The Department’s mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of
Arkansans by generating, disseminating, and applying the evidence
needed for sound policy and managerial decision-making within the
health system. We pursue this mission by:
Conducting research to identify better ways
of organizing, financing, and delivering health services and
implementing health policies;
Helping students acquire the knowledge and
skills needed for effective policy and managerial
decision-making on health issues; and
Serving the health system in Arkansas and
beyond by providing public officials and other decision-makers
with objective, reliable information and assistance.
Key
Areas of Expertise
The department is
comprised of 15 full-time faculty and more than 40 secondary and
part-time faculty who have methodological and substantive expertise
in many of the areas that drive health system performance,
including:
Organization and financing of medical care and
public health services
Access to care and safety-net health care systems
Quality measurement, quality improvement, and
health outcomes assessment
Health disparities and cultural competence in
health care
Health insurance coverage, including Medicaid,
Medicare, and private insurance markets
Public health policy, regulation, and law
Economic evaluation of medical and public health
interventions
Long-term care delivery and financing
Rural health care delivery and financing
Maternal, child and women’s health
Nutrition policy and programming
Tobacco policy and programming
Substance abuse and mental health policy and
programming
Our
Degree Programs
The Department of Health
Policy and Management (HPM) offers four degree
programs:
The
Masters of Public Health (MPH)
specialization in health policy & management
allows students to develop the skills
required for designing, implementing,
analyzing and evaluating health-related
policies and programs within both
governmental and private-sector settings.
The program is geared for individuals
pursuing policy-oriented careers within a
variety of settings, including public health
agencies, legislative and regulatory bodies,
advocacy groups, community and philanthropic
organizations, professional associations,
and organizations involved in health care
delivery, purchasing, and financing.
The Masters in Health Services Administration (MHSA)
prepares you for managerial careers and
leadership positions in health care
organizations such as hospitals, medical group
practices, and insurance companies. The program
is nationally accredited by the Commission on
Accreditation for Healthcare Management
Education (CAHME) and has over 300 alumni.
The Doctorate in Public Health Leadership (DrPH)
prepares you for executive careers in public
health. It prepares you for executive positions
in health departments, professorial careers in
public health, health policy analysts and
consultant positions. The program relates public
health science to public health practice, apply
models and theories in public health to chronic
and emerging issues in practice, and demonstrate
leadership in working with public health teams.
The Ph.D. program in Health Systems
Research The program provides students with the
theoretical and methodological foundations
necessary to conduct creative, independent
research on health systems, with the ultimate
goal of identifying pathways to improved health
system performance through evidence-based policy
and management. Graduates will pursue careers as
health services researchers, professorial
careers, and health policy analysts and
consultants.
