Health Care Management Curriculum

General Orientation:

• Assess the current employment outlook for Health Care Management
• Compare the allied health professions and understand their relation to Health Care Management
• Describe reimbursement systems and the role health care managers play in reimbursement
• Describe how technology is used in health care management

Medical Law and Ethics:

• Identify federal and state guidelines when documenting and releasing medical records or information
• Follow established policies when initiating or terminating medical treatment
• Perform risk management procedures
• Comply with federal, state, and local health laws and regulations
• Define living will, health care proxy, DNR orders, and durable power of attorney
• Identify ways to stay informed regarding new laws and regulations so that the facility in which they work remains in compliance

Psychology of Human Relations:

• Define abnormal behavior patterns
• Identify appropriate therapeutic communication skills when working/caring for patients with special needs
• Explain developmental stages of life
• Analyze the effect of hereditary, cultural, and environmental influences

Basic Keyboarding/Computer Concepts:

• Perform basic keyboarding skills including:
  • Locating the keys on a keyboard
  • Typing medical correspondence and basic reports
• Demonstrate the proper use of office machines, computerized systems, and medical software such as:
  • Efficiently maintain and understand different types of medical correspondence and medical reports
• Apply computer application skills using variety of different electronic programs including both practice management software and EMR software

Medical Office Business Procedures/Management:

• Perform basic clerical functions
• Prepare medical records
• Schedule appointments
• Apply concepts for office procedures
• Locate resources and information for patients and employers
• Schedule inpatient and outpatient admissions
• Post entries on a day sheet
• Perform billing and collection procedures
• Perform accounts payable procedure
• Perform accounts receivable procedures
• Post adjustments
• Process credit balance
• Process refunds
• Post non-sufficient funds
• Post collection agency payments
• Apply third-party guidelines
• Obtain managed care referrals and pre-certifications
• Perform diagnostic and procedural coding
• Prepare and submit insurance claims
• Use physician fee schedule
• Use manual or computerized bookkeeping systems
• Maintain medical facility
• Perform routine maintenance of administrative and clinical equipment
• Maintain inventory equipment and supplies
• Recognize effective communication techniques
• Communicate on the recipient's level of comprehension
• Serve as a liaison between physician and others
• Use proper telephone techniques
• Interview effectively
• Use pertinent medical terminology
• Receive, organize, prioritize, and transmit information expediently
• Recognize and respond to verbal and nonverbal communication
• Perform fundamental writing skills including correct grammar, spelling, and formatting techniques when writing prescriptions, documenting medical records, etc
  

Career Development and Professional Communications:

• Perform the essential requirements for employment such as resume writing, effective interviewing, dressing professionally, and following up appropriately
• Demonstrate professionalism by
  • Exhibiting dependability, punctuality, and a positive work ethic
  • Exhibiting a positive attitude and a sense of responsibility
  • Maintaining confidentiality at all times
  • Being cognizant of ethical boundaries
  • Exhibiting initiative
  • Adapting to change
  • Expressing a responsible attitude
  • Being courteous and diplomatic
  • Identify and spell word elements, names of diagnostic procedures, diagnoses, treatment procedures, and abbreviations related to all the body systems
• Discuss the organizational levels of the human body in order of increasing complexity and explain how those levels are related to each other
• Explain how human anatomy and physiology are related
• Identify major psychological theories
• Apply HIPAA regulations
• Compose essays, narratives, and thesis statements that utilize effective writing techniques

Business and Finance:

• Discuss an overview of investments and statistics
• Describe the changing health care environment and its impact on managers
• Discuss and analyze transactions that affect current assets
• Explain the basic balance sheet and the impact of those issues on net income and cash flow
• Describe auditing concepts and implement internal auditing
• Differentiate between physician and hospital billing concepts
• Apply basic statistical principles
• Identify valid and reliable data
• Calculate, analyze, and report routine institutional statistics and institutional health-care quality indicators
• Collect, interpret, prepare, and present research data
• Design reports using database information
• Perform statistical analysis of patient information

Health Care Management and Department Management:

• Explain the fundamentals of management
• Describe the principles of an organization
• Summarize the basic functions of management
• Discuss human resources management
• Describe the principles of supervision
• Explain staff development
• Discuss health information technology supervision functions
• Describe the changing health-care environment and its impact on managers
• Compare the various schools of thought on managerial skills
• Discuss the process of planning and what role the manager plays
• Explain the importance of delegation of authority and mentoring
• Identify different decision-making approaches
• Detail the skills needed to manage an entire department or organization
• Discuss managerial functions
• Discuss the manager's relationship with the labor union
  

