Health Policy Studies Courses

640-10000 Introduction to the Vocabulary of Medicine   NLA

Provides an overview of medical terminology for students whose field of study is nonclinical in nature. The course is primarily self-instructional, using a programmed text and weekly testing of material covered. Not open to students who have taken 640-10200. 1 credit. (F,Y)

640-10200 Medical Terminology   NLA

The language of medicine is explored through study of the structure, use, and pronunciation of medical terms used to describe human anatomy, disease conditions, diagnostic tests, and treatment methods. Not open to students who have taken 640-10000. 3 credits. (F-S,Y)

640-11000 War, Hunger, and Genocide: An International Health Perspective   LA

 An investigation of the cost -- human and economic -- of organized violence, including genocide, and the efforts being made to ameliorate or eliminate the devastation. Particular emphasis is placed on the role that can be played by health care professionals who believe that war may be a preventable phenomenon that can be eradicated by traditional public health methods that have triumphed over other major health problems in the past. 3 credits. (S,Y)

640-12000 Your Money and Your Health   LA

 Examination of the enterprise that is the health care industry in this country. Topics include how citizens make decisions to manage the financial risk associated with the purchase of health care and how society manages the financial risk and uncertainty of health care expense through policy. Attention is given to the U.S. health care system and the economic and insurance concepts central to health policy debates, including how funding for health care is controlled; the difference between the not-for-profit and for-profit status of health care organizations; how consumers purchase health care; and newer trends such as self-diagnosing and purchasing herbs, dietary supplements, and other lifestyle drugs without medical consultation. The emphasis is placed on how to arrive at an informed perspective about the role of commerce in American health care. 3 credits. (F,Y)

640-12900 Introduction to Global Studies   SS LA

Examines global issues, such as population, resources, food and hunger, peace and national security, health and environment, and international development, from cross-cultural and multidisciplinary perspectives. Readings and discussions demonstrate the interconnections between these issues and the need for industrial and nonindustrial countries to recognize their interdependence. Students are encouraged to be aware of current international events, especially those involving health issues that may have impact upon their lives. Students cannot receive credit for this course and 310-12900 or 339-12900. 3 credits. (IRR)

640-13000 Healthy Viewings: Media, Medicine, and Health   LA

 Representations of medicine and health in popular culture. The meanings of these representations are studied in relationship to the building of stereotypes, development of policies, and framing of arguments in public discourse. Course includes extensive screening of examples from the media. 3 credits. (S,O)

640-14000 Cyborgs, Clones, and Policy: New Technologies in Health and Medicine   LA

 Investigation and analysis of new medical and health technologies in the changing environment of health and medicine and how they affect policies for healing and prevention of illness and disease. Emphasis is given to the discourse of the body as a machine, its impact on health policies, and the effect of new technologies on relationships among health care providers, patients, and their families. Subjects include biotechnology, cloning, the Internet, digital medicine, and eugenics. 3 credits. (S,Y)

640-20500 Critical Health Issues   SS LA 1b

Examination of the health workforce, medical education, medical specialization, the rising cost of care, voluntary and governmental health insurance, health care delivery systems, and health care for the poor. 3 credits. (F-S,Y)

640-20600 Health Services Site Visits   NLA

Students tour at least five health service sites to see a variety of facilities. Meetings and discussions with administrators and clinicians are arranged. Some administrators present guest lectures in class. Coregistration in 640-20500 is recommended. Prerequisites: 780-10100. 1 credit. (F-S,Y)

640-21000 Issues in Health Services Administration   NLA

Study of issues covered in 640-20500 but with direct application to the management and administration of health service facilities. Examination of how issues affect the day-to-day decisions of administrators in a variety of health care settings. Prerequisites: 780-10100; 640-20500. 3 credits. (IRR)

640-21500 Introduction to Health Policy and Policy Making   SS LA

 Introduces the tools of policy analysis as a means of understanding the ways in which health care policy is shaped. A systematic and critical approach is employed to evaluate the design of health policy and how policies and programs create value in the public. Philosophical, political, and economic concepts central to health policy debates are applied. Students engage in decision analysis by defining a problem, devising solutions, clarifying stakes in available choices, and predicting the impact of those choices. Prerequisites: 306-12200; 640-11000, 640-12000, 640-13000, or 640-14000. 3 credits. (F,Y)

