BUS220 - 01 - Introduction to Health Systems

Representing one-sixth of the U.S. economy, and vibrant with debate on access and innovation, healthcare offers career paths for health professionals, business people, data scientists, social workers and more. There has never been a more exciting time to explore this sector of the economy that integrates for-profit and nonprofit industries from world-class hospitals to neighborhood health centers to biotechnology research firms. In this course, we will focus on key areas including understanding the challenges of balancing affordabililty, quality, and access within the current US system, innovations in healthcare, building careers in healthcare, and the influence of healthcare policy. Coursework will be individual and team-based. Deliverables include researching an innovation to lower healthcare costs and tracking a Federal or State bill to improve access to care for vulnerable populations. No pre-requisites.