Supervision and Leadership:

• Identify and explain major approaches to leadership
• Describe the prominent theories surrounding the process of leadership
• Discuss the topic of women and leadership
• Identify and address moral and ethical issues that arise in the workplace
• Analyze the role of leadership as it relates to culture and globalization

Quality Management Performance Improvement:

• Apply the fundamentals of quality management
• Describe the characteristics of complex systems
• Explain system behavior
• Compare models for health-care managers
• Contrast customer and stakeholder requirements
• Describe the role of policies in promoting system change
• Improve and measure process and performance

Human Resources Management:

• Identify the responsibilities of human resources departments
• Summarize the types of skills needed for effective HRM operations
• Explain the role of supervisors and discuss ethical issues in HRM
• Summarize the elements of work flow analysis
• Discuss the ways technological developments affect HRM strategies
• Explain ways employers can provide for worker safety and health and eliminate sexual harassment
• Describe typical careers in HRM

Objectives:

• Understand how to use your Student Portal.
• Access the Penn Foster Community and use it to find answers.
• Connect with Penn Foster on various social media sites.
• Describe reimbursement systems and the role health information management technicians play in reimbursement.
• Describe how technology is used in health information management.
• Discuss different professional organizations and certifications for health information management technicians.
• Explain the different roles, opportunities, and settings for health information management technicians.

Objectives:

• Describe civil and criminal law, sources of law, and the steps of litigation.
• Distinguish between liability, negligence, and malpractice and explain how they relate to medical assistants.
• Explain defenses against medical malpractice and against criminal charges.
• Identify the various ethical issues that health-care professionals face.
• Explain the uses and content of medical records.
• Describe the legal significance of confidentiality obligations.
• Explain the core concepts of HIPAA’s final Privacy Rule.
• Summarize the role of peer review in confidentiality issues.
• Describe confidentiality and security issues related to electronic medical records.
• Describe the public duties of health-care professionals and workplace legalities.
• Define and differentiate living will, health-care proxy, DNR orders, and durable power of attorney.
• Discuss legal and ethical issues at the beginning of life and childhood and those related to death and dying.
• Describe health-care trends and the future of health-care delivery.

Objectives:

• Search the Internet more effectively.
• Get tips about search engines and reliable websites.
• Learn how to search libraries and other information centers for important, useful information.

Objectives:

• Effectively use free writing and brainstorming.
• Perfect your ability to edit and revise your writing.
• Apply techniques for getting the reader’s attention.
• Write descriptive essays, first-person narratives, reflective essays, persuasive essays, and effective thesis statements.

Additional Course Materials:

• Textbook: Successful College Writing
• Supplement: The Little, Brown Essential Handbook

Objectives:

• Define word elements, roots, prefixes, suffixes, combining vowels, and combining forms.
• Describe the basic rules for building a medical word.
• Describe the uses and effects of drugs on the body.
• Distinguish among generic drug names, official drug names, trade names, and chemical names.
• Identify and spell word elements, names of diagnostic procedures, diagnoses, treatment procedures, and abbreviations related to the integumentary and musculoskeletal systems; cardiovascular system; the blood and lymph system; the respiratory system; the digestive and urinary systems; the reproductive system; the endocrine system; and the nervous system.
• Define terms related to the psychology and psychiatry fields.
• Identify and define terms associated with conditions of the eyes and ears.
• Identify and define terms commonly used on operative reports.

Additional Course Material:

• Textbook: Medical Terminology, A Living Language

Objectives:

• Use percentages, discounts, and interest formulas.
• Analyze present worth and sinking funds.
• Understand how to buy in installments and price merchandise.
• Explain depreciation, insurance, equations, and formulas.
• Discuss an overview of investments and statistics.

Additional Course Material:

• Textbook: Practical Business Math Procedures

Objectives:

• Create, edit, and illustrate Microsoft® Word™ documents.
• Apply formulas and functions to large data sets in Microsoft® Excel.®
• Incorporate useful charts and graphs to summarize data.
• Add, delete, sort, and lay out table data.
• Create presentations in Microsoft® PowerPoint® using advanced tools, tables, and charts.

