Course Syllabus

Title of Course Introduction to Health Systems Organization

Prefix and Number PUBHLTH 120

Semester and Year Spring 2026

Number of Credit Hours 3

Prerequisites none

Course Details

Day and Time: [T/Th]

Meeting Location: [tbd]

Instructor Contact Information

Instructor Name: [tbd]

Instructor Contact Information: [tbd]

Instructor Office Hours: [tbd]

TA Name: [tbd]

TA Contact Information: [tbd]

TA Office Hours: [tbd]

Course Description

This course is a 3-credit course that provides an overview of how healthcare and public health are organized and how their services are delivered in the United States. Topics to be covered include public policy (including U.S. health reform initiatives); organization of healthcare systems; components and operation of healthcare organizations, including e-health delivery; professional roles and accreditation; and legal and regulatory issues, including licensure requirements.

Course Materials

Books: none.

Other Materials: All materials will be made available on the course Canvas space

Fees: n/a

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Course Learning Outcomes (students will be able to:)	Activities Supporting the Learning Outcomes	Assessment of the Learning Outcomes
Describe the history of healthcare systems and public health in the United States	annotated bibliography, policy paper concept, policy papers, class discussion, discussion board responses	exams, assignment grades
Define the current organizational levels in healthcare and public health in the United States	annotated bibliography, policy papers, class discussion, discussion board responses	exams, assignment grades
Compare and contrast the various professional roles in healthcare systems and public health	debate, policy papers, class discussion, discussion board responses, presentationexams, assignment grades	exams, assignment grades
Explain models of U.S. healthcare and public health service delivery (including e-health)	debate, policy papers, class discussion, discussion board responses, presentationexams, assignment grades	exams, assignment grades
Identify the major elements of public policy on healthcare reform	debate, policy papers, class discussion, discussion board responses	exams, assignment grades

Course Schedule [Please note that a WSU semester is 15 weeks + Thanksgiving/Spring Break. The schedule below does not include the break.]
Dates	Lesson Topic	Assignment/Reading # in Canvas	Assessment
Week 1 [dates]	An Overview of Healthcare Management	1	n/a
Week 2 [dates]	Healthcare Leadership and Motivation	2, 3	n/a
Week 3 [dates]	Organization and Behavior	Discussion Board 1, 4	Discussion Board
Week 4 [dates]	Strategic Planning	5	n/a
Week 5 [dates]	Healthcare Marketing	Policy Paper #1, 6	Policy paper #1
Week 6 [dates]	Quality Improvement Basics	Discussion Board 2, 7	Discussion board
Week 7 [dates]	Information Technology	Debate, 8	Debate
Week 8 [dates]	Exam 1		Exam 1
Week 9 [dates]	Healthcare Financing	Policy #2 Concept, 9, 10	Policy #2 Concept paper
Week 10 [dates]	Human Resources and Managing People	Discussion Board 3, 11, 12	Discussion Board
Week 11 [dates]	Teamwork	Annotated Bibliography/13	Annotated Bibliography
Week 12 [dates]	Cultural Awareness	14	n/a
Week 13 [dates]	Ethics and Law	Discussion Board 4, 15	Discussion Board
Week 14 [dates]	Fraud and Abuse	Policy Paper #2, 16	Policy Paper #2
Week 15 [dates]	Student presentations	Presentation, 10	Presentation

Expectations for Student Effort

For each hour of lecture equivalent, students should expect to have a minimum of two hours of work outside of class. Some weeks will have a higher workload due to the nature of assignments. Please consult the course schedule and ask your instructor if you hainsert]ve questions.

Grading

Assignment Breakdown
Type of Assignment (tests, papers, etc)	Points	Percent of Overall Grade
[exams]	[2 x 100]	[40]
[debate]	[60]	[12]
[discussion boards]	[40]	[8]
[policy papers]	[90]	[18]
[policy paper concept]	[30]	[6]
[Annotated Bibliography]	[30]	[6]
[presentation]	[50]	[10]

Grading Schema
Grade	Percent
A	[>90]
B	[80 – 89]
C	[70 – 79]
D	[60 – 69]
F	[0 – 59]

Scores will be rounded to the nearest whole percent to assign a letter grade

Attendance and Make-Up Policy

Students should make all reasonable efforts to attend all class meetings. However, in the event a student is unable to attend a class, it is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor as soon as possible, explain the reason for the absence (and provide documentation, if appropriate), and make up class work missed within a reasonable amount of time, if allowed. Missing class meetings may result in reducing the overall grade in the class

Academic Integrity Statement

You are responsible for reading WSU's Academic Integrity Policy, which is based on Washington State law. If you cheat in your work in this class you will:

-Receive an F in the class

-Be reported to the Center for Community Standards

-Have the right to appeal my decision

-Not be able to drop the course of withdraw from the course until the appeals process is finished

If you have any questions about what you can and cannot do in this course, ask me.

If you want to ask for a change in my decision about academic integrity, use the form at the Center for Community Standards website. You must submit this request within 21 calendar days of the decision.