How It Works

Get to know the courses

BUS-N 525 Value Creation and Financial Performance in Healthcare Systems (3 cr.)

The purpose of this course is to help healthcare professionals better understand the economic and financial forces that underlie much of the decision-making in healthcare.

  • Effectively use Microsoft Excel to import, manipulate and analyze financial data.
  • Measure the financial performance and health of a firm based on its financial statements.
  • Identify relevant costs associated with healthcare activities using activity-based costing and other accounting methods.
  • Evaluate investment decisions by calculating and using criteria including Net Present Value, Return on Investment and the incremental costs and benefits.
  • Propose investments and/or cost-saving initiatives that generate a positive financial return while preserving or increasing health outcomes.

BUS-N 526 Business Management of Patient Care (3 cr.)

The purpose of this course is to apply marketing and operations management principles to understand how to improve patient care. In this course, students explore the predictors of service quality and patient satisfaction. Then, they map and understand work flow in clinical environments and identify changes that improve healthcare outcomes and lower costs.

  • Apply behavioral decision-making frameworks to anticipate patient behavior and the predictors of patient satisfaction.
  • Use operations management principles to understand how decisions are made, tasks are distributed, resources are employed and services are delivered in a healthcare system.
  • Link work flow and bottlenecks in patient care to clinical performance measures and patient satisfaction.
  • Evaluate the quality of an operation.
  • Identify ways to improve operational processes.

BUS-N 527 Leading People and Managing Behavior in Healthcare Organizations (3 cr.)

The purpose of this course is to comprehend how organizational structures, incentives and dynamics explain the observed behavior of clinicians, patients and managers in healthcare systems.

  • Examine the power of reframing to make sense of organizations and demonstrate true leadership.
  • Design organizational structure for activities, units and groups in healthcare delivery settings so they are more productive.
  • Evaluate and apply best practices from human resources management in healthcare delivery settings.
  • Analyze contrasting models of leadership and power dynamics and their application to patient care and management of a healthcare system.
  • Examine culture and its role in healthcare organizations.
  • Recognize and develop the traits of high-performing teams.
  • Gain skills in effective conflict resolution.

BUS-N 528 Healthcare System Strategy and Innovation (3 cr.)

The purpose of this course is to apply concepts of strategic management to evaluate competitive strategies for a healthcare system and to identify innovations that increase profitability and improve medical outcomes.

  • Evaluate the difference between clinical care as a social enterprise and clinical care as a for-profit enterprise.
  • Apply foundational concepts of business strategy to prioritize patient care focus and goals within a clinical organization.
  • Identify the traits of an organizational mindset which fuels innovation that positively transforms the healthcare industry.
  • Comprehend requirements for pursuit and implementation of innovation in healthcare that reduces cost and improves patient care quality.

BUS-X 529 Immersive Capstone Experience (3 cr.)

The purpose of this course is to directly apply learning business acumen and executive skills of diagnosing business problems, developing solutions and communicating those solutions.

  • Analyze ambiguous business situations and identify problems to be solved.
  • Apply cross-disciplinary business knowledge and analytical tools to explain business challenges and formulate possible solutions.
  • Formulate an actionable plan for implementation of a recommended solution and quantify the predicted impact upon organizational performance.
  • Communicate effectively in verbal and written form.

Capstone projects that make an impact.

You're not just earning a certificate. You are gaining skills to make a difference. Hear from local organizations who've partnered with our program to solve real-world challenges using our students' fresh perspectives.

Learn about the IU Pathology Lab Project