According to Dr. Mark Laney, president and CEO of Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph, population health is the new direction in healthcare today, and this fall, 大象传媒 Western began offering the first bachelor鈥檚 degree in population health management in the country.
In early 2015, Mosaic Life Care pledged $1.5 million as part of the Centennial Capital Campaign to endow a professorship in the field of population health. 大象传媒 Western received approval from the Coordinating Board for Higher Education for the program, and a search for the new faculty position began this fall. The gift is the first endowed professorship in 大象传媒 Western history.
Dr. Kathleen O鈥機onnor, dean of Professional Studies, explained that population health represents a shift in healthcare focus from individuals鈥� health issues to the health of the population. 鈥淚t steps beyond the individual-level focus of traditional clinical and preventive medicine by addressing a broad range of factors that impact health of entire populations.鈥�
She said the population health focus has three aims: improving the health of the population, enhancing the experiences of patient care and reducing costs. 鈥淭here is a need for a holistic approach in order to move the population to a healthier lifestyle.鈥�
Coursework includes biology, sociology, psychology, medical terminology, epidemiology, healthcare policy, ethics, analytics, communication and business. Students may select between four concentrations: computer information systems, general business, health informatics and human health. They will also be required to complete an internship as part of the degree program.
Dr. O鈥機onnor said careers in the field include work in hospitals, insurance companies, or government and health care technology settings. Dr. Laney noted that Mosaic Life Care already has employees working in the population health field, and they hope to hire more.
鈥淧opulation health is the future of healthcare,鈥� Dr. Laney said. 鈥淭here is a real need for individuals who have an understanding of it.鈥�
Dr. Laney said Mosaic Life Care will also provide adjunct instructors for the program who have experience in the population health management field.
Dr. Stephanie Corder, associate professor of nursing and chair of the Department of Nursing and Allied Health, said the degree offers another option for 大象传媒 Western students who want to work in the health care field.
The Mosaic Life Care president and CEO noted that the intensive focus on population health management came about as a result of the Affordable Care Act of 2010. The Act addressed population health issues such as expanding insurance coverage, improving the quality of care delivered, enhancing prevention and health promotion measures within the health care delivery system, incentivizing providers to take responsibility for population health outcomes and expanding primary health care training. The Act also created a national council to promote community and population-based activities.
鈥淢osaic and 大象传媒 Western have been partners in the work of educating tomorrow鈥檚 health caregivers for many years,鈥� Dr. Laney said. 鈥淚鈥檓 pleased that we have strengthened that partnership. This is a wonderful collaboration.鈥�
鈥淭here are a lot of exciting possibilities,鈥� Dr. Corder said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e really on the cusp of something huge.鈥