Challenge
In the current dynamic health care environment, our nation requires individuals with insight, skill, and vision who can lead strategic and innovative initiatives to ensure health care access, excellence, and efficiency. To meet this need, the Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies decided to create a new blended online and on-campus Executive Master’s Program in Health Systems Administration to provide mid-career working professionals the perspectives, insights, and skills required to assume executive leadership roles across the health care sector. The vision of the program is to provide a unique, engaging, and dynamic two-year learning experience led by a faculty of accomplished, successful health care leaders who will challenge and stretch participants’ understanding and views, while building high levels of proficiency in key health systems administration competencies.
Solution
Georgetown contracted Atlas Research to help develop and initiate this program. Atlas is providing a broad range of services in the areas of curriculum development; strategic communications, marketing, and admissions; program and event planning, coordination, and logistics support; and learning program evaluation.
Our instructional designers are supporting adjunct faculty with developing a blend of synchronous and asynchronous courses that creatively apply distance learning technologies and media to ensure engaging interactive learning experiences, together with face-to-face and experiential learning opportunities. Guided by a competency model and rigorous instructional design processes, the curriculum addresses a variety of disciplines applied to health care, including strategic management, organizational leadership, law and ethics, politics and policy, research methods, innovation, informatics, and performance and quality measurement, among others. Atlas also created student and faculty orientation materials and learning and program evaluation plans and instruments.
To establish program awareness and attract an initial cohort, Atlas designed program branding, and developed and supported implementation of a comprehensive program of marketing and communications including websites, social media sites, print collateral, event support, direct outreach, and various media advertising. Atlas supported initial applications for state regulatory approvals and is supporting the detailed logistical planning for multiple program venues in the DC area during the initial Intensive on-campus week.
Result
Accomplished and well-known faculty, including leaders from the pharmaceutical industry, large public and private health care systems, national health policy organizations, and healthcare quality organizations have provided input to innovative distance learning courses that are ready for delivery using Georgetown’s own technology platform without relying on a third-party provider. A dynamic and inspirational initial on-campus Intensive week has been developed, including experiential days in a large hospital and on Capitol Hill, and numerous opportunities for faculty and participants to begin to build relationships. And, the campaign to launch awareness of the program’s vision and promise of rigorous and engaging executive learning for working health care professionals has attracted an initial cohort of 15 professionals who will begin the program in August 2015. Their two-year learning journey will enable them to align, manage, and purchase services more effectively; anticipate the implications of changes in law and regulations; set priorities and align organizational resources; improve quality, patient safety, and health outcomes; successfully navigate and lead change in their organizations; and improve financial performance.