Program – Health Policy and Management – DrPH

School of Public Health Departments/Programs: Department of Behavioral Sciences and Community Health   Behavioral Sciences and Health Promotion Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics   Epidemiology (M.P.H.)   Epidemiology (Dr.P.H.) Department of Disability and Human Development Department of Environmental Health Science Department of Health Policy and Management Health Policy Management (DrPH) Health Policy Management (M.P.H.) Department of Physical Therapy Department of Speech-Language Pathology

Annette Choolfaian, RN, MPA
Department Chair

Peter S. Arno, PhD
Director, Doctoral Program – Health Policy and Management

• Competencies
• Curriculum
• Admissions
• Application Packet
• Library Resources for HPM-DrPH candidates

The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) in Health Policy and Management prepares professionals with the knowledge and skills to assume local, state and national leadership positions in public health practice within the public and private sectors. The focus of the program is on understanding the socioeconomic determinants of health; these include the allocation and distribution of public and private investments in human capital, physical and social infrastructures and health care. The program emphasizes the dynamic changes currently underway in the financing, organization and access to health care services, their relationship to health and economic policies and their potential impact on improving population health.

The DrPH is designed for the mid-career professional and practitioner of public health in traditional health departments, managed care organizations, community-based organizations, hospitals, consulting firms, international agencies, state and federal agencies as well as others. This program targets individuals who will influence policy formation and public health management. It will specifically develop an individual’s analytical skills for policy formation, program management and evaluation.

Students are admitted on a part-time basis for classes beginning in the fall semester only. There is an application deadline date of July 1. A separate application packet for the DrPH in Health Policy and Management is available from the Admissions Office (sph_admissions@nymc.edu). The application fee is $100 for domestic applicants and $150 for international applicants.

Competencies

Upon graduation, a student with the DrPH degree in Health Policy and Management will:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the development, organization, financing and delivery of health care services in the U.S. and their public health impact.

• Identify, monitor and evaluate emerging trends in the organization, financing and delivery of health care services

• Obtain, synthesize, and critically evaluate scholarly literature and other sources of evidence-based data including research presentations, working papers and government documents.

2. Recognize the linkages between health and economic policies and their potential roles in mitigating health and health care disparities.

• Demonstrate an understanding of the social, political, cultural and economic factors influencing the development of, and changes in, public health policies and programs

• Identify the intended and unintended consequences of health and economic policies on population health, health care disparities and the allocation of resources

• Apply health economics and financing theory and analytical strategies to health policy research.

3. Understand and apply legal and ethical principles and values to the conduct of health care research and the delivery of health care services.

• Develop familiarity with federal and state health laws and their historical context

• Apply a legal framework to policy analyses

• Apply the principles of clinical and research ethics that encompass notions of patient autonomy and privacy, beneficence of health care providers, individual values and concerns for social justice.

4. Develop appropriate research questions and hypotheses, research designs and analytic approaches to conduct health services and policy research.

• Identify and apply theoretical knowledge and conceptual models

• Select appropriate research designs and methodologies including quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods

• Integrate and apply interdisciplinary theories and research findings to improve quality and access to health care and enhance population health.

5. Demonstrate leadership in the design, implementation and evaluation of public health interventions and policies.

• Strategically plan, implement and evaluate health programs and policies

• Apply negotiation, advocacy and additional skills to public policymaking and program development

• Demonstrate principles of effective leadership to create a shared vision within a public health organization and foster partnerships that maximize achievement of public health goals.

6. Communicate and disseminate research findings and policy initiatives through formal and informal writing and public presentations.

• Interpret and explain the results of research to various audiences including academics, policymakers, health care professionals, the public, the press and via the internet

• Write articles for submission to scholarly journals and the popular press.

Curricular Components

The program has a residency requirement of at least two years, and is, at minimum, a 54-credit post-masters program, with credits derived from coursework, internships, and dissertation work. Applicants to the program must have a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Policy & Management or an equivalent degree in a health-related field from a school or program accredited in public health. Total credits required for the DrPH will depend upon the individual’s educational profile at the time of application.

