鈥淥ur academic programs are producing tomorrow鈥檚 leaders. Achieving CAHME accreditation is a testimony to the excellence of our MSHA curriculum and UofL鈥檚 commitment to excellent health management education,鈥� said Beth A. Boehm, PhD, UofL executive vice president and Provost.

To earn CAHME accreditation, UofL SPHIS submitted a rigorous examination of the MSHA program purpose, curriculum, student experience and information about the success of its graduates, along with a CAHME site visit. The school will be required to submit periodic self-studies followed by review of an outside panel of experts in order for the MSHA to remain a CAHME-accredited program.

鈥淎s a research university, we seek ways to integrate innovative research within instructional programs. A strength of our MSHA program is the unique opportunity for students to engage in research through our NSF-funded , an industry/university cooperative research center,鈥� said Craig Blakely, PhD, MPH, dean of the UofL School of Public Health and Information Sciences.鈥�

鈥淥ur proximity to local health care organizations gives our program an advantage in establishing relationships that benefit our faculty, staff, students and health delivery system partners. Health industry leaders have engaged with us to inform the competencies of our MSHA curriculum, adding distinction to our overall program,鈥� said Christopher E. Johnson, PhD, chair, and CHOT site director.

The Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences designed the MSHA to deepen knowledge of environments, processes, structures and strategies in health care. Students learn about broad principles and key influences of leading health care organizations. They also examine evidence-based frameworks for strategic leadership and effective management of health care organizations. An analysis of policies that influence population and community health care management also is part of the 57-credit-hour program. The first cohort of UofL MSHA students, pictured above, graduated this month.

The Master of Science in Health Data Analytics (MSHDA) will coach students to help health care organizations improve their quality and lower the cost of care, while enhancing the patient experience. Offered and beginning Fall 2019, this program gives students a solid foundation in population health and provides an understanding on how to bring empirical data analysis to bear on critical issues.

鈥淭his degree prepares students to become innovative health care leaders in high-demand careers,鈥� said Chris Johnson, PhD, chair of the . 鈥淢y department鈥檚 vision is to offer nationally recognized programs that make an impact on health policy and population health.鈥�

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports employment of computer and information research scientists is projected to grow 19 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations. According to , the number of applications for data analytics programs is rising sharply compared to a 70 percent decline in applications to MBA programs for 2018.

Bert Little, PhD, professor, Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences, is the MSHDA program director and brings more than 30 years of experience in health outcomes research, including stints with the Dallas Veterans Administration Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas.

He said this is a great time for students to pursue the degree, pointing out 100,000 vacant data analyst jobs, according to .

鈥淕raduates of the program will be prepared for careers as health care analytics consultants, big data scientists, clinical analysts, analytics managers, professional services, along with positions in IT, finance and insurance.

鈥淥ur students will learn how to use health data to improve outcomes for patients with chronic diseases such as heart disease or diabetes. The curriculum also teaches students real-world skills through things like analyzing patient level data ranging from blood pressure information to genomics,鈥� Little said.

To graduate, students must successfully complete the 41-credit hour curriculum and a capstone course in preparation for the Certified Health Data Analyst examination, and maintain an overall 3.0 GPA in coursework.聽

The traditional on-campus program is designed to be completed in two years on a full-time basis. Courses will be offered on the Health Sciences Center campus, primarily in the evening, Monday through Thursday, to accommodate students who work full鈥恡ime. .

Similarly, the online program can be completed in two years on a full-time basis (and an extended part-time option also is available), with classes offered in an asynchronous format鈥攎eaning students complete coursework on their time, whenever is most suitable for them. .

The online MSHDA program joins a growing portfolio of online offerings from UofL, and is part of a university-wide effort to provide flexible, in-demand degrees that serve working adults and the professional community.

鈥淎dult learners are perfect candidates for data science degrees because they are career-driven and crave new, applicable knowledge,鈥� said Gale Rhodes, PhD, vice provost and executive director of the Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning at UofL. 鈥淧artnering with the School of Public Health and Information Sciences to bring the Master of Science in Health Data Analytics聽online really聽exemplifies our dedication to delivering online degrees that empower UofL students to serve and improve our communities through education.”

SPHIS has been awarded two contracts from the Department of Medicaid Services within the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. One project seeks to identify high-risk diabetes patients for more aggressive early preventive measures, while the second directly addresses the capacity of providers to be responsive to emerging value-based purchasing incentives. Faculty in the SPHIS proposed these initiatives based on needs specified by the state.聽

鈥淲e are enthusiastic about the Medicaid initiatives we鈥檝e been asked to work on with our state partners. Both projects are innovative and have the potential to improve the quality and efficiencies of the care provided to Medicaid recipients in Kentucky,鈥� said Craig Blakely, PhD, dean of the School of Public Health and Information Sciences.

鈥淥ur collaboration with UofL leverages the breadth of expertise at the university. The analysis that will be conducted through these two contracts will inform our decisions at the state level for delivery of the best, cost-efficient care to our most vulnerable population,鈥� said Gilbert Liu, MD, medical director for the Kentucky Department of Medicaid Services and professor of pediatrics at UofL.

