July 7, 2011

Faculty from the Drexel Department of Health Administration attended the annual meeting of The Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) in Charleston, SC from June 22nd through June 26th, 2011. The main task was to present their self-study document (application) for national certification of the Health Administration program. They received a very positive response from the AUPHA reviewers who said they should be “overly optimistic” about passing. In October, they will receive formal word after the annual AUPHA board meeting. Program certification will be an important step in the growth, enhancement and formal recognition of the department. Uwe Reinhardt was a guest speaker at the conference. At the beginning of his speech, he commented on his recent visit to Drexel to speak at the June 2011 graduation and what an honor it was to receive his honorary degree.

 

Photo left  to right:
Stephen Gambescia, PhD, Assistant Dean of Academic and Student Affairs, Associate Professor, College of Nursing and Health Professions
Spencer Ward, PhD, Assistant Professor, College of Nursing and Health Professions 
Kristine Mulhorn, PhD., Associate Professor, Chair, Department of Health Administration, College of Nursing and Health Professions
Uwe Reinhardt, PhD.,  James Madison Professor of Political Economy, Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, Princeton University
Michelle Sahl, PhD, Assistant Professor, College of Nursing and Health Professions
Michael Kennedy, PhD, Professor, Chair, Department of Health Sciences, College of Nursing and Health Professions.

The Association of AUPHA.

The Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) is a global network of colleges, universities, faculty, individuals, and organizations dedicated to improving health by promoting excellence in healthcare management education. AUPHA fosters excellence and innovation in healthcare management education, research and practice by providing opportunities for member programs to learn from each other, by influencing practice, and by promoting the value of healthcare management education. It is the only non-profit entity of its kind that works to improve the delivery of health services - and thus the health of citizens - throughout the world by educating professional managers at the entry level.

AUPHA - The Certification.

AUPHA has established a rigorous peer review process modeled for those programs willing to undergo the rigors of external review in the interest of program excellence. Successful completion of the panel review process leads to Certification by AUPHA and attainment of Full Certified Undergraduate membership status. The Certification process involves the preparation of a detailed self-study by the applicant health administration program based on standards established by AUPHA. The self-study provides a detailed picture of the program’s structure, educational processes and evaluation/improvement mechanisms. A panel of peers is appointed by the UPC to review the self-study materials and seek clarification or amplification of the self-study information in preparation for a panel review session. Panel review involves the face to face meeting of the appointed peer panel with the program director and selected faculty and college/university administrators for the purpose of thoroughly examining the program. The Panels’ reports and recommendations are the basis of certifying the program and seeking changes for program improvement. As of October 2010, 45 undergraduate programs are certified by AUPHA.

Uwe Reinhardt

Recognized as one of the nation’s leading authorities on health care economics, Reinhardt has been a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences since 1978. He is a past president of the Association of Health Services Research. From 1986 to 1995 he served as a commissioner on the Physician Payment Review Committee, established in 1986 by Congress to advise it on issues related to the payment of physicians. He is a senior associate of the Judge Institute for Management of Cambridge University, UK, and a trustee of Duke University, and the Duke University Health System. Reinhardt is or was a member of numerous editorial boards, among them the Journal of Health Economics, the Milbank Memorial Quarterly, Health Affairs, the New England Journal of Medicine, and the Journal of the American Medical Association. PhD Yale University.