University of Michigan Ann Arbor Health Management&Policy Program
http://www.sph.umich.edu/hmp/mission.html
Mission Statement
The Department of Health Management and Policy at The University of Michigan School of Public Health prepares qualified and motivated men and women for high-level careers that span the entire field of health management and policy. By seeking admission to our graduate programs, applicants declare their desire to acquire the necessary knowledge and analytical, communication and interpersonal skills to become leading professionals in the field, and to be guided by the values that are essential for addressing the unique problems and humanistic goals of health care and public health.
In the Department of Health Management and Policy, we believe that future leaders in our field must possess or develop qualifications in three broad areas:
Knowledge and Skills: Our competency-based curriculum requires that students demonstrate mastery in 5 general domains as they pertain to public health and health care: measurement and analysis, communication, management/leadership, ethics and law, and professional development/life-long learning.
Leadership Potential: We seek applicants who are highly motivated, mature, and articulate, who possess effective interpersonal and organizational skills, and who are driven to impact, influence and lead health-related organizations and agencies.
Commitment to Health Care and Public Health Services as Fundamental Social Goods: Leaders in the field of health management and policy must be good stewards of the public and private resources put in their trust; they must be willing to support and improve health care services, public programs and policies that benefit all people, including disenfranchised, poor, and minority populations: and they must work to narrow the gap between the healthiest and disadvantaged sectors of society.
Ethical Values
In 2000, HMP faculty approved the following statement of the values and expectations that we believe are essential to our achievements and our maintaining our recognition as a top-ranked program in health management and policy:
1. Our faculty gain great satisfaction from the study of health and health care, both in the exploration of new ideas and research, and in communicating a growing body of knowledge to students.
We expect our students to share our enthusiasm, now and through their careers. We all have favorite topics and others we like less well but must master to support professional competence. We expect students to approach topics they like less well with an open mind and diligent study. We want to say that each of our graduates, "has mastered all the areas necessary for professional success."
2. Our faculty prepare for each class, striving to make an orderly flow of new information and reinforcing the old so that each student has a chance to master the skills, knowledge, and abilities offered.
We expect our students to prepare with the same diligence. Students whom we rate highly come to class prepared, participate actively in the discussion, and are always willing to help others learn.
3. We respect our colleagues, who bring unique skills to Michigan and contribute to its excellence.
We expect our students to respect faculty, guests, and peers. In particular, we believe students have much to teach one another, and we expect all students to participate in an environment of mutual growth. We welcome suggestions on the improvement of our classes.
These should be offered in a manner designed to promote careful evaluation and effective response, as would be appropriate in any professional interaction.
4. The University of Michigan actively supports diversity, in recognition of the worth of all humans, and the Nation's practical needs in the 21st century. The faculty support this commitment. We expect our students and alumni to join us in that support.
We recognize and respect the extra effort necessary to diversify health care leadership.
5. The faculty believe that scrupulous honesty is the foundation of excellence. We expect students and alumni to share that belief, and to apply it diligently in all their work. We stand ready to investigate reports of misconduct, with due regard to the rights of individuals, and to act constructively in the light of the evidence.
Commitment to Diversity
The Department of Health Management and Policy strongly believes that a diverse student body is critical to the education of all students in the School of Public Health. Since much of the burden of illness in the U.S. falls disproportionately on racial/ethnic minority populations, we believe that it is essential for minority students to be represented both in the classroom and as leaders in public health and health care institutions.
One of our major activities designed to increase the diversity of our student body is the Health Management and Policy Summer Enrichment Program (SEP). This is an 8-week paid internship program for undergraduate sophomores and juniors that places students in health care organizations throughout Southeast Michigan. The department also participates in a wide variety of recruitment activities, such as minority career days and visits to historically black colleges and universities, which focus on attracting students from underrepresented minorities.