The healthcare tetralogy specialization is intended for anyone interested in healthcare organization as practiced in the United States. A range of healthcare organizations are discussed (e.g., medical, dental, pharmaceutical, and public health). The specialization is particularly useful to anyone working in the healthcare industry who either has: 1) a developing interest in the issues important to the administration of healthcare organization operations; or 2) some expertise, but wishes an overview or refresher of the issues. However, those who do not work in the healthcare industry, but who interact with healthcare organizations of any type as patients/consumers will also find the specialization informative. Through the four courses in the specialization, you will cover many aspects of healthcare organization operations including the relationship between healthcare organizations and the health system as well as health care delivery, business process management, and quality improvement within healthcare organizations. Upon completion of the specialization, those who interact with healthcare organizations as patients/consumers will have a better understanding of the issues involved in the effective administration of healthcare organizations and operations. Those working in the healthcare industry, upon completion of the specialization, will be better able to contribute to the effective administration of the healthcare organization’s operations.
Healthcare Organization Operations Specialization
Healthcare Foundations for Administrative Careers. This specialization introduces concepts for healthcare organization administration and operations.
Offered By
- Nurses
- Medical Doctors
- Pharmacists
- HR Specialists
- Data Analysts
Skills you will gain
How the Specialization Works
Take Courses
A Coursera Specialization is a series of courses that helps you master a skill. To begin, enroll in the Specialization directly, or review its courses and choose the one you'd like to start with. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. It’s okay to complete just one course — you can pause your learning or end your subscription at any time. Visit your learner dashboard to track your course enrollments and your progress.
Hands-on Project
Every Specialization includes a hands-on project. You'll need to successfully finish the project(s) to complete the Specialization and earn your certificate. If the Specialization includes a separate course for the hands-on project, you'll need to finish each of the other courses before you can start it.
Earn a Certificate
When you finish every course and complete the hands-on project, you'll earn a Certificate that you can share with prospective employers and your professional network.
There are 4 Courses in this Specialization
Healthcare Organizations and the Health System
Have you ever been in a healthcare waiting room and thought about how the organization could be more efficient? For example, have you found yourself thinking about how to reduce the amount of time spent waiting? Or do you work in a healthcare organization and find yourself thinking about how to improve the organization? If you have, this course is for you. Course content includes an overview of healthcare organizations, their administration and management, and their governance. The course provides links to external sites to connect you to the larger "real world" of healthcare organizations. The links also serve as resources you can take with you after you complete the course experience. And because everyone loves a road trip/field trip, there are also "virtual field trips" to the often hidden places of interest on the web. The course format is readings, videos, quizzes, and an electronic poster project. The poster project requires you to synthesize course material to design a healthcare organization and governance structure the way you would have things run in the best of all worlds. The electronic poster file is an artifact of the course which you can circulate to colleagues or use for a talk or presentation event.
Health Care Delivery in Healthcare Organizations
Have you ever needed health care and thought that there must be better ways to get or deliver health care? For example, have you found yourself thinking that there should be a way to get a diagnostic test or treatment at home? Or do you work in a healthcare organization and find yourself thinking that there must be better ways to deliver health care? If you have, this course is for you. Course content includes an overview of health care delivery including healthcare consumerism, the patient's perspective, health care delivery for sickness and treatment, as well as health care delivery for health and wellness. The course provides links to external sites to connect you to the larger "real world" of healthcare organizations and health care delivery. The links also serve as resources you can take with you after you complete the course experience. And because everyone loves a road trip/field trip, there are also "virtual field trips" to the often hidden places of interest on the web. The course format is readings, videos, quizzes, and a brief electronic PowerPoint presentation project (PowerPoint only - no oral presentation). The PowerPoint project requires you to synthesize course material to design a patient-centered health care delivery system the way you would have things run in the best of all worlds. The electronic PowerPoint presentation file is an artifact of the course which you can circulate to colleagues or use for a talk or presentation event.