640-22500 Health Communication   SS LA

 Introduction to the study of health communication, including its origins, development, and status. Introduction to theories of health behavior and communication and to how they relate to one another in practice. Examination of communication between health professionals and clients and of the role media play in the health care industry and the delivery of health services. Cross-listed with 319-22500. Credit may not be granted for this course and 319-22500. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or above. 3 credits. (F,Y)

640-25000 International Health Issues   LA

Study of public health and health care issues across national borders and how they affect the entire globe, including the future health of the planet. Public health and health care delivery in certain nations are also studied. Prerequisites: One social science course. 3 credits. (IRR)

640-28600 Pre-Internship Seminar   NLA

Prepares students for their first required administrative internship. The seminar consists of required readings, the creation of a professional résumé and cover letter, firsthand discussions with practicing health care professionals, a brief paper, and a number of in-class exercises and discussions. Open only to majors in health services administration. Prerequisites: 640-20500; 780-10100. Pass/fail only. 0.5 credit. (F,Y)

640-30400 Economics of Health Care   SS LA

See economics 306-30400. (F,Y)

640-30800 Program Evaluation   NLA

An application of evaluative techniques of economists to a variety of health care programs and policies -- past, present, and proposed. Identification of the effects of the programs and their objectives leads to cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses accompanied by an assessment of alternative programs and policies. The institutional (legal, political, and social) constraints imposed on health care planners and administrators are considered in the context of economic criteria. Prerequisites: 306-12200; 640-38700; permission of instructor. 3 credits. (IRR)

640-31500 Health Policy Research and Analysis   SS LA

 Theoretical and philosophical bases for conducting research in health policy. Connects research bases to an analytical framework for the understanding and formulation of health policy in the U.S. and abroad. Identifies and utilizes research methods in social and behavioral sciences including qualitative methodologies. Prerequisites: 313-15500 or 313-24300; 640-21500. 3 credits. (S,Y)

640-32100 Departmental Planning, Budgeting, and Cost-Finding   NLA

Application of management principles and methods to problems in departmental operations. Topics include developing departmental goals and objectives,

systematic planning, the concept of orderly change, responsibility-centered organization, interpersonal dynamics in budget development, operating budget procedures, forecasting methods, measures of productivity, the functional chart of accounts, cost behavior, and reports of departmental performance. Prerequisites: 313-10500, 313-10800, or 313-11100; 313-15500, 313-24300, or 313-24400; 880-22500; 880-22600. 3 credits. (F,Y)

640-32600 Health Planning and Administration   NLA

 Integrates general management principles with strategic planning in health care organizations. Data systems, forecasting, and problem identification and analysis are explored, along with the stages of strategic planning. Emphasis is placed on identifying strategic issues in complex environments and formulating realistic responses. Students prepare actual applications for new programs to regulatory agencies. Prerequisites: 640-20500; 882-22000. 3 credits. (S,Y)

640-33500 Legal and Ethical Issues in Health Policy   LA

 An examination of legal and ethical issues related to health care. Topics include the equitable distribution of scarce resources, the relationship between individual consumers and powerful (frequently for-profit) third party payers, and the government's role at all levels in regulating health care and protecting the public from potentially fraudulent and abusive providers. Prerequisites: 314-21200 or 314-23000; 640-20500. 3 credits. (S,Y)

640-34000 Managed Health Care   NLA

 An examination of fundamental managed care principles. Topics include history; relationships among providers, payers, and subscribers; policy issues; and practical concerns driving the rapid changes in the health care environment, delivery models and products, reimbursement and risk sharing, and Medicaid- and Medicare-managed care. Prerequisites: 640-20500. 3 credits. (IRR)

640-35000 Communication in Health Service Organizations   NLA

Study and practice of communication in health service contexts including oral presentations in health planning, administration, management, policy, and education; health management decision making; and management, health professional, and patient/client relations. Examination of health management's communication with media, communities, government, and other health care organizations. Prerequisites: 640-20500, or three courses in the social sciences, humanities, or health sciences; junior standing. 3 credits. (IRR)

640-36000 Front Page Public Health: Policy and Epidemiology   SS LA

 History and theories of the public health perspective. Detailed analysis of major contemporary public health issues in the context of political, economic, and social factors. Theories and uses of epidemiology as a descriptive, analytical, and political tool of public health. Community, regional, national, and/or international public health policies are studied. Attention is paid to current public health issues in the news. Prerequisites: Two courses in the social sciences; one course in mathematics in Math Placement Group 1, 2, or 3. 3 credits. (F,E)

