Master of Science in Health Administration with an Emphasis in Health Care Quality and Patient Safety
What is a Master of Science in Health Administration with an Emphasis in Health Care Quality and Patient Safety?
The Master of Science in Health Administration with an Emphasis in Health Care Quality and Patient Safety gives students the skills and experience necessary to perform as middle- and upper-level managers in a variety of health administration organizations including hospitals, long-term care facilities, physician offices and mental health agencies. This program aims to teach students how to properly care for patients and educate them on all things health care.
The emphasis in health care quality and patient safety provides students with a specialized skillset, allowing them to make a positive impact on patient quality and safety in health care. This program emphasizes the conceptual, analytical and application skills required to manage in contemporary health care organizations and graduates are prepared to serve as innovative change agents, as well as leaders of organizational improvement and adaptation within the health administration industry.
Study Topics in Healthcare Quality and Safety
Courses for this health care program are taught by seasoned experts in their respective fields who share extensive knowledge and experience. To finish this 60-credit program, all students must pass courses including health care policies and economics, leadership styles and development, essential health care business analysis, networking and professional readiness and analysis of contemporary health care delivery models. In addition to passing all of these courses, all students are required to complete a 16-week practicum.
Study Topics Include:
- Nationally recognized expectations and metrics for quality
- Different approaches to support quality improvement measures
- Methods to track, assess, analyze and review patient safety data
- Project management models and approaches in health care
- Ways to set expectations and identify methods to mitigate obstacles in health care project management and quality improvement
- Technologies that support clinical decision-making for patient safety
- Health care delivery models
- Legal and ethical principles in health care
- Health care policies and economics
- Health care research methods, analysis and utilization
- Organizational structures including marketing and development, business analysis, human resource management and more
What Can You Do With a Health Administration Degree With a Specialization in Health Care Quality and Patient Safety?
Graduates of the program are prepared for administrative positions in hospitals, long-term care facilities, outpatient facilities, physician offices, mental health agencies, insurance companies and public health agencies, as well as other types of health organizations. Program graduates often go on to become quality and patient safety coordinators, directors of risk and quality, patient safety officers, quality and accreditation coordinators, healthcare management, corporate directors, health information management directors, nurse manages and healthcare administrators.
Program Core Courses
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare students for the graduate learning experience at Grand Canyon University. Students have opportunities to develop and strengthen the skills necessary to succeed as graduate students in the health care professions. Emphasis is placed on utilizing the tools for graduate success.
Course Description
This course allows students to develop a comprehensive understanding of contemporary health care models from financial, economic, quality, access, and disparity perspectives, and to relate the ethical, cultural, political, and financial factors that drive and support them. It is from this broad, integrative, and comparative perspective that students begin defining their role and perspective as administrators within the health care system. Students begin to investigate their options and define their potential to serve as leaders of systematic improvement, within their health care discipline, based on changes in these driving factors.
Course Description
This course focuses on the recognition, analysis, and resolution of ethical dilemmas in health occupations. Students examine legal liabilities involved in health care administration, including workplace safety and a health care facility’s obligation to provide protection from injury for patients, their families, and staff.
Course Description
This course focuses on health care economics and policy. The core principles of health economics are studied, and students begin to explore practical financial-analysis skills that have immediate application within the health care industry. Students also study managerial decision-making processes based on cost, service, and other economic variables as well as how those decisions influence outcomes. Students will investigate health care policy and reform to understand the impact it makes on everyday practices of health care organizations.
Course Description
This course focuses on the critical analysis of health care research and its application to the administration and delivery of health care services. Emphasis is placed on strategies to access current and relevant data, synthesize the information, and translate new knowledge into practice. Students are introduced to concepts of measurement, reliability, and validity, as well as ethical issues in the design and conduct of research through an evaluative process of health care initiatives and projects.
