Description: The content of this course includes an overview of the legal system with an emphasis on general principles of liability, defenses, and contracts.  Through class discussions and presentations, legal issues facing health care administrators are presented including standards for accreditation, information management, human resources management, and need for legal consultation.

Course Objectives: At the end of this course, the student will be able to:

• Explain the role of law in health care systems;
• Select strategies that protect the legal rights of clients, themselves, and health care organizations;
• Analyze the legal impact of payment sources on health care systems and clients' access to care;
• Explain the effect of negligence liability on the health care institutions;
• Describe the legal and ethical obligations in providing and managing care; and
• Apply ethical / legal decision-making strategies to practice situations.

Description:  This course focuses on the identification and analysis of factors and interrelationships which influence the operation of health care organizations with specific attention to local health departments, hospitals, multi-institutional systems, integrated health systems and strategic alliances. These organizations will be viewed and discussed comparatively with other types of health service agencies.

Course Objectives: At the end of this course, the student will be able to:

• Analyze administrative systems that support health service organizational goals in the United States .

• Describe the development, implementation and management of internal systems to accomplish health services goals and objectives.
• Explain the roles of continuous quality improvement, interdisciplinary collaboration, managerial ethics, and cultural competency as being integral to meeting both organizational and public health goals.
• Apply integrated health systems concepts to specific industry segments.
• Critique contemporary literature related to integrated systems of care.

Description:  This course focuses on the skills and concepts required in managing people in health service organziations as well as on the human resource implications of changes in the external environment.  This course focuses on the technical aspects of human resource management as well as the managerial skills required to manage people.

Course Objectives:  Upon successfull completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Articulate the contributions of Human Resource Management (HRM) to health services organizational goals.

• Contrast HRM in health service organizations with other settings.
• Apply Human Resource (HR) theories to organizational problems and issues in health service settings.
• Analyze legal and ethical issues related to staffing in health service settings.
• Apply strategies for training, developing and compensating employees.
• Discuss global implications of HRM activities.
• Integrate HRM activities within organizational theoretical approaches to professional practice.
• Incorporate diversity and cultural compentence in the role of manager of heatlh services.

Prerequisites:

None

Credits:

3 Hours

Semester:

Fall 2007

Description: This is an elementary course in statistical methods, applied to health-related problems.  The statistical issues encountered by public health professionals will generally be health-related. For public health professionals, knowledge of statistical procedures and terminology is essential for understanding research articles that present new information in areas of expertise and for conducting research studies.

Course Objectives: At the completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Recognize research questions which are appropriate for statistical analysis;
• Define the research question with the statement of the null and research hypotheses;
• Distinguish between parametric and non-parametric data;
• Determine which statistical procedure is appropriate for a specific research question;
• Apply the selected statistical procedure to the data available;
• Analyze the statistical results;
• Determine if the results are statistically significant in order to accept or reject the research hypothesis.

Applied Epidemiology (Required course)

Health Care Management (Elective course)

Prerequisites:

None

Credits:

3 Hours

Semester:

Fall 2007

Description: The course introduces the basic principles and methods of epidemiology and demonstrates their applicability in the field of public health.  Topics to be covered include the historical perspective of epidemiology, measures of disease occurrence and of association, clinical epidemiology, disease screening, causal inference, and study design.  The class will be taught using on-line methods and is open only for students enrolled in programs of the Tennessee Consortium for Public Health Workforce Education.

Course Objectives: At the completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Assess major epidemiologic events and studies in the context of the historical evolution, landmark studies and applications of epidemiology;
• Assess disease concepts using basic epidemiologic concepts, including the natural history of disease, measurement of risk, models of disease transmission, levels of prevention, and causality, including environmental and genetic causes of disease;
• Assess current epidemiologic studies based on the strengths and weaknesses of the major study designs used in epidemiology; cross-sectional, case -control, cohort and clinical trials;
• Assess the effects of bias, confounding, power, and attrition on validity, reliability and generalizability in epidemiologic studies, and apply standard approaches for handling them through study design and analysis;
• Evaluate and synthesize the scientific literature on an epidemiologic problem of the student's choice, using the concepts provided during this course, in a term paper and an oral report the classmates and faculty.

Prerequisites:

Introduction to Epidemiology

Credits:

3 Hours

Semester:

Fall 2007

Description: This course will introduce the student to the most common analytic methods in epidemiology. Students will learn how to design epidemiologic studies, to choose appropriate research designs, and to utilize common statistical tests. Emphasis will be placed on case control studies, cohort studies, clinical epidemiology, community intervention trials, and infectious disease epidemiology.

• Analyze the scientific foundation for the establishment of causation;
• Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the following study designs: case-control, cohort, randomized clinical trial, and community intervention trial;
• Evaluate the role of clinical epidemiology in public health;
  analyze the scientific foundations of surveillance and screening in public health;
• Identify the methods and strategies for conducting infectious disease epidemiology.

Applied Epidemiology (Required course)

Public Health Leadership (Required course)

Prerequisites:

None

Credits:

3 Hours

Semester:

Fall 2007

Description: This course provides an introduction to public health concepts and practice by examining the philosophy, purpose, history, organization, functions, tools, activities and results of public health practice at the national, state, and community levels. The course also addresses important health issues and problems facing the public health system. Case studies and a variety of practice-related exercises serve as a basis for learner participation in real world public health problem-solving simulations.

