PHT 541 - Public Health Management, Policy & Advocacy, 2 credit hours

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the fundamental organization, behavior, financing, and challenges of the health system of the United States. This course is an introduction to health policy and management. It examines both the historical and current state of health policy in America and integrates these concepts within the context of public health practice. The course examines key concepts in understanding US health care organization, financing and delivery, current political and economic debate on health care reform, examining the role and management issues of public health departments, and case studies in public health policy and management. This course provides students with a basic understanding of the US health care system and describes how various health care components work individually, and how they work (or fail to work) together to create the “health care system”. Though the orientation of the course is toward the American health care system, the experience of foreign systems will frequently be noted.