Seminar 1, 2, and 3 in Public Health Management (PHMS 751, 752, 753)

Seminar 1, 2, and 3 in Public Health Management (PHMS 751, 752, 753)

PHMS 751 752 753 Seminar Ph.D. PHSHealth Management Concentration

Course Data

Spring 2012

Number:PHMS 751, 752, 753

Title:Seminar – Public Health Management

Credit-hours:1 hour

Department:Health Management & Systems Sciences

School/College:School of Public Health and Information Sciences

Type:Topical Structured Discussion Group

Meeting Time Monday 5:00pm to 6:00pm

Meeting Place SPHIS Room 200

Catalog Description

Doctoral students engage with faculty to critically review significant literature related to major influential factors impacting the context of public health management and to develop an in depth research paper on a topic related to specific aspects of the context of public health management. Students will also develop an effective oral presentation of this research effort.

Course Description

Doctoral students will interactively engage with the Health Management & Systems Sciences faculty to critically review important literature relevant to key factors influencing the context of public health. Students will be expected to develop and demonstrate presentation skills by making an effective oral presentation of this research effort. This seminar is the first of three one hour seminars required of all Ph.D. students in the Health Management Concentration and is intended to provide students with a unifying prospective for the Ph.D. curriculum.

Course Objectives

The content of this course varies from semester to semester based on the instructors and needs of the students. In general, upon completion of this class, students are able to:

  • Demonstrate ability to interact with faculty and peers in a professional manner.
  • Demonstrate, through in class discussions and written work, an in depth understanding of the dynamic importance of the context of public health management, including purpose, social, behavioral, cultural, political and economic influences on the practice of public health management.
  • Display accurate and appropriate understanding of legal & ethical responsibilities in carrying out the functions of public health management.
  • Develop a quality research manuscript dealing with a particular topic related to public health management that provides a useful review of relevant aspects health management literature and includes a critical review of health management implementation methods.
  • Make an effective oral presentation on the research manuscript produced for the seminar.
  • Critically review and lead discussions of the recently published research on current topics in public health management.

Prerequisites

Enrollment in the concentration in Health Management Concentration in the Public Health Sciences PhD program and permission of the instructor.

Course Instructors

Name / Office / Phone / Email
Raymond Austin, PhD Course Director / SPHIS 116 / 502-852-2490 /
Co-course Directors
Robert Esterhay, MD / SPHIS 109A / 502-852-6135 /
Rob Steiner, MD, PhD, / SPHIS 115 / 502-852-3006 /
Barry Wainscott, MD,MPH / SPHIS 113 / 502-852-3286 /
Susan O. Allen, PhD / SPHIS 111 / 502-852-1824 /
John Morse, MBA / Abell 404 / 502-852-6989 /
LaQuandra Nesbitt, MD,MPH / SPHIS 105 / 502-852-3299 /
James Taylor, PhD / UofL Hospital / 502-562-3000 /

The course instructors welcome conversations with students outside of class. Students may correspond with instructors by email or set up appointments with individual instructors. Students may contact Kathie Sacksteder (Telephone 852-8040 or e-mail with questions they might have regarding the mechanics or operation of the course.

Course Topics and Schedule

IMPORTANT NOTE: In as much as this seminar will include relevant and timely matters related to Public Health, the schedule and topics may change in effort to take into account relevant and current topics in the field. Changes will be posted on Blackboard as needed.

The course will address the context and issues relating to public health management by focusing on major factors that influence the practice of Public Health Management. Influencing factors to be considered include: social, behavioral, cultural, political, economic, legal and ethical issues. The course co-instructors will collaborate on the content, schedule, readings, and assignments for the course resulting in a modified syllabus based on the topics identified below. The class will meet for one hour each week. The course director will be responsible for making changes or adjustments to the course schedule as may be required to accommodate schedules of course participants and actual progress in covering the course material. The course will be organized in a manor to promote interactive discussions between member of the HMSS department and students on the identified topics.

Below is a weekly reading assignment schedule for the seminar. Each week’s discussion will be lead by a student with the support of at least one designated faculty member. The student will take primary responsibility for developing the discussion questions and leading the discussion. It is anticipated that each student will lead three separate weekly discussions. Any changes or additions to the reading assignments will be provided by each week’s leadership team in advance of the topic discussion date and communicated to Dr. Austin, and all seminar participants.