640-38700, 640-48700 Internship   NLA

Work experience under a qualified preceptor, with periodic written progress reports and a written major report on the job. Conferences with faculty. The first professional internship, which takes place between the sophomore and junior year, is a general internship for all students. The second internship, between the junior and senior year, is more specifically related to the student's particular career interest within the health care field. Summer-term tuition is charged for each summer's internship. Prerequisites: 306-12200; 640-20500; 880-22500; 880-22600. Pass/fail only. 4 credits each summer. (Sum,Y)

640-38800 Post-Internship Seminar   NLA

Via assigned readings and reports, students do an in-depth evaluation of their first internship and of their own skills and weaknesses. In-class discussions of internship projects, experiences, and what to look for in a second internship help students set goals for their second internship experience. Prerequisites: 640-38700. 0.5 credit. Pass/fail only. (F,Y)

640-39000 Health Policy Internship   NLA

 Work experience under a qualified health policy specialist. Students test their own abilities and ideas, conduct health policy analyses in public settings, and learn what professional skills or abilities are required for further study. The focus of the internship is directed at health policy: policy making and analyzing, applying policy principles and theories, evaluating policy, reviewing legal and ethical aspects, arguing for changes, activism, and implementation. A full-time internship for a minimum of eight weeks, ordinarily in the summer after the junior year. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisites: 640-20500; 640-31500. Pass/fail only. 4 credits. (Sum,Y)

640-39600 Fieldwork in Health Services Administration   NLA

 Field experience working in health administration settings. Under the supervision of a professional administrator in a health organization in the Ithaca area, students engage in work activities in the management of the agency. An integrated series of seminars provides the context from which to better understand health administration in practice, as well as the local, state, and federal regulations under which agencies operate. Prerequisites: 640-20500. 3 credits. (S,Y)

640-39900-640-39999 Selected Topics in Health Policy   LA

 Detailed study of contemporary health policy issues. Topics change to reflect trends in health policy and the interests and needs of students and faculty. Topics such as international health policy, women's health policy, and children's health policy are explored. Exploration of new areas of study or a substantial extension of topics as developed in the health policy curriculum. May be repeated for a total of up to 6 credits. Prerequisites: As appropriate to topics. 1-3 credits. (IRR)

640-41500 Health Policy Seminar   SS LA

 In-depth examination of one specific health policy issue at the global, national, or local level. Analysis includes an interdisciplinary approach borrowing from social and natural sciences and cultural and ethnic studies. Students select their own health policy issue for detailed analysis and presentation to the class in a seminar format. The issues analyzed may change each semester. Prerequisites: 640-31500. 3 credits. (F,Y)

640-41600 Applied Health Care Management   NLA

Places students in the positions of consultants to health care organizations. Its focus is on the need to integrate a wide range of professional skills with on-the-job work experiences. Consulting projects include marketing/planning, needs assessments, and program evaluations, as examples. Course emphasis is experiential rather than didactic. Prerequisites: 640-20500; 640-20600; 640-21000; 640-30400; 640-38700. 3 credits. (F,Y)

640-43500 Health Care Law   NLA

Introduction to legal principles and issues for medical care workers in health care organizations and alternate delivery systems. Liability of health care organizations and staff for injuries to patients; possible alternatives to the malpractice suit in compensating harmed patients; informed consent to medical and surgical procedures; privileges for physicians in public and private hospitals; liability for emergency-room care; medical records and unauthorized disclosure of information; confidential communication. Prerequisites: 640-20500; 887-20300. 3 credits. (F,Y)

640-49500-640-49599 Special Topics in Health Administration   NLA

Detailed study of contemporary health administration issues. Topics change to reflect current and future trends in health administration and the interests and needs of students and faculty. May be repeated for total of up to 6 credits. Prerequisites: 640-38700; permission of the instructor. 1-3 credits. (IRR)

640-49900-640-49999 Independent Study   LA

Individual research and writing on a particular area of health services administration to be supervised by a faculty member in the department. Prerequisites: Permission of supervising faculty member, student's adviser, department chair, and dean. 1-4 credits. (F-S,Y)