The program is structured with three components:

1. Coursework (39 credits): All students are required to take a minimum of 39 credits of didactic coursework as part of the program, including special attention to research ethics. Because students are drawn from diverse backgrounds, it is recognized that they will begin their doctoral program with different strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, some students may require more than 39 credits, depending on deficiencies identified at entrance to the program. (Please review the table on page 3.) Students will configure their coursework to address deficiencies in their skills or explore other areas relevant to their research and public health practice. Course selection is conducted with an advisor as part of an individual program plan.

2. Internship (6 credits - HPM 9090): Students are provided with opportunities to interact with other public health professionals in a variety of settings and to apply their skills to real-world problems under the guidance of a mentor. These internships will make use of the rich academic and practice environment offered by New York Medical College, its hospital and county health department affiliates, or other health-related organizations.

3. Dissertation Research (9 credits - HPM 9095): The dissertation serves as the culmination of the research competency of the doctoral program. The dissertation must address an original research question and the student must interpret and discuss the significance and potential application of the study results within the context of the public health arena.

Evaluation Criteria and Evaluation Intervals

Students’ progress through the doctoral program will be assessed through grades in coursework and through mentor and advisor evaluations during internships. Additionally, students must exhibit satisfactory performance at three milestone evaluations.

1. Coursework: Students must attain a grade of B or higher in required coursework. An overall G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher must be attained.

2. Mentor Evaluation: Students are evaluated upon completing an internship by the supervising mentor.

3. Milestone Evaluations: Students will progress through their program in three intervals, each of which must be completed before progressing to the next.

• Written Qualifying Exams: Students are considered provisional degree candidates until they achieve a satisfactory score on the Qualifying Exam.

• Proposal Defense (oral): A satisfactory evaluation (regardless of whether changes need to be made to the proposal) allows the student to undertake the proposed study.

• Dissertation and Defense: This is the final evaluation point. Doctoral candidates must orally defend their completed dissertation, including literature review, research methods, analysis, and interpretation.

Course Descriptions

REQUIRED COURSES

Socioeconomic Determinants of Health

This course focuses on the major social and economic conditions that affect the health of populations. Key topics include poverty, socioeconomic position, education, behavioral risks, social and economic inequality, discrimination, social networks and support, working and living conditions, and the built environment. Students will review the empirical and theoretical literature on mechanisms and processes that mediate between social factors and their health effects including health and economic policies. In addition, they will discuss alternative models for advancing public health.

Health Care Economics & Financing

Health Economics explores the concepts of scarcity, social choice, resource allocation, efficiency, investment, and market forces and their relationships to health services delivery and health policy. A variety of analytical principles and methods are examined and applied to issues and challenges faced by managers and policymakers in the health sector; these include health care financing, resource allocation, cost containment, regulation, access to care and health insurance.  Students will use analytic tools to evaluate the financial position and performance of a variety of health care organizations.  Management of short-term and long-term assets will be explored including capital budgeting decisions.  Students will have the opportunity to develop program-specific business plans including preparation of relevant financial statements and variance analysis.

Health Services Research and Evaluation

The objective of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the critical role of systematic evaluation in assessing the effectiveness of health services programs and policies. This course covers health services research conceptualization, modeling, literature review, study design, sampling, data collection and measurement. Students will be exposed to the basic theoretical concepts and practical approaches in order to examine the use, costs, quality, accessibility, delivery, organization, financing, and outcomes of health care services and their impact on individuals and populations. The primary focus will be on the practical application of evaluation principles and methods to health services programs and policies.

Introduction to Public Health Law

Introduction to Public Health Law introduces doctoral students to the U.S. legal environments of public health, including constraints imposed by constitutional, statutory, regulatory, fiscal and political requirements. The course explores the sources of law and their interrelationships, legal protections of fundamental rights, government police powers, health care regulations, access to health care, ethics, legal liability, and legal influences on public health programs. Students are also exposed to the political and advocacy aspects of the law-making process as it relates to public health, with the goal of providing a realistic and practical assessment of how public health legal issues can be addressed within the political process. 

In its review of these issues, the course will involve the exploration of new developments and emerging case law in the areas of public health and health care, the relationships between public health science and research and the law and the role of legal and legislative advocacy in the realm of public health reform. Interactive class sections will consist of a combination of student presentations, faculty-led discussions, and conversations with guest speakers who are leaders in health law practice, as well as case studies in public health law, legislation, litigation and policy.