PHMS 751, 752, 753 Seminar – Spring 2012

Date / Topic(s)
Jan 9 / Introductions of Students & Faculty
Introduction to the Course and Overview of Course Objectives
Opening Discussion on the Role and Scope of Public Health
Health Care spending in the United States and Selected OECD Countries

Recommended Background Reading for the Seminar:
Summary of The Affordable Care Act Health Reform Law (p.13)
(
Health Reform Implementation Timeline (p.5)
(
National Health Spending Projections Through 2020: Economic Recovery And Reform Drive Faster Spending Growth (p.11)
by Sean P. Keenan, et., al.
Health Affairs August 2011Vol. 30, No. 8, pp. 1594-1605
Jan 16 / Martin Luther King Holiday
Jan 23 / Topic: The U.S. Health Care System & Public Health
Reading Assignment:
Why Not the Best? Results from the National Scorecard on U.S. Health System Performance, 2011 (p. 4)
Authors: The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System
The Commonwealth Fund, October 18, 2011

A Road Map For Improving The Performance of Performance Measures (p.4)
by Peter J. Pronovost and Richard Lilford
Health Affairs April 2011 Vol. 30, No. 4, pp. 569-572
Taking Public Health Approaches To Care In Massachusetts (p. 4)
by Janel Currie, Samantha Heep Ray and Mathew Neidell
Health Affairs March 2011 Vol. 30, No. 3, pp. 435-438
Recommending Background Reading
Creating A Framework For Getting Quality Into The Public Health System (p.8)
by Peggy A. Honore, et., al.
Health Affairs April 2011 Vol. 30, No. 4, pp.
Evidence Links Increases In Public Health Spending to Declines in Preventable Deaths (p. 7)
by Glen P. Mays and Sharla A. Smith
Health Affairs Web First August 2011 Vol. 30, No. 8, pp. 1-9)
Jan 30 / Topic: The U.S. Health Care System & Public Health (Continued)
Reading Assignment
What Changes in Survival Rates Tell Us About US Health Care (p. 8)
by Peter A. Muennig and Sherry A. Glied
Health Affairs November 2010Vol. 29, No. 11, pp. 2105-2113
Measuring Health Care Performance Now, Not Tomorrow: Essential Steps To Support Effective Health Reform (p.6)
by Joachim Roski and Mark McClellan
Health Affairs April 2011Vol. 30, No. 4, pp. 682-688
Use of 13 Disease In 5 Countries Demonstrates The Potential To Use Outcome Data To Improve Health Care’s Value (p. 6)
by Stefan Larsson, et,. al.
Health Affairs January 2012Vol. 31, No. 1,pp. 1-7
Feb 6 / Topic: Linking Public Health Matters To The Public’s Support
Reading Assignment:
The Vagaries of Public Support For Governmental Actions In Case Of A Pandemic (p. 7)
by Karen M. Hilyard, et., al.
Health Affairs December 2010 Vol. 29, No. 12, pp. 2294-2301
Providing Vaccines Against Human Papillomavirus To Adolesent Girls In The Americans: Battling Cervical Cancer, Improving Overall Health (p.5)
by Silvana Luciani, Elisa Preto-Lara, and Andrea Vicari
Health Affairs June 2011 Vol. 30, No. 6, pp. 1089-1095
Confidence About Vaccines In The United States: Understanding Parents’ Perception (p. 6)
by Allison Kennedy, et., al.
Health Affairs June 2011 Vol. 30, No. 6, pp. 1151-1159
Building A Stronger Foundation For A New Century Of Treatments And Cures (p. 3)
by Kathleen Sebelius
Health Affairs January 2011 Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 81-83
Recommended Background Reading
Americans’ Conflicting Views About The Public Health System, And How To Shore Up Support (p.6 )
by Robert J. Blendon, et., al.
Health Affairs November 2010 Vol. 29, No.11, pp. 2033-2039
Feb 13 / Topic: The Affordable Care Act – Legal Challenges
Reading Assignment:
Health Affairs Health Policy Briefs: Legal Challenges to Health Reform
Health Affairs Policy Brief Updated July 8, 2011 (p. 4)
Health Affairs Policy Brief Updated October 31, 2011 (p. 4)
Health Affairs Policy Brief Updated November 30, 2011 (p. 3)
Recommended Background Reading
The Political Challenges That May Undermine Health Reform (p.4)
by Theda Skocpol
Health Affairs July 2010 Vol. 29, No.7, pp. 1288-1291
Feb 20 / Topic: Health Reform and Public Health
Reading Assignment:
