The Bachelor of Arts in Health Services is an interdisciplinary program designed to address the current and emerging needs in a changing health care landscape. The health services curriculum prepares students to promote delivery of efficient, quality driven health care through a core curriculum that includes a foundation in health care systems, health care policy, finance, and data management. Students can focus on an aspect of health services by selecting one of three tracks in: healthcare management, wellness, or patient advocacy. The program is ideal for students who want to take a non-clinical approach to building a career in the healthcare industry.
Health Services Student Learning Outcomes
Utilize effective written and oral communication when conveying a message about a current or emerging health care issue
Apply evidence-based solutions to organizational and client issues within the contemporary health care arena
Demonstrate critical thinking as evidenced by ethical and legal decision-making as a member of an interprofessional health care team
Demonstrate leadership to meet a health care organization’s or client’s needs
Discover your leadership skills in healthcare management Health care manages plan, direct, and coordinate health care services at multiple levels of hospitals or other health care organizations. The role of a health care manager is to:
Recruit and retain employees in an organization
Ensure compliance with health care regulations
Assess organizational outcomes
Promote a healthy and balanced lifestyle through wellness education
The wellness track prepares students for a career in health project management, wellness center directorship, or health education. A background in wellness provides the skill set to:
Teach clients how to improve health behaviors
Design and evaluate health programs
Assess the health needs of individuals and the community
Support and coordinate patient-centered care as a patient advocate Patient advocates are culturally sensitive health care workers who provide support and guidance to patients navigating the health care system. The responsibility of a patient advocate is to:
Coordinate appointments and communication between health care providers
Connect clients to patient-support organizations
Build partnerships with local agencies to meet client needs
Health Care Management:
BADM 373 Organizational BehaviorIntroduces students to organizational theory and practice. Research literature, theory, and opinion about organizational behavior are reviewed and discussed, with specific emphasis on the individual, groups in the organization, and the overall organizational system. Topics covered in the course include personality and emotion, motivation concepts, decision making, group behavior, work teams, leadership and trust, power and politics, and conflict management. Formerly MGT 356 Organizational Behavior.
3 creditsECON 101 Introduction to MicroeconomicsIntroduces principles of microeconomics and their applications. Topics include supply and demand, operation of markets, consumer and enterprise behavior, competition and monopoly, and microeconomic policy. Formerly ECO 122 Principles of Economics I.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 100 and MATH 102, MATH 108, or MATH 109 or permission of instructor
FLC Area V
Core Area II: Understanding Self, Society, and NatureECON 102 Introduction to MacroeconomicsIntroduces principles of macroeconomics and their applications. Topics include national income, unemployment, inflation, and economic growth. The role of policy in affecting macroeconomic outcomes is examined in detail. Formerly ECO 121 Principles of Economics II.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ECON 100 and MATH 102, MATH 108, or MATH 109 or permission of the instructor
FLC Area V
Core Area II: Understanding Self, Society, and Nature
General Education: Civic Knowledge
Wellness:
BIOL 121 Human Anatomy and Physiology IA systematic approach to the study of the human body. The first part of this year -long course emphasizes the tissues, the integumentary system, the bones and skeletal tissue, muscles and muscle tissue, and the nervous system. Students have the opportunity to apply concepts discussed during the lecture portion of the class to clinical questions presented throughout the semester. Three hours of laboratory per week. Does not fulfill Biology major requirement. There is an additional laboratory fee.
4 credits
Pre-/Co-requisite: MATH 102, MATH 108 or MATH 109.
Pre-requisite: BIOL 101 (SPS); pass BIOL 101 with a C or better or placement test score (CAS).
General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry Area.EXSC 321 Health & Wellness ProgrammingThe course focuses on methods of planning, implementing, and evaluating exercise and wellness programming. Topics include needs assessments, marketing strategies, financial resources, space allocations, and programmatic outcome assessments.
3 credits
Prerequisites: NoneHPNU 200 Nutrition, Diet Therapy, and Health PromotionThis course provides the foundation for an understanding of the relationships of nutrition and diet therapy to optimum health. It includes physiological, psychosocial and cultural influences on nutritional status. Students will explore their own nutritional status and values as they relate to health and wellness.
3 credits
Patient Advocacy:
HUMR 211 Introduction to Social WorkIntroduces the profession of social work and the wide range of factors that influence generalist social work practice. Surveys the historical development of pro-social policy and practices of the profession, with particular focus on issues of social justice. Methods, fields of practice, knowledge and skills fundamental to social work are presented throughout. Discussion will also include current issues confronting the profession, volunteer and para-professional experiences, and guest speakers. Formerly HRE 200.
3 creditsCOM 201 Interpersonal CommunicationOffers an introduction to the fundamental theories and principles of interpersonal communication with emphasis on analyzing and assessing the communication skills necessary to create and sustain effective communication in personal and professional relationships.
3 credits
Core Area II: Understanding Self, Society, and NatureSOCY 321 Inequality and SocietyExamines classical and contemporary theories of social stratification. Are we all created equal? Can we become equal? Particular emphasis is on the American class structure, its impact on social institutions, and the importance of gender and race as factors contributing to inequality in society. Formerly SOC 378 Inequality and Society.
3 credits
Prerequisites: SOCY 100
