New MBA Concentration Aimed at Health Care Professionals

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Posted on April 26, 2019

Marketing and Communications

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Health care is an ever-evolving industry. With new technologies being developed and regulations being constantly revised, leaders in the field must stay on top of the changes or be left behind.

To meet these challenges, the University of South Alabama's Mitchell College of Business and the College of Medicine have collaborated to provide a new learning opportunity for health care professionals. Starting in fall 2019, the Master of Business Administration program will offer a concentration in health care leadership.

According to Dr. Bob Wood, dean of the Mitchell College of Business, the program is designed to benefit professionals across the health care industry — those working in clinics and hospitals, private practice, public health, research scientists, and those currently in health care management positions. The curriculum emphasizes experiential learning with practical application.

"Individuals completing the courses will be better prepared for the increasingly complex business environment and better positioned for challenges that they will face in more advanced managerial positions," Dr. Wood said.

The MBA is a flexible 30-credit-hour program, and the health care leadership concentration makes up nine of those credit hours in the form of three elective courses. Electives include topics such as U.S. Healthcare in the 21st Century, Healthcare Strategy, Revenue Cycle Management, and Leadership Development and Team Building.

"In health care, we have to adapt," said Dr. John Marymont, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the College of Medicine, who earned an MBA in addition to his medical degree. "It's important for health care leaders to have a foundation in business principles and the acumen to make well informed decisions."

Marymont added, "I encourage our health care professionals, faculty, administrators and staff to take advantage of this new program to build skills sets that can be applied to their work within the College of Medicine and USA Health."

To support this faculty development effort, each year the College of Medicine will make available $10,000 tax-free educational loans. These loans are intended to provide faculty with sufficient funds, such that along with the university tuition benefit, they can complete the program at essentially no cost. Learn more about the educational loans.

The deadline to apply for the Master of Business Administration program is July 15.

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