How The National Prevention Council Can Overcome Key Challenges And Improve Americans’ Health (p. 6)
by Elizabeth Rigby
Health Affairs November 2011 Vol. 30, No. 11, pp. 2149-2156
Lessons From San Francisco: Health Impact Assessments Have Advanced Political Conditions For Improving Population Health (p. 8)
by Rajiv Bhatia and Jason Corburn
Health Affairs December 2011 Vol. 30, No. 12, pp. 2410-2418
Medicaid Savings Resulted When Community Health Workers Matched Those With Needs To Home And Community Care (p. 7)
by Holly C. Felix, et., al.
Health Affairs May 2011 Vol. 30, No. 5, pp. 814-822
Recommended Background Reading
Increased Spending On Health Care: Long-term Implications For The Nation (p.3)
by Michael E. Chernew, Richard A. Hirth & David M. Cutler
Health Affairs September/October 2009 Vol. 28, No.5 pp.1253-1255
Driving Population Health Through Accountable Care Organizations (p.9)
by Susan DeVore and R. Wesley Champion
Health Affairs January 2011 Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 41-50
Feb 27 / Topic: Dealing with Racial And Ethnic Disparities in The Health System
Reading Assignment:
Health Policy Brief Achieving Equity in Health (p. 6)
Health Affairs October 6, 2011
Reducing Racial And Ethnic Disparities: The Action Plan From The Department Of Health And Human Services (p. 6)
by Howard K. Koh, Garth Graham and Sherry A. Gilied
Health Affairs October 2011 Vol. 30, No. 10, pp. 1822-1829
Understanding Disparities In Health Care Access – And Reducing Them – Through A Focus On Public Health ( p. 6)
by Kathryn Pitkin Derose, et., al.
Health Affairs October 2011 Vol. 30, No. 10, pp. 1844-1851
Awareness Of Racial And Ethnic Health Disparities Has Improved Only Modestly Over A Decade (p. 6)
by Jennifer K. Benz, et., al.
Health Affairs October 2011 Vol. 30, No. 10, pp. 1860-1867
March 5 / Topic: Dealing with Racial And Ethnic Disparities in The Health System (Continued)
Reading Assignment:
Where Health Disparities Begin: The Role of Social And Economic Determinants – And Why Current Policies May Make Matter Worse (p. 6)
by Steven H. Woolf and Paula Braveman
Health Affairs October 2011 Vol. 30, No. 10, pp. 1852-1859
High-Quality Health Care: The Essential Route to Eliminating Disparities And Achieving Health Equity (p. 3)
by Anne C. Beal
Health Affairs October 2011 Vol. 30, No. 10, pp. 1868-1871
Collection Of Race And Ethnicity Data By Health Plans Has Grown Substantially, But Opportunities Remain To Expand Efforts (p. 7)
by Jose J. Escarce, et., al.
Health Affairs October 2011 Vol. 30, No. 10, pp. 1984-1991
The Corporate Role In Reducing Disparities: Initiatives Under Way At Verizon (p. 4)
by Audrietta C. Izlar
Health Affairs October 2011 Vol. 30, No. 10, pp. 1992-1996
March 12 / Spring Break
March 19 / Topic: Community Development and Health Improvement
Reading Assignment:
Health Policy Brief: Community Development And Health (p. 4)
Health Affairs November 10, 2011
Community Development Efforts Offer A Major Opportunity To Advance American’ Health (p. 3)
by David R. Williams and James Marks
Health Affairs November 2011 Vol. 30, No. 11, pp. 2052-2055
How The Health And Community Development Sectors Are Combining Forces To Improve Health And Well-Being (p. 8)
by Sandra Braunstein and Risa Lavizo-Mourey
Health Affairs November 2011 Vol. 30, No. 11, pp. 2042-2051
Partnerships Among Community Development, Public Health, And Health Care Could Improve The Well-Being Of Low-Income People (p. 7)
by David Erickson and Nancy Andrews
Health Affairs November 2011 Vol. 30, No. 11, pp. 2056-2063
Recommended Background Reading
Putting Prevention In Its Place: The Shift From Clinic To Community (p.3)
By Douglas Shenson
Health Affairs, Vol. 25, No. 4, July / August 2006, pp 1012-1015
March 26 / Topic: Community Development and Health Improvement (Continued)
Reading Assignment:
Despite Obstacles, Considerable Potential Exists For More Robust Federal Policy On Community Development and Health (p. 6)
by Mariana Arcaya and Xavier de Souza Briggs
