Health Services and Policy | Online Masters in Public Health

Overview

Impact Comes Through Policy
Examine the political, economic, and social factors that impact the development and implementation of health care laws and regulations. Learn the role that health care organizations, nonprofits, advocacy groups and government agencies play in creating effective public health strategies at the local, state, and federal levels. Develop analytical skills that can be utilized in multiple capacities throughout the policy-making arena. Learn more about this track now:

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Health Services and Policy Courses

Required Courses

Concentration Total: 20 Units

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PM 504	Quality in Health Care	4 units
The course will examine quality assessment at different levels of the health care system, including health plans, physicians, hospital and integrated system performance. The course will examine the influence of the micro perspectives such as the workforce, organizational structure and payment incentives on health care quality. Macro perspective includes strategic planning, alliance, competition, marketing and technology at the health care systems level. The students will also evaluate how quality of health care relates to health outcomes and population health
PM 547	Public Health Policy and Politics	4 units
Examination of major policy issues in the U.S. health care delivery system to understand policy options in reforming health care and reducing health care disparities. Prerequisite: PM 508.

PPD 501ab	Economics for Policy, Planning and Development	4 units
Students are introduced to Economic Thinking (ET). Developers survive and prosper by making a very large number of good forecasts and acting on them, accepting the risk that accompanies any action. Developers live in a sea of information and do best if they process the incoming data better than others. ET helps on three levels: we better understand: 1) economic trends; 2) the evolving policy environment; and 3) local conditions (location, location, location). This course will also equip students to benefit from other RED courses such as market analysis, approvals, finance and law
PM 577	Global Health Law and Human Rights	4 units
The course identifies and discusses the complex interactions among law, health and human rights, with particular emphasis on the use of human rights norms and standards for public health thinking and practice. The course provides the basis for literacy about modern human rights and the links to public health, including core principles, key documents, institutions and practices. Frameworks for analysis of the interactions between health and human rights will be introduced and applied, including effect of health law, policies and programs on human rights, health consequences of human rights violations, and the linkages between promoting and protecting health and promoting and protecting human rights. Topics including sexuality, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS will be used to illustrate and explore practical applications of human rights to global health.

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PM 529	Environmental and Occupational Health: An Epidemiological Approach	4 units
An overview of environmental health, identifying issues in assessing effects of exposure on health and potential interventions for reducing adverse health risks. PR: PM 510 and PM 512

PM 536	Program Evaluation & Research	4 units
Overview of concepts, tools, data collection, analysis methods and designs used to evaluate health promotion programs. Examples from substance abuse prevention, family planning and reproductive health programs

Health Services and Policy Careers

When it comes to the world of Health Services and Policy, there is a great deal of career flexibility. This is in part due to the number of interdisciplinary organizations that collaborate to make laws and regulations, as well as the type of skill required to successfully write them.

Job titles in Health Services and Policy can include:

Health Policy Analyst
Legislative Associate
Manager, Government and Regulatory Affairs
Manager, Health Policy & Research
Patient Resource Specialist
Policy and Advocacy Associate
Research Analyst
Research Associate

Organizations that employ global health leaders include:

State or local public health departments
County or city governing bodies
Nonprofit organizations
Hospitals or physician groups
Advocacy organizations (i.e. American Cancer Society)
Governing bodies
Government agencies (i.e. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)