California State University, Long Beach

Health Care Administration Program

HCA 320, Operations Management in Health Administration

Section 5319

SYLLABUS

Spring 2012

Instructor: Courtney A. Atkins, MHA Class time and location:

Tel (work): (714) 377-2907 Wednesday, 7:00 – 9:45

Tel (school): (562) 985-5694 Room: HHS1 room 101

Email (school): Office: HHS2 room 118

Office hours: 6:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. on Wednesday and by appointment

The best way to contact me is by email. Another way to contact me is by phone. I will be very happy to explain something to you either by phone, by email, or in person. I hold limited scheduled office hours, but I am flexible and accessible to you when you need me.

Course Description

This class will cover the application of the concepts and methods of operations management to the health care organizational setting with an emphasis on planning and control in the management process. Prerequisite; SOC 250 or PSY 110 or equivalent. Prerequisite/Corequisite: HCA 402. 3 Units. Letter grade only (A-F).

The following table discusses key competencies you will gain through this class in compliance with our Undergraduate Program Accreditation. This is only a snapshot of the valuable knowledge and skills you will gain in this class.

Domain / Competency / Activity/Assignment/Assessment /
Domain 1: Communication and Relationship Management / Present results of data analysis to decision makers / homework assignments, lectures with test questions, and oral presentation, as well as in-class ad hoc group assignments /
Domain 2: Leadership / Promote and manage change / chapter on project management as well as using data to make the case for change. /
Domain 5: Business Knowledge and Skills / Champion systems thinking (e.g., breaking down silos; integrating parts; big picture) / teach to ask the right questions to look at entire process, not just one aspect. Lecture, discussion, exam /
Domain 5: Business Knowledge and Skills / Collect and analyze data from internal and external sources relevant to each situation / lecture, discussion, exam, homework, key point of almost the entire class. /
Domain 5: Business Knowledge and Skills / Conduct needs analysis, identify and prioritize requirements / PDSA model and other PI models discussed along with how to use analysis to promote change. Lecture, discussion /
Domain 5: Business Knowledge and Skills / Define the problem or opportunities / teach to look at whole problem (flow charts, large and small scale analysis, drilling down into data, lecture, discussion, homework, exam /
Domain 5: Business Knowledge and Skills / Perform audits of systems and operations / PDSA model and other PI models discussed along with how to use analysis to promote change. Lecture, discussion /
Domain 5: Business Knowledge and Skills / Demonstrate critical thinking and analysis / lecture, discussion, exam, homework, key point of almost the entire class. /
Domain 5: Business Knowledge and Skills: G. Quality Improvement / Knowledge of National quality initiatives including patient safety / discussion and website review during performance improvement chapter of class. Lecture, discussion, exam /
Domain 5: Business Knowledge and Skills: G. Quality Improvement / Knowledge of Quality planning and management / discussion, lecture, exam, review of websites /

Required text and materials

McLaughlin, Daniel B. and Julie M. Hayes. Health Care Operations Management. Health Administration Press, Chicago, 2008.

Access to a computer with Microsoft Excel is recommended very highly.

Course Requirements and Grading Criteria

Students receive a letter grade for this course based on the percentage of total points earned.

90% to 100% A

80% to 89% B

70% to 79% C

60% to 69% D

0% to 59% F

Policy on late assignments: Assignments turned in late (after the start of class) will be subject to a 2% penalty reduction per weekday unless adequate documentation of an extenuating circumstance can be provided.

Class assignments

Points for class assignments will be as follows:

Assignment Points Percent of Grade

Midterm Examination #1 2/22 80 points 16%

Midterm Examination #2 3/21 80 points 16%

Final Examination 5/16 80 points 16%

Term Paper 4/18 80 points 16%

Group Project 5/2 80 points 16%

Attendance 20 points 4%

Homework 1 2/29 20 points 4%

Homework 2 3/7 20 points 4%

Homework 3 3/14 20 points 4%

Homework 4 4/4 20 points 4%

Examinations: The midterm and final exams will consist of multiple choice, short answer questions, math problems, matching, and true/false. The tests will cover material presented from the required text and from the lectures. Midterm exam #1 and Midterm #2 and the final exam will NOT be held in class but will be available on the Beachboard.

Term Paper:

Find 2 or more articles from peer reviewed journals about healthcare management. These articles should be about the same or similar topics. These articles should address an operational issue such as patient flow or materials management, not clinical care issues. Compare and contrast all aspects of the articles including methodology and analysis/discussion sections. Your paper should properly cite the articles and include the following:

· Brief summary of the problems that each healthcare organization is trying to solve/improve

· Who was involved in forming the solution

· How were the methods or processes different

· Did the improvement process produce the desired result

· Would you use these processes in your organization if you were trying to solve the same problem

The paper should be no more than 10 pages. Use common sense to determine font size, line spacing, and margins. Short, well-written papers will score more highly than long boring ones.