Course Description
This course focuses on the analysis of health care organizational structure and effectiveness. Topics include the distributive leadership model, decision making through collaboration and teamwork, and the integrative analysis of how change impacts other components of the system.
Course Description
This course explores the nature of business leadership models and theories, examines these models through a broad variety of insights and viewpoints, and provides a description and analysis of these approaches to leadership, giving special attention to how the models can improve leadership in real-world organizations.
Course Description
This course provides foundational knowledge that will equip learners to make decisions regarding quality improvement and patient safety. Learners explore the quality improvement process and examine the most commonly used models and tools for improving health care quality. Learners will also evaluate methods to track, assess, analyze, and review data relating to patient safety issues. Prerequisite: NUR-590 & NUR-630 or HCA-540.
Course Description
This course focuses on the critical analyses of health care business operations and performance. Topics include analysis of financial performance, operational process analysis, and quality of service evaluation.
Course Description
This course focuses on essential managerial communication skills. Human resource topics include conflict management, negotiation, mediation, and coaching, as well as change management principles and the types of communication required for paradigm modification. Interdepartmental, cross-discipline, and external partner marketing topics are included. Consumer communication and collaboration techniques are also discussed.
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare students to meet the professional standards of practice related to their future discipline within the industry. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, utilization of resources, communication strategies, and goal setting. Students prepare a professional portfolio and resume. Students apply various networking techniques and practical interview skills to ensure professional readiness for their chosen health care careers.
Course Description
This course examines the models and approaches of project management in health care settings. Learners demonstrate understanding of the project management process and its application to health care quality and safety initiatives. Learners gain skills to identify various stakeholders and roles, set goals and expectations, plan stakeholder engagement, and identify ways to mitigate obstacles in health care project management. Prerequisite: HQS-610.
Course Description
The focus of this course is to begin integrating all previous study and to identify the focus of students' final capstone project. Students evaluate and integrate the methodologies, considerations, and strategies for project or program design, planning, implementation, and evaluation that are relevant or specifically required by their specific health care discipline. Topics of investigation and consideration include (but are not limited to) financial and economic impact; resource allocation; competition; public and private educational requirements; availability of information technology; impact assessment of change; process improvement assessment; social, behavioral, and environmental impact; legal/ethical issues; and any other factors that impact the provision of care or subsequent outcomes within an organization and community. A collaborative group project approach is emphasized to enhance contribution and consideration from diverse experiences within the health care field. Prerequisite: HLT-610, HCA-610, or HIM-650.
Course Description
This course examines components of implementing health care quality and safety initiatives. Learners examine the elements of change management, identify criteria for success in change areas, and plan phases and goals for implementation. Learners also consider change sustainability and dissemination of successful implementations. Prerequisite: HQS-620.
Course Description
This capstone course provides an opportunity for students to complete the development of a comprehensive evidence-based project, plan, or proposal that addresses a problem, issue, or concern in their professional practice and can be implemented upon completion of the program. Projects address a problem amenable to research-based intervention; include a relevant and comprehensive literature review; propose a solution; and include a fully developed program, project, or business plan. The project also contains all the necessary information to implement the proposed solution, evaluate its outcome(s), and disseminate the findings.
Course Description
This course promotes the synthesis and application of knowledge and skills from the Master of Health Administration (MS-HA) program. Students identify a mentor and develop a relationship through which they examine the connection between theory and practice. Students engage in leadership and administrative activities (e.g., committees, projects, staff education, and quality improvement) and, through reflection and writing, analyze and evaluate leadership behaviors and processes. Practicum/field experience hours: 150. Prerequisite: HCA-650.
Pursue a next-generation education with an online degree from Grand Canyon University. Earn your degree with convenience and flexibility with online courses that let you study anytime, anywhere.
Grand Canyon University’s evening programs cater to the demands of working professionals who prefer an in-person learning environment. Our night classes meet just once per week and offer the interaction and discussion of a typical college classroom.
* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Program subject to change.