Objectives:

• Understand and explain the components of communication, both verbal and nonverbal.
• Develop effective listening and observation skills.
• Recognize prejudice in interpersonal relations.
• Describe personal traits essential for successful interpersonal relations.

Objectives:

• Describe the changing health-care environment and its impact on managers.
• Compare the various schools of thought on managerial skills.
• Discuss the process of planning and what role the manager plays.
• Explain the importance of delegation of authority and mentoring.
• Identify different decision-making approaches.
• Detail the skills needed to manage an entire department or organization.
• Discuss managerial functions.
• Discuss the manager’s relationship with the labor union.

Additional Course Material:

• Textbook: Healthcare Management

Objectives:

• Define terms referring to location, position, direction, body planes, and sections.
• Identify and describe the basic anatomical structures and major cavities of the human body.
• Discuss the process and mechanics of homeostasis.
• Explain how human anatomy and physiology are related.
• List and discuss the organizational levels of the human body in order of increasing complexity and explain how these levels are related to each other.
• Explain the structures, functions, and diseases of the skeletal, muscular, nervous, and endocrine systems in humans.

Additional Course Material:

• Textbook: Body Structures and Functions (with accompanying CD-ROM)

Objectives:

• Identify and describe the components, functions, and disorders of blood, the circulatory system, the lymphatic system, the respiratory system, the digestive system, the urinary system, the reproductive system, and genetics.
• Describe the processes of inflammation and coagulation.
• Explain the disease mechanisms involved in the human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
• Describe different types of microorganisms.
• Discuss the body’s defense mechanisms against infection.
• Identify and describe the functions of water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, trace elements, and vitamins.
• Explain the principles of healthy nutrition and describe nutritional disorders.
• Identify and explain the functions of the reproductive system.
• Describe the disorders of both male and female reproductive systems.
• Define genetics, mutation, and lethal genes.
• Describe selected genetic disorders.
• Explain the potential of genetic engineering.

Additional Course Material:

• Textbook: Body Structures and Functions (with accompanying CD-ROM)

Objectives:

• Define accounting and identify and describe its different classifications
• Discuss and analyze transactions that affect current assets
• Describe applications of valuation and matching in the case of accounts receivable
• Discuss the significance of inventories and cost-flow assumptions
• Explain, integrate, and interpret the basic balance sheet and the impact of those issues on net income and cash flow
• Describe variable costs, fixed costs, contribution margin, contribution margin ratio, and how to use the cost formula for total cost, operating profit, and break-even points, while applying the simplifying assumptions of linearity and relevant range

Additional Course Materials:
Textbook: Accounting: What the Numbers Mean

HUM102-Art Appreciation  
In this course, you will gain an understanding of artistic media, historical periods and artistic movements, the roles of the artist and the viewer, and the principles of art criticism.

Objectives:

• Define the language, visual elements, and principles of design of art
• Identify two-dimensional media
• Identify three-dimensional media
• Explain the evolution of art from ancient Mediterranean cultures through eighteenth century Europe
• Identify features and popular examples of art throughout the history of African, Asian, Pacific, and American cultures
• Compare the genres of the Modern and Postmodern eras of art from around the world

Additional Course Material:
Textbook: Living with Art, 11th Edition

HUM104-Music Appreciation  
In this course, you'll understand how to appreciate music by learning about the roles of the composer and the listener, the principles of music theory and instrumentation, musically significant historical periods, and varying styles of music.

Objectives:

• Identify the building blocks of music a composer can use to create a piece, such as rhythm, melody, harmony, texture, form, and timbre
• Explain the evolution of Western music through history, from the Middle Ages to the twenty-first century
• Differentiate between the music of the baroque era and the musical styles of previous time periods
• Recognize the major characteristics of classical music, including form, melody, and instrumentation
• Discuss the musical trends and innovations that occurred during the romantic era
• Trace the evolution of American popular music in the twentieth century
• Recognize the influence of world music on modern Western composition

Additional Course Material:
Textbook: Experience Music, Fourth Edition

ENG115-Introduction to Literature  
Read and analyze the main genres of literature—poetry, fiction, and drama. Study the themes and forms of literature.

Objectives:

• Read more effectively for both knowledge and enjoyment.
• Use your new vocabulary to discuss, write about, and understand literature.
• Explain the characteristics of several genres, including the short story, poetry, drama, and the essay.
• Identify and understand literary technique.
• Discuss the relationship between literature and life.

Additional Course Material:
Textbook: Literature