Healthcare Analytics MS

Program Director George A. Godlewski, Assistant Professor of Quality Improvement/Data Analytics, BA University of Michigan; MSW University of Pennsylvania; PHD Marywood University

Health care is rapidly advancing in knowledge and technology, yet the challenges associated with quality and patient safety persist. The U.S. health care system, including health care policy, requires significant changes to address current gaps in quality. In short, skillful professionals are needed to lead change and improvement in health care beyond the current paradigm.

Misericordia University’s graduate program in Healthcare Analytics is embedded in the values and traditions of the Sisters of Mercy; Mercy, Service, Justice and Hospitality, aimed at increasing knowledge; building skills and fostering impactful professionals prepared to creatively and diligently strive towards improving health and health care delivery. Unique to the Misericordia program is the emphasis upon: 1.) Inter-professional practice, and 2.) The Patient/Family Perspective.

Mission

The Graduate Healthcare Analytics Program strives to continuously evolve and improve to prepare competent impactful professionals to best serve our community of interest related to health and health care improvement. Faculty members strive to “foster intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and respect for persons in an environment where all are welcome”. The high level of graduate academics challenges students to think critically and to seek new solutions to societal and health care problems. As outlined in the mission statement of the College of Health Sciences and Education, students in our program collaborate as members of interprofessional teams while preparing to be high caliber independent professionals. Focus upon ethical foundations to deal with complex health care issues and ethical dilemmas is a significant part of the program. The need for life-long learning and maintaining currency and competency are stressed throughout the program. Students are encouraged to see issues through diverse lens and to view themselves as committed members of a global society requiring their engagement and concern.

Goals

Consistent with the College of Health Sciences and Education, upon completion of the program, students will:

1. Demonstrate the knowledge, values, and skills necessary to obtain superior professional expertise and credentials within their respective fields.
2. Demonstrate ethical behaviors and sound decision-making in their respective disciplines.
3. Participate as an impactful member of a collaborative, multidisciplinary teams serving diverse populations.

More specifically, the Graduate Healthcare Analytics Program is aimed at the following objectives:

1. Demonstrate competence in quality improvement, health care quality and skills used to undertake improvement and support change.
2. Critically and accurately assess health care quality status, measures and processes including attention to social justice, cultural appreciation and diverse groups to improve quality in healthcare.
3. Describe and interpret the role of the quality professional to providers, leaders and staff of health care organizations as well as to patients, payers, regulators and policy-makers.
4. Work in collaborative and inter-professional relationships, communicate effectively (orally and in writing), and embrace accountability in the context of social, political, ethical, regulatory and legal considerations of health care.
5. Critically evaluate and apply theories and research findings to provide impactful improvement efforts and contribute to an atmosphere of meaningful organizational learning.
6. Demonstrate critical thinking, information management, leadership and ethical behaviors in interactions with individuals, groups, organizations and populations.
7. Demonstrate critical self-assessment to support continual professional development.
8. Demonstrate curiosity and critical thinking to foster exploration and research that contribute to scholarship and knowledge creation.

Admission Criteria

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with 3.0 or higher GPA including undergraduate course completion of:
• 3 credits in research with grade of 3.0 or higher
• 3 credits in introductory statistics with grade of 3.0 or higher
• Experience (clinical and/or non-clinical) in healthcare, i.e. delivery system, payer organization, etc. is recommended but not required.
• The on-line design of this program requires students to possess basic computer proficiency.

Curriculum

To provide the broadest possible student experience, the curriculum is composed of required courses as well as electives to support student goals and interests. The organizing framework of the curriculum is based on quality improvement competencies in the arena of healthcare quality: data sets, measurement, analysis, improvement science, change management, leadership, etc.

Whereas, some programs separate quality and patient safety via course foci and selection, this program demands the integration of quality and patient safety. The two components are fundamentally inextricable and to separate them is to create a false dichotomy that hinders improvement. Course content will include the following themes or foci:

• Population Health
• Ethics
• Social justice
• Leadership
• Creativity/Curiosity
• Inter-professionalism
• Patient Experience

Systems Theory is a foundational paradigm of the curriculum. Although Lean-six sigma concepts and skills will be presented the methodology is not considered exclusive in the curriculum. Appreciation of diverse groups will be explored with attention paid to health disparities, an expression of healthcare quality.

The program’s pedagogy will be rooted in contemporaneity and include affective learning, experiential learning, cognitive learning and reflective learning via analysis, critical thinking, case review, presentations, project work, interviews, etc.

Where possible, the Healthcare Analytics program will provide integrative educational experiences.

Program Retention Requirements

Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher to remain in good standing in the program. Please refer to the Graduate Program Standing  policy in the Graduate Academics  section of the catalog for further information.

 

Degree Requirements

Thirty-six credits (as listed below). Students who have previously completed the Post-Bachelor’s Certificate in Healthcare Analytics may apply their completed courses to the core requirements for the master’s degree.

Transfer Credits

Up to nine transfer credits from prior graduate level coursework toward the master’s degree are available upon approval of the Program Director. Transfer courses must be:

1. Completed with the last five years;
2. Earned at an accredited institution legally authorized to grant graduate degrees; and,
3. Completed with a grade of “B” or better