Teaching

Economics

Health Economics Nearly 60 years ago Nobel Laureate, Kenneth Arrow, noted that many of the assumptions critical to traditional economics break down in the medical field. Issues such as the inability to observe quality, differences in available information, and prices that often exceed a consumer’s lifetime earnings all add a layer of complexity to the traditional microeconomic model. In this course we will systematically address how these complexities affect consumers and producers of health care. For each component of the health care value chain, we will ground the current incentive structure in economic theory, and then consider the empirical evidence to date. We will then analyze the implications to consumers, producers, and society at large, of potential organizational strategies and policy changes. Link to Syllabus

Organizational Economics of Health Care As Oliver Williamson noted, much of neo-classical economics generalizes the firm as a ‘black box’ that converts inputs into outputs. While this can be a useful simplification, it conceals an enormous amount of complexity and heterogeneity. As most activity in the modern economy takes place within organizations, it is important to develop a deeper understanding of these actors. This is particularly relevant in health care where there is a highly differentiated division of labor, many decisions are made under a high level of uncertainty, and the boundaries of the firm are often opaque. The goal of this course is to develop an understanding of the key dynamics within and between health care organizations and the policy and managerial implications of these insights. Link to Syllabus

Finance

Health Care Finance I: Financial Management of Health Care Organizations This class is designed as an introductory course in the theory and principles of health care finance, which includes planning and controlling functions (time value of money, pro forma budgeting, ratio analysis), balance sheet management (working capital budgeting, debt & equity financing) and cost management (cost classification allocation, break even & variance analysis) among other topics. This is an applied course that combines theoretical (textbook) concepts with problems and computer exercises. Field professionals may be invited to augment discussion around current critical issues in health care finance.

Health Care Finance II: Financial Applications This class is designed to teach healthcare leaders their role in operating, managing and directing the apportionment of resources within a health care organization. The course provides in-depth knowledge of the business case analysis approach to decision-making and builds on sound financial practices learned in Health Care Finance I. With an emphasis on executive-level critical thinking skills, it allows students to integrate and apply previously learned tools and abilities to the healthcare setting.

Quantitative Methods

Quantitative Analysis I The goal of this course is to familiarize students with the use of data to inform decision making. While there is no escaping the underlying math, the focus will be on thinking and how leaders can consume information and incorporate it into the decision making process. A secondary focus will be on building the skills needed to analyze data, including casual inference and good replicability processes. To that end, students will learn how to code in the “R” statistical programming language.

Quantitative Analysis II This course presents intermediate concepts in data science and quantitative analysis in a management environment. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to apply modern data science methods to solve real business problems while maintaining replicability best practices. Students will understand how to use big data while gaining an appreciation for its limitations. Students will be introduced to causality and the ‘big 5’ research designs.

Quantitative Analysis III Advanced concepts, techniques, and technologies used in the scientific inquiry of applied clinical, administrative, and managerial research are presented. Decision-making, selection, computation, and interpretation of analytical procedures and methods are discussed. Emphasizing critical thinking and quantitative analysis, students select appropriate secondary data on a management problem and posit research questions, develop logical hypotheses linked to data and theory, analyze and make decisions and recommendations based on findings.