Welcome to Health Care for the Indigent Underserved

Course Description

This course explores populations of Americans underserved by the health care system. Topics cover the impact of living without insurance or enough insurance, services aimed to address the needs of underserved populations, health disparities, and health system change. The course intends to equip students to understand both existing approaches and the policy development necessary to shape future directions.

The course syllabus can be found on the Syllabus page. The course activities and pre-class reading assignments are found in Modules.

Concentration Competencies

MPH-Policy program-related competencies

Primary degree program competencies

Prepare health policy briefings suitable for the range of policy stakeholders involved with the formulation and implementation of a health policy under consideration by decision makers
Design and advocacy strategy for the development and implementation of a health policy

MPH-Health Management program-related competencies

Primary degree program competencies

Assume supervisory-level general-management responsibilities in a health services delivery organization
Execute both an operations management and a strategic management analysis in the role of a health services consultant

MSPH-Health Policy and Health Services Research program-related competencies

Primary degree program competencies

Function as a team collaborator in the development and/or execution of a health services research investigation

PHD-Health Services Research and Health Policy program-related competencies

Primary degree program competencies

Conduct a health services or health policy research investigation suitable for peer-reviewed publication as an independent researcher
Function as an interdisciplinary team collaborator in the design and conducting of a health services or health policy research investigation

Course Learning Objectives

The major goal of HPM 565 is to foster the development of a framework to understand the health service needs of people underserved by the existing US health service delivery systems and the challenges of defining and addressing the needs of these population groups.

Upon completion of the course students will be able to:

Characterize population groups suffering disparities in health status and facing greater challenges and access barriers to needed health services
Discuss major components and implementation of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act with a focus on underserved populations
Recognize challenges faced by the health care safety net
Understand the gaps in the current system of insurance coverage and the roles of Medicaid and Medicare and the impact of economic challenge and reform
Examine influences of race and other characteristics on disparities in health status and access to health services
Forecast the evolving role of public health within an era of rapid change
Align proposed health care reform initiatives with health system changes necessary to assure access to affordable high-quality health services for people underserved by today’s health service delivery system

Welcome to Health Care for the Indigent Underserved

Course Description

Concentration Competencies

Course Learning Objectives

Instructor Modules Questions