Health Affairs November 2011 Vol. 30, No. 11, pp. 2064-2071
Community Health Centers And Community Development Financial Institutions: Joining Forces To Address Determinants of Health (p. 6)
by Ronda Kotelchuck, Daniel Lowenstein and Jonathan N. Tobin
Health Affairs November 2011 Vol. 30, No. 11, pp. 2090-2097
Recommended Background Reading
Don’t Forget About The Social Determinants of Health (p.5)
by Gail R. Wilensky and David Satcher
Health Affairs Web Exclusive January 16, 2009, pp w194-w198
April 2 / Topic: Addressing Public Health Issues Related to the Environment
Reading Assignment:
From Endocrine Disruptors To Nanomaterials: Advancing Our Understanding Of Environmental Health To Protect Public Health (p. 6)
by Linda S. Brinbaum and Paul Jung
Health Affairs May 2011 Vol. 30, No. 5, pp. 814-822
Quasi-Experimental Studies Suggest That Lowering Air Pollution Levels Benefits Infants’ And Children’s Health (p. 7)
by Janel Currie, Samantha Heep Ray and Mathew Neidell
Health Affairs December 2011 Vol. 30, No. 12, pp. 2391-2399
Air Pollution Around Schools Is Linked To Poorer Student Health And Academic Performance (p. 8)
by Paul Mohai, Byoung-Suk Kweon, Sangyun Lee and Kerry Ard
Health Affairs May 2011 Vol. 30, No. 5, pp. 1-11
April 9 / Topic: Addressing Public Health Issues Related to the Environment (Continued)
Reading Assignment:
Reducing The Staggering Cost of Environmental Disease In Children, Estimated At $76.6 billion In 2008 (p. 5)
by Leonardo Trasande and Yinghua Liu
Health Affairs May 2011 Vol. 30, No. 5, pp. 1-7
Children’s Vulnerability To Toxic Chemicals: A Challenge And Opportunity To Strengthen Health And Environmental Policy (p. 7)
by Philip J. Landrigan and Lynn R. Goldman
Health Affairs May 2011 Vol. 30, No. 5, pp. 842-850
The Need For Better Public Health Decisions On Chemicals Released Into Our Environment (p. 8)
by Tracey J. Woodruff, Thomas A. Burke and Lauren Zeise
Health Affairs May 2011 Vol. 30, No. 5, pp. 957-967
Japan’s Nuclear Crisis Renews Debate Over Environment, Health and Global energy Use (p. 3)
by David Biello
Health Affairs May 2011 Vol. 30, No. 5, pp. 811-813
April 16 / Topic: Health Information Technology and Public Health Improvement
Reading Assignment:
Using Health Information Exchange To Improve Public Health (p. 6)
by Jason S.Shapiro, et. al.
American Journal of Public Health April 2011 Vol. 101, No. 4, pp.616-623
The Benefits Of Health Information Technology: A Review Of The Recent Literature Shows Predominantly Positive Results (p. 7)
by Melinda Beeuwkes Buntin, et., al.
Health Affairs March Vol. 30, No. 3 pp. 464-471
An Early Status Report On The Beacon Communities’ Plans For Transformtion Via Health Information Technology (p. 5)
by Aaron McKethan, et., al.
Health Affairs April 2011 Vol. 30, No. 4, pp. 782-788
Recommended Background Reading
Collecting & Sharing Data for Population Health: A New Paradigm (p.10)
by Carol C. Diamond, Farzad Mostashari, Clay Shirky
Health Affairs March/April 2009 Vol. 28 No. 2, pp. 454-466
Health Information Technology: Laying the Infrastructure for National Health Reform (p.6)
by Melinda Beeuwkes Buntin, Sachin H. Jain & David Blumenthal
Health Affairs June 2010 Vol.29, No.6, pp. 1214-1219
April 23 / Topic: Looking Ahead
Reading Assignment:
New Forecasting Methodology Indicates More Disease And Earlier Mortality Ahead For Today’s Younger Americans (p. 6)
by Eric N. Reither, S. Jay Olshansky and Yang Yang
Health Affairs August 2011 Vol. 30, No. 8, pp. 1-7
Six Climate Change-Related Events In The United States Accounted For About $14 Billion In Lost Lives And Health Costs (p. 7)
by Kim Knowlton, et. al.
Health Affairs November 2011 Vol. 30, No. 11, pp. 2167-2175
The Trade-Off Among Quality, Quantity and Costs: How To Make It – If We Must (p. 6)
by Mark V. Pauly
Health Affairs April 2011 Vol. 30, No. 4, pp. 574-580
An Update on the status of Health Reform efforts - to be identified later.
Additional readings may be assigned as they may become available and are appropriate to the seminar focus.