Business Process Management in Healthcare Organizations
Have you ever needed to resolve a billing or other issue with a healthcare organization and thought that there must be a better, more efficient, and more customer-friendly way to operate such a business process? For example, have you thought that there should be an easier way to read your bill or pay your bill? Or do you work in a healthcare organization and find yourself thinking that there must be better ways for the business processes to function? If you have, this course is for you. Course content includes an overview of healthcare organization business processes including business process management approaches as well as a discussion of healthcare organization entrepreneurship as a business process. The course provides links to external sites to connect you to the larger "real world" of healthcare organization business processes, business process management, and entrepreneurship. The links also serve as resources you can take with you after you complete the course experience. And because everyone loves a road trip/field trip, there are also "virtual field trips" to the often hidden places of interest on the web. The course format is readings, videos, quizzes, and a project. The project requires you to synthesize course material to design patient-centered business processes for a healthcare organization the way you would have things run in the best of all worlds. The design (submitted as an electronic word processing document in memo format) is an artifact of the course which you can circulate to colleagues or use as the basis for a talk or presentation event.
Quality Improvement in Healthcare Organizations
Have you ever though that healthcare quality could be improved - either where you get health care treatment or where you delivery health care? Have you ever thought that there should be a way for you to determine the relative quality of your choices? Have you found yourself thinking that there should be a way for you to provide your view and input on the quality of healthcare organization? Or do you work in a healthcare organization and find yourself thinking that there must be better ways to continuously and systematically improve the quality of your healthcare organization? If you have, this course is for you. Course content includes an overview of quality and quality improvement programs, measures, and data in healthcare organizations. The course provides links to external sites to connect you to the larger "real world" of healthcare organization quality and quality improvement. The links also serve as resources you can take with you after you complete the course experience. And because everyone loves a road trip/field trip, there are also "virtual field trips" to the often hidden places of interest on the web. The course format is readings, videos, quizzes, and a project. The project requires you to synthesize course material to design a quality improvement program for a healthcare organization the way you would have things run in the best of all worlds. The design (submitted as an electronic spreadsheet) is an artifact of the course which you can circulate to colleagues or use as the basis for talks or presentations.
Instructor
Margaret Kilduff, Ph.D.
Professor EmeritaAbout Rutgers the State University of New Jersey
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the refund policy?
Can I just enroll in a single course?
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
Is financial aid available?
Can I take the course for free?
Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
How long does it take to complete the Specialization?
Each course contains four (4) lessons and each lesson takes approximately 4-6 hours of learner work to complete. The total time required for the successful completion of each course is approximately 16 - 24 hours. The total learner time required for the successful completion of the specialization is, therefore, approximately 64 - 96 hours. You work at your own pace. Some students complete one lesson per week (16 weeks to complete the specialization). Some students, however, work at a faster pace. Some work at a slower pace. The choice is yours and, clearly, depends on other demands on your schedule while completing the specialization.
What background knowledge is necessary?
No background knowledge is necessary to successfully complete the specialization. All that is necessary to begin and successfully complete each course in the specialization is an interest in the content and a motivation to complete the course. However, those working in the healthcare industry may find the content more interesting and relevant.
Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?
No, the courses do not have to be taken in any specific order. The courses do not "build on each other". The content of any one course in the specialization can be successfully completed without having completed any of the other courses in the specialization.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?
No, neither Rutgers University academic credit nor continuing education units (CEUs) are earned upon the successful completion of any course in the specialization or the successful completion of the specialization as a whole.
What will I be able to do upon completing the Specialization?
Upon successful completion of the specialization, those who interact with healthcare organizations as patients/consumers will have a better understanding of the issues involved in the effective administration of healthcare organizations and operations. Those working in the healthcare industry, upon completion of the specialization, will be better able to contribute to the effective administration of the healthcare organization’s operations.
Where is the Rutgers University 1902 gate shown in the picture located?
The Class of 1902 erected the gate in 1904. It leads to the Queens Campus located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The six-acre Queens Campus is the oldest section of Rutgers. It is included on both the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places. The picture is by Zeete [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Queens_Campus,_New_Brunswick,_NJ_-_Class_of_1902_Memorial_Gateway.jpg)
Who is the photographer for the photo used for the specialization logo?
The photographer is rawpixel and the photo was downloaded from Unsplash (https://unsplash.com/).
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