Group Project:

Your group is requesting funds from your board of directors and/or CEO/administration for an expanded service or improvement project. Using data, a project schedule, and a convincing 10 minute presentation, answer the following questions.

·  What is the proposed change?

·  What is the purpose of the change?

·  What are the plans to accomplish the change?

·  What are the consequences associated with the change?

What I hope you will learn through this group project:

·  What data I need to prepare/present to my boss/board of directors, etc. in order to get a newer better project started and funded

·  How to organize the data and presentation in a meaningful way

·  How to make projections/predictions

·  How to improve something using data

·  How to work as a team

·  How to speak to an audience with confidence

·  How to allow everyone in your team to speak

·  How to dress up for an important presentation

More extensive details regarding this project as well as topic options will be posted on the Beachboard

Attendance: All points for attendance will be evenly distributed among the 12 in-class sessions. One absence will be automatically forgiven. Extenuating/work-related circumstances will be considered.

Homework is posted on Beachboard and briefly listed below.

Homework 1: Anatomy of Care scenario exercise summary (not in book) to be posted on Beachboard

Homework 2: Chapter 6 Chapter Exercise #1 (page 168)

Homework 3: Chapter 9 Lean Exercise (not in book) to be posted on Beachboard

Homework 4: Chapter 12 Excel "Solver" problem. Choose either #1 or #2 on page 367

Term Papers, Homework, and any other assignment should be turned in using email or in-person.

Schedule

January 25 / Review of Class
Chapter 1
Discuss term paper in depth
February 1 / Chapter 2
Chapter 3
February 8 / Chapter 4
Chapter 5
February 15 / Midterm Review
Anatomy of Care In-class exercise
Overview of assignments
February 22 / MIDTERM EXAM #1 covering Chapters 1-5
February 29 / DUE Anatomy of Care homework
DUE copies of 2 peer reviewed journal articles for term paper
Review Midterm Results
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
March 7 / DUE Chapter 6 homework
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Lean homework part 1 will be done in class
March 14 / DUE Lean homework part 2
Chapter 10
Midterm review
Set up group project
March 21 / MIDTERM EXAM #2 covering Chapters 6-10
March 28 / NO CLASS – Spring Break
April 4 / Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Computer Lab Day!!
DUE: Chapter 12 homework in class
April 11 / Work outside of class on group project
April 18 / DUE Term Paper
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
April 25 / Websites covering patient satisfaction, patient safety goals, patient safety survey, and employee satisfaction
Prep time for Group project
Health Care Reform
May 2 / Group Projects/Oral Presentation
May 9 / Review for Final Exam
May 16 / FINAL EXAM

Bibliography

Please see my class on the Beachboard for class bibliography

IMPORTANT UNIVERSITY POLICIES YOU SHOULD KNOW

University Withdrawal Policy

It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from classes. Instructors have no obligation to withdraw students who do not attend courses, and may choose not to do so.

The deadline to withdraw from a class without a “W” for the spring semester February 6, 2011

Withdrawal from a course after that date requires the signature of the instructor and the department chair, and is permissible only for serious and compelling reasons. A “W” will appear on the student’s transcript.

The University deadline to withdraw from classes in spring semester without the Dean’s signature is April 22, 2011.

AFTER April 23, 2011:

During the final three weeks of instruction withdrawals are not permitted except in cases such as accident or serious illness where the circumstances causing the withdrawal are clearly beyond the student’s control. The cause must be documented. Ordinarily, withdrawals in this category involve total withdrawal from the university. You will need the approval of the college dean as well as that of the class instructor and the department chairperson for each class you drop.

Cheating and Plagiarism

Written work that you hand in is assumed to be original unless your source material is documented appropriately. Using the ideas or words of another person, even a peer, or a web site, as if it were your own, is plagiarism.

Cheating and plagiarism are serious academic offenses. Students should read the section on cheating and plagiarism in the CSULB catalog.

Attendance: Please read the CSULB attendance policy carefully. It is found at: http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/aa/grad_undergrad/senate/documents/policy/2001/01/

Computer Help

The CSULB Technology Help Desk is now available for students. The URL for the Help Desk is: http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/aa/academic_technology/thd/

Phone at 985-4959.

Make-up policy

This course will include some graded in-class activities that will not be possible to recreate. If you expect to have an extended absence or multiple absences you should speak to me about the feasibility of keeping up with the course work.

If you miss graded assignments other than the in-class activities because you are absent and the absence falls under the conditions for an excused absence, I will work with you to help you make up the work through comparable assignments. Be prepared to show documentation.

Accommodation

It is the student’s responsibility to notify me in advance of the need for accommodation of a disability. All appropriate accommodations will be made.