Course Materials

Blackboard

The primary mechanism for communication in this course, other than class meetings, is UofL’s Blackboard system at http://ulink.louisville.edu/ or http://blackboard.louisville.edu/. Instructors use Blackboard to make assignments, provide materials, communicate changes or additions to the course materials or course schedule, and to communicate with students other aspects of the course. It is imperative that students familiarize themselves with Blackboard, check Blackboard frequently for possible announcements, and make sure that their e-mail account in Blackboard is correct, active, and checked frequently.

Required Texts

None.

Other Required Reading

The reading assignments will be drawn primarily from current literature in the field. The scheduling of week by week reading assignments is included in this syllabus. Discussion leaders designated for each week’s topic may make changes and additions to the posted reading assignment as is necessary, provided that sufficient notice is provided to other seminar participants. The course reading materials will be available through the University of Louisville Library.

Prepared Materials Used by Instructors

As is appropriate or useful, materials used by the discussion leaders in class will be made available to students via Blackboard. There is no assurance that the Blackboard materials include everything discussed in the class.

Course Policies

Requirement for Multiple Instances of Course

Students are required to take this course as part of a seminar series offered over three semesters in order to complete the requirement for the PhD concentration in Health Management. The effort and deliverables presented in this syllabus are for the set of three components of the seminar series.

Attendance and Class Participation

Class attendance and participation is expected. Students regularly complete assessments of their individual as well as group performance that will contribute to their final grade. Students are expected to complete background readings for each class session and class-specific assignments.

Student Evaluation

As the content of this course may vary considerable from semester to semester, grading is done using qualitative descriptors for performance with narrative assessments, with letter grade equivalents as shown, according to the following criteria:

Grade Item / A / B / F
Seminar attendance[1] / Criterion / 100% > 90% / > 75% / ≤ 75%
Score / 5 / 4 / 0-3
Seminar preparation and participation / Criterion / Demonstrates outstanding preparation for seminars, asks advanced questions, and readily integrates new knowledge and information / Demonstrates satisfactory preparation for seminars / Is poorly prepared for seminars, has not read materials, and brings no new information
Score / 15 - 14 / 13 / 0 to 7
Group participation / Criterion / Demonstrates leadership in group discussions, supports statements with facts, and summarizes issues clearly and succinctly / Participates in most group discussions / Participates little or none in group discussions
Score / 10 – 9.5 / 9 / 0 to 5
Assignments[2] / Criterion / Provides timely and outstanding results for individual and group assignments and presentations / Provides timely and satisfactory results for individual and group assignments and presentations / Provides late or unsatisfactory results for individual and group assignments and presentations
Score / 10 – 9.5 / 9 / 0 to 5
Research paper[3] / Criterion / Outstanding / Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory
Score / 30 -28 / 20-27 / 0-19
Grade Item / A / B / F
Poster or oral presentation[4] / Criterion / Excellent / Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory
Score / 10 – 9.5 / 9 / 0-7
Individual and group assessments / Criterion / Regularly provides balanced, constructive feedback in individual and group assessments / Participates in most individual and group assessments / Participates little or none in individual and group assessments
Score / 10 – 9.5 / 9 / 0-5
Professional behavior / Criterion / Demonstrates professional behavior with respect to faculty and peers and a thorough understanding of ethical principles / Demonstrates professional behavior with respect to faculty and peers / Unprofessional, disrespectful, or disruptive behavior with respect to faculty and peers
Score / 10 – 9.5 / 9 / 0-8
Total / 100 - 90 / 82-89 / 0-58

Grading