5 credits

The focus of this course is the development of leadership competencies and skills to support the delivery of quality health care. Emphasis is placed on understanding tools and applications for improving health system performance. Using a systems approach, students explore the organizational structures that impact health care quality performance and, ultimately, patient outcomes. Using macro (enterprise-wide) and micro (individual and team performance) perspectives, students examine the leadership roles that define, develop, and support decisions affecting quality improvement strategies. Students in this course address how key organizational theories, principles, and concepts relate to achieving the effective and efficient delivery of safe health care services. Comparative effectiveness methods and strategies are introduced to aid leaders in building organizational capacity to utilize data to compete on quality and value measures. Through the development of a quality program initiative, students demonstrate an understanding of the impact an initiative has on organizational structure, its environment, and the system’s leadership.