the four new programs and identify two goals and two SMART objectives for each program (week 2) (2 pages)
6. Proposed funding sources that you examined in week 3 (1 page).
7. Summary of financial projections for each of the four programs based on the four operating budgets you prepared in week 5 (2 pages).
8. Conclusion (one paragraph).

• References:

• Include a separate page with a minimum of 6 scholarly and credible references using AMA formatting. 

• Appendix:

• Attach an Excel Workbook – 4 Operating Budgets that you created in week 5.

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Week 8: Healthcare Delivery Systems, Finance and Reimbursement

Learning Outcomes

1. Analyze healthcare delivery system trends in finance and reimbursement.

2. Examine considerations for public health professionals related to finance and reimbursement trends.

Learning Activities 

Week 8 Discussion: The Future of Healthcare

Initial Post: 

• From your reading this week and additional research, examine what you consider to be the most significant future consideration in healthcare finance and reimbursement.
  • Describe the issue. What are the key drivers related to this issue?
  • Based upon what you have learned in this course, how might effective public professionals impact the future direction?
  • Support your post with a minimum of 2 external scholarly sources using AMA format. 

Reply Post:

• In your reply post, reflect upon the consideration identified by one of your peers.
  • Propose at least two additional factors related to the issue identified by your peer that your peer has not considered.
  • Support your post with a minimum of 1 external scholarly source using AMA format. 

Assignment: Reflection Paper

• In a 1-2 page reflection paper, select two new topic areas you have learned about in this course and how you will be able to apply this learning in future courses or future public health career practice.
  • How did this learning advance your understanding of public health financial management?
    Support your writing with a minimum of two scholarly sources.
  • The paper must be formatted in AMA style.

Student Resources

Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist 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? Visit the Student Support Public Health page

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.
• Public Health Databases: https://library.une.edu/library-materials/find/research-by-subject/public-health/
• 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. The SASC also offers tutoring for GPH 712 Epidemiology, GPH 716 Biostatistics, GPH 717 Applied Epidemiology, GPH 718 Biostatistics II, and GPH 719 Research Methods. 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:

• UNE Student Academic Success Center

Information Technology Services (ITS)

• ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673

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 Support Specialist 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 at 1-877-518-4673.

Career Ready Program

The College of Professional Studies 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

AMA Writing Style Statement

The American Medical Association Manual (AMA) of Style, 11th edition is the required writing format for this course. Additional support for academic writing and AMA format is provided throughout the coursework as well as at the UNE Portal for Online Students.

Online resources: AMA Style Guide

Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool

The College of Professional Studies 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. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.

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

Course Evaluation Policy

Course surveys are one of the most important tools that University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.

Late Policy

Students are responsible for submitting work by the date indicated in Brightspace.

Quizzes and Tests: Quizzes and tests must be completed by the due date. They will not be accepted after the due date.

Assignments: Unless otherwise specified, assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.

Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.

Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.

Student Handbook

UNE Course Withdrawal

Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.

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 https://www.une.edu/studentlife/plagiarism.

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.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations.  Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final.  Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.