Public Health Leadership

The purpose of the course is to introduce students to theories and concepts of leadership, provides students the opportunity to identify their personal leadership attributes and through case study development and analysis review leadership challenges from public health practice. Content areas will include leadership theory; community leadership; personal leadership; leadership in organizations, and research; Emphasis will be placed on the application of the course material to real life public health problems and issues in the development of public health careers. Special topics may include futures research, systems thinking, sustainable development and leadership in science.

Regulation and Market approaches to US Health Care

The objective of this course is to provide students with a deep understanding of the relationship between private, market forces and the public sector in the US health care system. The course covers the historical development of public-private dynamics on hospital and insurance markets, health manpower, biomedical research and their impact on costs, quality, access to health care and, policy formation.

Political Economy of US Health Care Reform

This course will examine and critically analyze the history of health care reform in the United States through the interplay of political, economic and cultural dynamics from the 1940s through to the present. In addition to providing a historical perspective, this course will establish a context for analyzing the current, varied approaches to health care reform at state and federal levels.

Strategic Management of Healthcare Organizations

This course focuses on the key strategic issues affecting the management of health care organizations. Health care organizations exist in a highly complex and turbulent environment reflecting shifts in social, cultural, political and economic factors. Through the use of readings and class discussion, students develop an understanding of the unique challenges of managing health care organizations and theoretical frameworks employed in addressing those challenges. Using case studies, students learn to apply those frameworks to build and sustain high-performing organizations. Topics include organization design, managing professionals, market analysis, ethics, financial management, outcomes monitoring, stakeholder management and community relations.

Clinical and Research Ethics

This course focuses on ethical issues arising in human subject research, and examines basic policies governing research, with a special emphasis on moral issues such as informed consent, the inclusion of vulnerable populations, and community research, etc. The course will apply the principles of clinical ethics and research that encompass notions of patient autonomy, beneficence of care providers and concerns for social justice.

Strategic Management of Healthcare Organizations

Qualitative Research Methods

Theories of Behavior Change

Social and Cultural Factors Influencing Health

Community Organization and Development

Community Assessment and Program Evaluation

Health Communication

Seminar in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Advanced Epidemiology I (formerly Applied ­Epidemiology)

While exploring epidemiologic methods in further detail, this course provides students with practical experience in study design, questionnaire and proposal development, data analysis, and critical review of literature. Lecture topics include measures of rates and risks, study design and ana­lytic methods to control for confounding factors, and issues regarding measurement error in data collection. Prerequisites: Introduction to Biostatistics and Introduction to Epidemiology

Advanced Epidemiology II (formerly Advanced ­Epidemiology)

Applied Statistical Analysis

Intermediate Biostatistics II

This course is the second part of a two-semester sequence. Topics covered during this semester include: hypothesis test­ing with categorical data, multiple and logistic regression, and statistical methods frequently used in epidemiological studies and clinical trials, including life table analysis, logistic analysis, and relative risk assessment with and without covari­ates. Use of statistical packages is recommended, but not required. Prerequisite: Intermediate Biostatistics I

Admissions Requirements

Individuals eligible to apply will have earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) or a Master of Science degree (MS) Health Policy and Management or a master’s degree in a related health field, and have attained a graduate GPA at the master’s level of at least 3.5. Accepted applicants who do not have an MPH in the appropriate area prior to beginning the DrPH, may need to complete some coursework required for the MPH in Health Policy and Management

Applicants must:

1. Submit a completed an Application for Admission to the Doctor of Public Health in Health Policy & Management and a non-refundable application fee of $100;

2. Submit Official transcript(s) of all post-secondary course work sent directly to the Assistant Dean for Admissions of the School of Public Health. Transcripts sent to the student will only be accepted if they are in a sealed envelope with the Registrar’s signature across the seal.
   
   Foreign transcripts: All applicants with foreign transcripts must obtain an official evaluation of their diplomas and grade sheets from a U.S. Government approved agency. (see page XX for a listing) This should include credit hour equivalents with an explanation of the grading system at the foreign institution. Also, the official evaluation should include the cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA). The official evaluation should be sent directly to the Admissions Office from the evaluation service. Originals and certified English translations are also required for all official transcripts, grade sheets, diplomas and licenses that are not in English. All transcripts, diplomas and licenses must be on official paper and certified. They must be in envelopes, signed across the seal by a school official. If it is not possible to send originals with the application, original notarized copies must be provided. In this case, students are required to present originals to be witnessed by the Assistant Dean for Admissions after their arrival at the College and before registration.
   