The total value of both contracts over a two-year period is nearly $950,000. The financing is structured as a 50/50 match. Half the funding comes from Kentucky鈥檚 allocation of Federal Financial Participation funds 鈥� money available to external agencies like universities collaborating on Medicaid-related activities. The remainder of the project cost is paid for through the SPHIS Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences and UofL鈥檚 , an entity of SPHIS. The contracts will be administered by the Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences鈥� , a National Science Foundation-funded center focused on improving patient care and service, efficiency, and maximizing their capabilities while preserving resources.

More about the projects:

• Type 2 Diabetes among Medicaid Beneficiaries in Kentucky

Led by Bert Little, PhD, professor, SPHIS Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences and CIK scholar, this project will perform longitudinal analyses of Kentucky Medicaid claims to develop predictive algorithms. This work will help identify factors that can predict which beneficiaries with type 2 diabetes need more intensive medical intervention. Individuals identified with high probability of need can receive early treatment to delay or prevent severe complications of type 2 diabetes, which include blindness, kidney failure and heart disease. The expected goal is improved quality of life, along with reduced long-term care costs.

• Evaluating Provider Readiness to Implement Core Quality Measures

This study is led by two faculty in the SPHIS Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences 鈥� J鈥橝ime Jennings, PhD, assistant professor, and Christopher Johnson, PhD, chair of the department. Jennings and Johnson also are CIK scholars and co-directors of CHOT.

Jennings and Johnson will review a provider readiness survey instrument and assess the state鈥檚 capacity for implementing quality measures outlined by Kentucky鈥檚 in five key areas: pediatrics, chronic and acute care, preventive health, behavioral health and cost/utilization.

The results of the comprehensive analysis will include a quality improvement proposal that focuses on the development of a strategic plan to accomplish quality measure implementation across Kentucky.

鈥淥ur school is committed to offering relevant academic programs to better the health of all people, and this new degree will help grow and keep talented leaders in the health services sector,鈥� said Craig Blakely, PhD, MPH, dean, School of Public Health and Information Sciences. 鈥淭his program also builds perfectly on the recently funded National Science Foundation Center for Health Organization Transformation 鈥� many students in the MSHA program will also be engaged in real-time research occurring with local health delivery system partners who may eventually become their employers.鈥�

The Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences designed the MSHA to deepen knowledge of environments, processes, structures and strategies in health care. Students will learn about broad principles and key influences of leading health care organizations. They鈥檒l also examine evidence-based frameworks for strategic leadership and effective management of health care organizations. An analysis of policies that influence population and community health care management also will be part of the curriculum.

鈥淲e are continually working to make the University of Louisville a nationally recognized destination for health management and health policy education and research,鈥� said Chris E. Johnson, PhD, chair, Department of Health Management and System Sciences. 鈥淥ur dedication to population health management, evidenced-based decision making, and disseminating real-time solutions for our health care industry partners makes UofL a great place to study our health care system.鈥�

The MSHA program uses UofL鈥檚 , a modified version of the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL) . Students can expect to complete the 56-credit-hour program in two years. The MSHA is accepting applications for its evening program, with classes beginning at 4 p.m. Once the evening track is underway, the school plans to develop an executive MSHA track to accommodate seasoned health care leaders.

The MSHA is in candidacy status with the (CAHME), the accrediting body for graduate programs in health management in the United States. The school鈥檚 initial accreditation site visit for CAHME is this fall.

UofL鈥檚 selection as a CHOT site includes a 3-year agreement of up to $500,000 per year in funding from the NSF and industry partners to support the implementation of evidence-based strategies within health care organizations.

UofL joins Florida Atlantic University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Penn State University, Texas A&M University, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Nottingham and University of Washington as a CHOT site.

鈥淯ofL adds access to a new geographic region and relevant population segments, such as elderly and minority populations,鈥� said Bita A. Kash, PhD, MBA, FACHE, director of CHOT, the eight-university consortium based at Texas A&M University. 鈥淭he new UofL CHOT site also will strengthen the center in the following areas of capabilities: patient-centered health information technologies; transitions in health care; and population/value-based health care.鈥澛�

鈥淐HOT members are working to solve health care challenges three to five years ahead of the rest of the industry 鈥� we are trying to project into the future the direction of health care. Interdisciplinary applied research will be the catalyst for solving problems and making changes,鈥� said Christopher E. Johnson, PhD, professor and chair, Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences, UofL School of Public Health and Information Sciences.

Johnson will serve as the UofL CHOT site director, along with J鈥橝ime Jennings, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Health Management and Systems Sciences. UofL co-principal investigators include Antonio Badia, PhD, associate professor of computer science and computer engineering; Anna Faul, PhD, professor of social work; and Brad Sutton, MD, MBA, associate professor of medicine.

UofL CHOT is working to secure local industry partners and organizations to join the center through a $50,000 yearly commitment for three years. Potential projects include interventions for those facing opioid addictions and the role of behavioral health in helping individuals secure employment; analyzing readmission in the long-term care population; using health information technology to improve access to services; and evaluating use of artificial intelligence as a diagnostic tool.

Nationally, the multi-site center is involved in 13 projects with 23 industry members from diverse settings such as health systems/providers, retail, technology companies, associations, government agencies and insurers.