Fort Stewart offers healthcare management course focusing on ethics and the law

Columbia College-Fort Stewart

July 9, 2013

The Fort Stewart campus will offer MGMT 353 (Legal and Ethical Aspects of Healthcare) in the upcoming session. Natasha Webster will teach the course, which is the second in a series of courses in the Healthcare Management Major. Webster holds master's degrees in both human services administration and healthcare administration.

The course is designed for the nonmedical professional who wishes to examine the environment in which the medical practitioner manages patient relationships and deal with legal concerns. Topics include patient safety and privacy, medical technology and research. This course presents a comprehensive view of modern issues at the intersection of healthcare and ethics, with an emphasis on improving understanding and synergy between the professions. The course stresses a foundational understanding of how health law and policy is formulated and the application of health law and policy in current practice. Discussion is centered on current events and how those situations relate to a student's future in healthcare as a practitioner and consumer.

The healthcare management courses provide an interesting alternative as elective courses that may be used as upper level credit in a number of programs, including the bachelor's of general studies. The MGMT 353 course is an especially interesting elective opportunity for Columbia College students, primarily because nearly everyone has read, observed or experienced legal issues regarding healthcare.

For example, the course will discuss stem cell research/organ donations and the legal issues surrounding the process. It also will examine the legacy of Jack Kevorkian (better known as Dr. Death) and the ethics of physician assisted suicide. These are just a few of the topics discussed in this course. This course may not make you a legal eagle, but at the end of the session students will have experienced and enjoyed a number of thought provoking conversations on controversial topics.

Contact an advisor for more information on upcoming course offerings. In the late fall, the Fort Stewart campus will offer ECON 320 (The Economics of Healthcare). MGMT 360 (Organizational Theory) and MGMT 361 (Human Resource Management) will also be offered in the upcoming academic year.

Major Requirements

Students who elect to earn a major in healthcare management must complete the courses listed below. Courses in the major cannot be taken as pass/fail. All courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher.

ECON 320: The Economics of Healthcare (3 hrs.)
MGMT 340: Introduction to Healthcare Management (3 hrs.)
MGMT 353: Legal and Ethical Aspects of Healthcare (3 hrs.)
MGMT 360: Organizational Theory (3 hrs.)
MGMT 361: Human Resource Management (3 hrs.)
PHIL 460: Biomedical Ethics (3 hrs.)