Managing health care systems today is more than process efficiencies and quality assessment. At every level and dimension, it takes an interdisciplinary approach to get it right. The Master of Health Care Operational Excellence (MHCOE) certificate can help you advance with the knowledge, leadership and skills needed to establish, implement, and oversee important process analysis and continuous improvement initiatives in the growing field of health care. The courses are designed with input from employers, thought leaders, and practitioners and taught by leading health care professionals, experts, and executives. Not ready to commit to a MHCOE degree? Successfully complete the first five courses of the MHCOE program and earn your graduate certificate.
The graduate certificate provides a solid foundation in the areas of Lean, Six Sigma, facilitation skills, change management, and leadership. This program positions students for success in healthcare preparing them for greater responsibility and for making larger contributions within their organization. The program is fully online, part-time, and designed for working adults.
Program Director
Leroy Love
Director of Graduate Studies in Health Care Operational Excellence
MS, Missouri University of Science & Technology
BS, University of Missouri-Columbia
For a list of our program faculty, please visit our website.
Visit online course listings to view semester offerings for T92 HCO.
T92 HCO 601 Foundations of Operational Excellence in Health Care
Students will learn the fundamentals of operational excellence principles and how the organizational complexities, regulatory and economic framework, and nuances of healthcare impact the ability to apply them. Students will research and explore both healthcare and non-healthcare examples of performance improvement and operational excellence efforts within different organizations and from different stakeholder perspectives. Throughout the course, students will gain an understanding of how the various methods, both social and technical, can play an integral role in achieving operational excellence, and how to identify and mitigate challenges and barriers. Specific methods will include facilitating teams, change management, lean, six sigma, project management and the importance of principle-based deployments rooted in changing behaviors and transforming culture. By completing this course, students will understand the level of personal transformation in mindset and skills that will be necessary to successfully impact the changes needed for health care operational excellence.
Credit 3 units.
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T92 HCO 602 Navigating and Facilitating Organizational Change
This course examines the relationships between employees, organizations, and teams. Students will learn the art of facilitation including managing conflict, achieving consensus, and running effective meetings. The course addresses how to get things done when facilitators or teams lack leadership or authority. Supporting topics include how to build teams, build relationships beyond the team, and keep teams effective over their life span. Students will explore change theories and strategies for creating sustainable change.
Credit 3 units.
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T92 HCO 603 Lean: Process Improvement in Health Care
Lean is a methodology that is based on principles of value, process mapping, standardization, flow, pull, perfection, and a relentless focus on the voice of the customer. It has been successfully adapted for healthcare, helping organizations reduce waste, improve flow, promote safety, and improve quality of care. The student will learn Lean methodology and the related tools. Additionally, students will practice applying lean tools to case study simulations. Students will learn how to overcome common barriers to Lean methodology such as resistance to change, cultural barriers, difficulty in sustaining change, and lack of leadership commitment.
Credit 3 units.
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T92 HCO 604 Six Sigma: Methods to Reduce Variation in Health Care
This course provides an overview of Lean Six Sigma and the DMAIC process (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control). Six Sigma is a continuous improvement methodology that primarily focuses on identifying and reducing variation in a process. Six Sigma in healthcare can address the toughest challenges facing healthcare and communities today-examples include health disparities, emerging infectious diseases, safety concern such as medication errors, falls, and hospital acquired infections. Students will learn how the methodology serves as an infrastructure to facilitate improvement in outcomes by healthcare organizations. Case studies, rich class discussion, and the application of tools using simulation will prepare students to successfully implement Six Sigma in their work environment.
Credit 3 units.
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T92 HCO 605 Business Essentials in Health Care
This course provides an overview of the evolution of the healthcare delivery landscape and an understanding of current challenges facing healthcare leaders. Students will explore how to employ performance improvement tools to mitigate challenges and increase value, improve patient experience and outcomes.
Credit 3 units.
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