   There is a separate brochure for International Applicants with information about the documentation that must be submitted before their application folder is reviewed.
    

3. Submit a Graduate Course Worksheet completed to the best of the applicant’s ability; this helps us better understand your graduate experience. It is understood that not all applicants will have completed courses in all of the discipline areas noted on the worksheet. 

4. Submit scores of the GRE General exam, taken within the last two years, with a minimum score of 4.5 for the Writing Assessment.  The institution number to use for the test is 2563. For information, contact the Educational Testing Service (ETS), PO Box 6000, Princeton, NJ 08541-6000; (609) 921-9000. If MCAT scores are submitted, they must have been attained within the last three years.

5. Applicants who are in any of four categories are required to obtain a minimum eligibility score of at least 660 (PBT – a minimum of 5 on the essay section), 287 (CBT – a minimum of 5 on the essay section), or 117 (IBT - no score less than 28 in any of the 4 sections) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL); the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is also accepted – with a minimum score of Band 8. The four categories are:

   1. Applicants whose native language is not English.
   2. Applicants from countries where English is one of the official languages, but not necessarily the first language of the majority of the population;
   3. Applicants from countries where English is not a native language, although available as a language of instruction at all or some levels of schooling;
   4. Applicants whose transcripts are not in English or are from schools in non-English-speaking countries.

   The institution number to use for the TOEFL test is 2592. For information, contact the Educational Testing Service (TOEFL), PO Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6000; telephone (609) 921-9000; e-mail: toefl@ets.org ; website: http://www.toefl.org/
   
   For information about the IELTS test, contact IELTS, Inc., 100 East Corson Street, Suite 200, Pasadena, CA 91103, USA; phone (626)-564-2954; fax (626)-564-2981; email: ielts@ceii.org ; website: www.ielts.org 
   
   Note: The ECFMG ENGLISH TEST scores may not be substituted.
    

6. Submit a Personal Statement of approximately 500 words describing the applicant’s interest and commitment to public health and the area(s) of health policy and management which the applicant wishes to focus his/her research.

7. Submit three letters of recommendation; at least two must be from graduate faculty members.

8. Submit a current resume.

9. Show evidence of competency in using a software office suite including a word processor, a spreadsheet, and a presentation program; accepted students may be required to complete a computer competency project as evidence of competency.

10. Applicants who appear to fulfill the criteria will be invited for an interview;

11. Acceptance is contingent upon the number of spaces available in the program. In the event that the number of allotted spaces for a specific term has been filled, an eligible student may be placed on a waiting list for a subsequent term. In this case, the application will remain active for one year.

12. Accepted students must send a non-refundable deposit of $500 to hold their space in the program. This deposit will be applied to the first semester’s tuition.

Print out the Application Packet for this program

Faculty

Faculty is drawn primarily from the faculty of the School of Public Health. The dissertation advisor may be a faculty member of the School of Public Health, or a qualified faculty member from another School within the University or another academic institution, upon approval of the department chair. The dissertation committee consists of three to four individuals: the dissertation advisor, two members selected from the faculty of the School of Public Health, and perhaps one other individual. Mentors are individuals with a full-time, part-time, or affiliated faculty appointments in the School of Public Health. Other experts in a particular area of study, whether or not they are affiliated with the School of Public Health or New York Medical College may, under special circumstances, function as mentors with the approval of the department chair.

Accreditation

New York Medical College is chartered by the Regents of the State of New York and all of its degree programs are approved by the New York State Department of Education. The College is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association and by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. The School of Public Health is accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH).

Student Housing

Limited on-campus housing is available for single and married full-time students. Information regarding on-campus and off-campus housing in furnished rooms, apartment shares, and full apartments is available through the Student Housing Office (914-594-4832)

Financial Planning

Tuition for the 2008-2009 academic year is $720 per credit. Tuition for the 2009-2010 academic year has not yet been set. In addition, there are student activity and network access fees. Full-time students may elect to purchase health insurance through the College, and to secure use of the College Health Services for a separate fee. Advisement concerning how to pay for the cost of education is available to admitted students and their families through the Student Financial Planning Office. Students who are taking at least 6 credits are eligible for loan programs that will be sufficient to cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and living expenses.

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