SEMESTER: Spring 2020

COURSE NUMBER: PHW227A.1

This class is run by the School of Public Health’s Online Master of Public Health Program

COURSE TITLE: Health Care Finance

UNITS OF CREDIT: 3 Units

INSTRUCTOR: Kimberly MacPherson, MBA MPH

E-MAIL ADDRESS: kmacpherson@haas.berkeley.edu

CLASS WEB PAGE LOCATION (HTTP URL):  we will use bCourses as primary method for class materials/communications

MEETING DAY(S)/TIME: This is an online course where the content is available asynchronously but it runs between March 9th and May 3rd.  There are no in-person meetings, all interactions are online with faculty, GSIs, students, etc. 

PREREQUISITE(S):  EW203 Intro to Finance (core) and EW202 Financial Accounting (core)

CAREER FIELD: This three-unit online course provides the student with an understanding of the importance of finance in healthcare and provides basic financial and accounting skills needed by all health professionals. 

CLASS FORMAT:  The course is delivered via asynchronous narrated PowerPoint lectures, guided readings and assigned visual resources, case-based homework assignments, and facilitated discussions.  There are weekly due dates (Monday’s at midnight) for homework assignments, a proctored midterm exam (during Week 4) and a final individual project on strategic investment analysis that provides an opportunity to apply skills in analyzing a real financial decision-making situation. Participation will be stimulated and assessed using topic discussions and the assignment to follow and prepare a financial status overview of a healthcare organization.  Note that this class is cross-listed with School of Public Health and will also include students who are part of the online MPH degree

REQUIRED READINGS:  Transcripts for all lectures are available (in lieu of watching the videos) and there are some assigned articles to supplement the lectures, videos, etc

ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES: 
This 3-unit online course provides the student with an understanding of the importance of finance in healthcare and provides insight into the application of core financial and accounting skills needed by all health professionals.  The course introduces students to concepts in both financial and managerial accounting in an applied healthcare format covering a range of sectors (e.g. provider, payer, product).  Teaches students relevant financial techniques used by healthcare managers and those charged with key capital investment decisions including: ratio analysis, cost-volume profit analysis, pricing, discounted cash flow and forecasting.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: 

· Executive Director of Health Management at the Haas School of Business and Faculty in Health Policy and Management at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health

· Co-Director for the Berkeley Center for Health Technology (BCHT)

· Regularly teaches a variety of graduate level courses at both Haas and SPH including Health Care Finance, Healthcare in the 21st Century, Trends in Biotech/Pharma, Commercializing Biotech, Unlocking Digital Health Innovation, and Health Care Negotiations.