Healthcare Finance and Economics | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

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The Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Finance and Economics (CRHF) is available for working professionals who would like to expand their knowledge and further their education in healthcare finance and economics without pursuing a full graduate degree in healthcare administration. It is a flexible, 100% online, 12-semester hour program, provided in an accelerated 8-week format.

Courses that meet the academic requirements are eligible to transfer into the Master of Science in Healthcare Administration program should you choose to continue on towards the MSHA degree.

Curriculum

Required Courses

  • HPHC 5311 Healthcare Finance
  • HPHC 5313 Healthcare Economics and Policy
  • HPHC 5320 Health Insurance & Reimbursement

Elective Courses (students must complete one of the following electives)

  • HPHC 5321 Healthcare Operations & Supply Chain Management
  • HPHC 5323 Business Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Healthcare

Optional Electives for MSHA Graduates

It is preferred that students take courses 5320 and either 5321 or 5323 within the Certificate program. If an MSHA student has taken one or two of those courses as electives within the MSHA program, then they may take an optional elective to make up for each of those courses.

  • HPHC 5318 Organizational Behavior in Healthcare
  • HPHC 5322 Quality, Patient Safety, and Risk Management

Four courses are required for this certificate. A maximum of two core courses (5311 and 5313) may be transferred from the MSHA program to the Certificate program.

CRHF graduates may enroll in the MSHA program. They may transfer two core courses from the Certificate Program into the MSHA program.

Course Descriptions

HPHC 5311 Healthcare Finance This course introduces students to the core concepts of financial management in healthcare, including interpretation of financial reports, financial ratio analysis, cost and profit analysis, planning and budgeting, time value analysis, financing, investments, capital budgeting, and current accounts management. The purpose of this class is to assist the student in developing the necessary analytical ability, attitudes, and decision making skills required of a healthcare manager in a changing environment.

HPHC 5313 Healthcare Economics and Policy The course introduces the concepts of economic theory and analysis within the health services industry, focusing on healthcare consumption, supply and demand, healthcare resource allocation, and the impact of health policy on the delivery of healthcare in the U.S.

HPHC 5320 Health Insurance and Reimbursement This course provides an overview of health insurance, including public and private payers, self-funded insurance, managed care, health insurance markets, and policy changes that impact these areas. In addition, the course will cover healthcare payment systems and reimbursement methods of various payers in the health services marketplace.

HPHC 5321 Healthcare Operations & Supply Chain Management This course examines operational issues in healthcare management. Healthcare operations topics include systems analysis, forecasting, facility location and design models, decision analysis techniques, inventory control, CQI and statistical quality control. The course also integrates key components of supply chain management, including strategic sourcing and purchasing, acquisition, logistics, inventory management, and point of use applications, providing understanding, knowledge and evaluation models to operate and manage an organization's enterprise resource planning and management system

HPHC 5323 Healthcare Business Innovation & Entrepreneurship This course will explore the evolving world of healthcare innovation from a business perspective to include the entrepreneurial side of human health advancements. Technology is an institutional imperative driving innovation through value-chain optimization and strategic convergence and/or divergence across all sub-sectors within healthcare, including sectors such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices and health informatics. The course will evaluate the entrepreneurial process, strategic thinking and new venture exploration while focusing on rapid growth and technological implementation and cost considerations within the healthcare sector.