Managing the Demands of a Changing Health Care Field
Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations and School of Health Professions team up to prepare health care managers to better meet Obamacare requirements
As health care managers face complicated requirements for measuring how care is being provided to millions more patients in a rapidly changing health care field, two Rutgers schools are teaming up to train managers to handle multiple challenges.
“There are many new demands on us through the Affordable Care Act’s triple aim of improving quality, controlling costs and extending the reach of health care,” said Donald Parker, president and CEO of Carrier Clinic. “We need to prepare our already experienced leaders for new problem-solving skills in this critical age.”
Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations and Rutgers School of Health Professions are launching a joint Certified Health Care Manager™ program in February 2017. The three-semester program is designed for aspiring and established mid-level health care managers. The schools worked with leaders within major healthcare organizations such as Parker to determine new skills needed in the evolving field. They also held focus groups with health care professionals and gathered information from various industry stakeholders to create a program that prepares managers to handle the regulatory and metrics requirements of the ACA, also called Obamacare, and build leadership and business skills.
“The need to balance cost, quality and patient satisfaction has transformed the culture of hospitals and providers,” said Bill Castellano, associate dean of Executive and Professional Education at Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations (SMLR). “The focus on population health – improving overall health outcomes – is requiring them to be more collaborative, develop strategic partnerships and take a more holistic look at health beyond a crisis management perspective.”
The program is structured in three 10-module sections that can be completed in three semesters. The first focuses on regulatory, demographic and tech changes taking place in the health care industry and the data analytics and metrics skills needed to measure performance and outcomes. The second and third modules center on business competencies and leadership skills needed to manage in a field that rewards providers for keeping patients healthy and reducing repeat hospitalizations.
Participants who complete the CHM program will have the opportunity to apply nine academic credit hours toward a master’s degree in health care management offered through Rutgers School of Health Professions (SHP).
“The collaboration between SMLR and SHP is a great one because it allows us to reach health care managers who may have a clinical background but have never received a solid education in essential management skills, such as finance, strategic planning, quality improvement and leadership. By strengthening these skills, those earning the CHM credential can maximize their efficiency and effectiveness for their respective organizations.” said Albert Heuer, director of SHP’s Master of Science in Health Care Management program.
The program is timed for the continued expansion of care for people of all ages under the Affordable Care Act, which resulted in an estimated 20 million people gaining health insurance coverage between the passage of the law in 2010 and early 2016. As the health care sector is projected to have the fastest growth in jobs in the next decade, the need for well-trained managers will become even more important, said the Carrier Clinic’s Parker, who will teach the use of technology in marketing in the program.
“What’s unique about this program is professionals who work in New Jersey and the tri-state health care industry will bring their expertise and experience into the classroom,” Parker said.
“Developing new programs such as this one takes us to another level in ensuring our students are equipped to meet the challenges of 21st century health care,” said Gwendolyn Mahon, dean of Rutgers School of Health Professions.
Find more information on the program here.