Syllabus for HCF-701

HEALTHCARE FINANCE


COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course focuses on some of the unique components of finance as they relate to healthcare facilities and some of the major issues they are faced with.   Students will strive to develop an understanding of the healthcare industry and the unique aspects related to healthcare finance.  Increased knowledge of major national issues pertaining to Medicare and Managed Care payment systems and how they affect the economics of providers will be explored.  Students will also develop an understanding of significant and nonsignificant financial management and management process issues.  A preview of the healthcare industry and its effect on healthcare finance will also be explored.  Additional topics include reimbursement systems, managed care, insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, DRG Prospective Payment, accessibility, eligibility, budgeting, and planning.  Emphasis will be placed on the application of these topics to aid in making managerial decisions.  

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you will be able to:

 

COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The required textbook is available from the University’s textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Required Textbook

ISBN-13: 978-1118801680

COURSE STRUCTURE

Healthcare Finance is a three-credit online course, consisting of four modules. Modules include an overview, topics, learning objectives, study materials, discussion forums, and written assignments. Module titles are listed below.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in five graded discussion forums, two synchronous events, and to complete three written assignments. You are also required to complete a final project.

Consult the Course Calendar for assignment due dates.

Discussion Forums

This course requires you to participate in five graded discussion forums. There is also one ungraded but required forums in Module 1. In addition, there are two discussion forums for synchronous events.  

Online Discussion Grading Rubric.

Written Assignments

You are required to complete three written assignments. Each written assignment focuses on topics or cases covered in the modules.  It can be essay questions or scenarios related to healthcare finance.

Written Assignment Rubric.

Synchronous Events

You are required to participate in two synchronous events during Week 3 and 7 of the semester. Each synchronous event will be held in EdisonLive!, our virtual meeting space.  To access the event, click the Collaboration Space link in the Edison Live! section of the course site a few minutes before the designated time. Use the following link for directions and helpful videos about how to use the Edison Live! tool in Moodle. Your mentor will work with the class to propose a time that works best and accommodates the majority. Both synchronous events will focus on the issues or questions related to the final project. See the Module 2 and Module 4 areas of the course web site for further details.

Final Project

You are required at the end of the course to submit a final project based on your research of a healthcare organization you have chosen. The final project covers most of the healthcare financial management topics you learned in this course.

See the Final Project area of the course web site for further details.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

A

=

93–100

B

=

83–87

A–

=

90–92

C

=

73–82

B+

=

88–89

F

=

Below 73

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., assignments, discussion postings, projects, etc.). Graduate students must maintain a B average overall to remain in good academic standing.

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Thomas Edison State University is committed to maintaining academic quality, excellence, and honesty. The University expects all members of its community to share the commitment to academic integrity, an essential component of a quality academic experience.

Students at Thomas Edison State University are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlined procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.

All members of the University community are responsible for reviewing the Academic Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog and online at www.tesu.edu.

Academic Dishonesty

Thomas Edison State University expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the University insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty can take the following forms:

Plagiarism

Thomas Edison State University is committed to helping students understand the seriousness of plagiarism, which is defined as using the work and ideas of others without proper citation. The University takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing are subject to discipline under the academic code of conduct policy.

If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, or without identifying it as a direct quote, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > “Citing Sources.”)

Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else’s. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.

Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.

Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.

For examples of unintentional plagiarism, advice on when to quote and when to paraphrase, and information about writing assistance and originality report checking, click the links provided below.

Examples of Unintentional Plagiarism

When to Quote and When to Paraphrase

Writing Assistance at Smarthinking

Originality Report Checking at Turnitin

Disciplinary Process for Plagiarism

Acts of both intentional and unintentional plagiarism violate the Academic Code of Conduct.

If an incident of plagiarism is an isolated minor oversight or an obvious result of ignorance of proper citation requirements, the mentor may handle the matter as a learning exercise. Appropriate consequences may include the completion of tutorials, assignment rewrites, or any other reasonable learning tool in addition to a lower grade for the assignment or course. The mentor will notify the student and appropriate dean of the consequence by e-mail.

If the plagiarism appears intentional and/or is more than an isolated incident, the mentor will refer the matter to the appropriate dean, who will gather information about the violation(s) from the mentor and student, as necessary. The dean will review the matter and notify the student in writing of the specifics of the charge and the sanction to be imposed.

Possible sanctions include:

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