The Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health in Phoenix is offering a new Master of Public Health in Health Services Administration. The accredited program is expected to attract health workforce professionals in state and local health agencies and healthcare systems.
PHOENIX—To help meet the growing demand for health care administrators, the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona in Phoenix will begin offering a new accredited Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Services Administration program in fall 2014.
“In the rapidly changing healthcare environment, administrative positions are one of the targeted areas for growth,” said Dr. Iman Hakim, dean and professor of the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health. “The passage of the Affordable Care Act and roll-out of the health insurance marketplace only magnifies the urgency to fill the pipeline with highly trained health care professionals.”
The southwest and border communities face unique issues including high rates of uninsured, unemployment, and low education attainment.
“All of these issues affect health and well-being,” said Cecilia Rosales, MD, MS, associate professor and director of the college’s Phoenix programs. “They impact our agencies and health-care systems every day. Arizona needs a well-trained workforce that understands these issues and is prepared to manage the human and fiscal resources needed to deliver effective public health services.”
The health services administration program will provide students with the knowledge of how health care services function and the business and leadership skills needed to manage them effectively in health care services organizations. The curriculum is comprised of both public health and health administration courses, with a goal to graduate highly qualified health care administrators. Courses will be offered through a hybrid of online and classroom teaching at both the Phoenix and Tucson campuses.
Rosales said the accredited program will help state and local health agencies and health-care systems by providing a workforce with skills in leadership, financial management, health informatics, marketing and human resources.
“If you go into health services administration, whether a public or private entity, you can specialize in planning, organization, policy formulation and analysis finance, economics and marketing. Expertise in dealing with these issues can be exported to other states and applied to other constituencies throughout the U.S,” said Rosales.
Rosales added, “The array of administrative requirements necessary to successfully run a complex health care organization is broad, and the significance of providing training in this complex area simply cannot be overstated. The unique combination of public health and health care administration classes in this accredited curriculum will provide students with the tools they need to understand the multifaceted administrative and business aspects of health care.”
The master’s degree in Health Services Administration is a two-year accredited program for full-time students, and offers a part-time track for students who need the flexibility. The curriculum is tailored towards working professionals in health systems, health agencies, third- party payers and health-care supply chain organizations.
Students will have the added benefit of learning from local and nationally recognized faculty members who understand Arizona's health care issues. “Our faculty are available to meet with students in person and provide timely and meaningful mentoring,” added Rosales.
For more information about the new degree program please contact Kim Barnes at the UA Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health-Phoenix: (602) 827-2070, coph-phoenix@email.arizona.edu.