Course Objectives: At the completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Achieve familiarity with the various components of the public health system;
• Understand interrelationships among the system’s components;
• Acquire the ability to apply this knowledge and understanding to important health issues and problems;
• Acquire an awareness of the importance of independent reading and study;
• Develop basic computer skills for accessing information and communicating with peers;
• Appreciate the unique characteristics of public health practice as a social enterprise;
• Appreciation of the importance of disease prevention and health promotion in our society.

Prerequisites:

Credits:

Semester:

Description: This course will teach the basic skills necessary to evaluate a community health program. The course will focus on various community evaluation approaches and their direct application to efforts within the health department. Evaluation planning, design, determining evaluation on questions, goals and program outcomes will also be emphasized. Both process and impact/outcome evaluation will be covered, including introduction to both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis. The course will apply practical examples of potential problems typically encountered in the community health evaluation process as well as potential solutions.

Course Objectives: At the completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Skills in accessing relevant evaluation research literature, and how to critically interpret, synthesize, and use it in the development of programs and policies.

• Skills in conducting evaluability assessments, determining program goals and objectives, and determining the needs of populations served.
• Working knowledge of the strengths, and limitations of sampling techniques relevant to evaluation research
• Basic knowledge of the strenths, and limitations of experiemental, quasi-experimental, survey, and qualitative research designs, and be able to select appropriate research designs for particular evaluation circumstances.
• Basic skills in data collections, preparation, manipulation, analysis, and presentation of evaluation research.
• Skills in appropriate reporting and dissemination methods.
• Knowledge of potential biases in evaluation research with minority and disadvantaged groups and the skills to avoid these biases.

Prerequisites:

None

Credits:

3 Hours

Semester:

Fall 2007

Description:  Principles and practices of leadership within public health and community settings.  Leadership and the core public health functions of assessment, policy development and assurance.  Enhancing communication, decision making, team building and conflict resolution skills.  Leadership for planning process and organizational change.  Review of case studies and skill building exercises.

Course Objectives:  At the completion of this course, the student will be better prepared:

• Apply expanded knowledge of leadership principles and improved leadership skills within the public health work setting;
• Contrast transactional and transformational leadership orientations;
• Facilitate development of a shared vision of the future, providing for organizational direction;
• Implement change strategies employing transformational leadership techniques;
• Empower teams and work groups;
• Develop collaborative strategies involving community coalitions and partnerships;
• Contribute to community health improvement through systems thinking, problem solving, and enhanced leadership competence;
• Identify personality styles and behavior patterns influential to leadership effectiveness;
• Assess personal leadership performance on a continuing basis aimed at reflective life long learning, strengthening one's skills to lead, and professional development.

Prerequisites:

None

Credits:

3 Hours

Semester:

Spring 2008

Description:  This course is designed to explore the major governmental and legal forces that shape public health policy in the United States.  These include the roles of the branches of the federal, state, and local governments, the media, the public and courts in placing issues on the policy agenda and in developing, implementing and assessing public policy related to the design, delivery and financing of public health services.  The course will be taught using on-line internet-based methods and will utilize case studies to exemplify key principles.

Course Objectives:  At the completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Identify the basic characteristics of public policy, the steps in policymaking, and the nature and role of politics in policy making;
• Understand the different roles of various governmental branches and organizations, the media, the courts, interest groups and the public in formulating and implementing public policies that impact public health practice;
• Describe the basic legal framework which underlies public health practices;
• Interpret the development and evolution of major public health policy topics in the context of the forces that determine policy making;
• Apply these models to proposals for new policies that address significant health concerns.

Prerequisites:

Public Health Leadership, Overview of Public Health, Program Evaluation, and Public Health Policy & Law

Credits:

3 Hours

Semester:

Fall 2007

Description:  This course represents a capstone experience for students enrolled in the Public Health Leaadership Leadership Certificate program of the Tennessee Consortium for Public Health Workforce Development ("the Tennessee Consortium"). It provides an opportunity for students to experience the practice of public health leadership in a real world setting and to apply the knowledge and skills developed in other courses to real public health leadership challenges under the preceptorship of an experienced public health leader. Students are assigned to a senior leader in a local, metropolitan, regional or state-level Department of Health and complete a project negotiated among the student, the Preceptor and the Course Director. Students will be expected to submit a report detailing the project as well as journal describing the activities undertaken during the course. These tasks will be supplemented by assigned readings and periodic conference calls with other students, Preceptors and faculty.

Course Objectives:  At the completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Distinguish the roles of varoius leadership and managerial positions in the health department and understand the inter-relationships between components of the department and their leaders;
• Assess the role of leadership in the functioning of a public health department and in solving public health problems;
• Synthesize the information from prior courses in public health leadeship and apply this knowledge to a current public health problem;
• Evaluate a public health problem from the perspective of a public health department leader; and
• Evaluate the values and limitations of multiple options for addressing a public health problem.

Prerequisites:

Introduction to Epidemiology; Introduction to Biostatistics; Overview of Public Health; and Methods of Epidemiology

Credits:

3 Hours

Semester:

Fall 2007

Description:   Multiple computer software packages will be examined for their utility in health data analysis.  Sample health data sets are analyzed using similar procedures from different packages.  Strengths and weaknesses of the various packages are contrasted as they are applied to the needs of health data analysis.

Course Objectives:   At the completion of this course, the student will be able to: