JSGS launches new online program in response to increasing pressure on the health care system
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 12, 2012 2012-12-04-JSGS The Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy (JSGS) is the first policy school in Canada to introduce an online Master of Health Administration (MHA) program in co-operation with the University of Saskatchewan's School of Public Health.
By University Communications
The JSGS, a joint initiative between the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina, has faculty with diverse backgrounds in health administration, political science, economics, sociology and law. Faculty members delivering the online program will work alongside experienced health system practitioners and leaders to educate graduate students in an interdisciplinary environment that combines practical and academic experience.
"The challenges facing today's health systems are unquestionably complex - resource decisions are increasingly contentious, and concerns about wait times, quality of service, efficiency and sustainability, and the cost of health care are the source of on-going discussion and debate. The need for strong leadership, critical thinking and innovative approaches is perhaps greater than ever," said JSGS Assistant Professor and MHA Academic Director Amy Zarzeczny. "This MHA program will help prepare graduates to be effective health system leaders. Its online delivery format will allow busy professionals, including those already working in management and leadership roles, as well as aspiring leaders, to pursue advanced education in a flexible manner that accommodates the many professional and personal demands on their time."
The need for this type of program in Saskatchewan has long been recognized both within the university community and in the broader health sector, and was recently validated when JSGS faculty consulted with key stakeholders in the province's health regions as part of developing this new master's program.
"Health administration is an increasingly specialized and interdisciplinary field. It involves leadership skills, human resource management, accounting and financial management, health economics, management of increasingly complex health information systems, marketing and strategic planning, among many other elements," said Dwight Nelson, recently retired president and CEO of the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region. "The MHA program has been developed to respond to these needs. It will support succession planning in health sector leadership and will make an important and lasting contribution to the future of health care in this province and beyond."
The online MHA graduate program is administered through the University of Regina campus. The first MHA classes will be offered beginning September 2013. For more information, please visit www.schoolofpublicpolicy.sk.ca.
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For more information, please contact:
Erica Schindel, Communications and Marketing Specialist
Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy
University of Saskatchewan campus
(306) 966-2663
erica.schindel@usask.ca
"The challenges facing today's health systems are unquestionably complex - resource decisions are increasingly contentious, and concerns about wait times, quality of service, efficiency and sustainability, and the cost of health care are the source of on-going discussion and debate. The need for strong leadership, critical thinking and innovative approaches is perhaps greater than ever," said JSGS Assistant Professor and MHA Academic Director Amy Zarzeczny. "This MHA program will help prepare graduates to be effective health system leaders. Its online delivery format will allow busy professionals, including those already working in management and leadership roles, as well as aspiring leaders, to pursue advanced education in a flexible manner that accommodates the many professional and personal demands on their time."
The need for this type of program in Saskatchewan has long been recognized both within the university community and in the broader health sector, and was recently validated when JSGS faculty consulted with key stakeholders in the province's health regions as part of developing this new master's program.
"Health administration is an increasingly specialized and interdisciplinary field. It involves leadership skills, human resource management, accounting and financial management, health economics, management of increasingly complex health information systems, marketing and strategic planning, among many other elements," said Dwight Nelson, recently retired president and CEO of the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region. "The MHA program has been developed to respond to these needs. It will support succession planning in health sector leadership and will make an important and lasting contribution to the future of health care in this province and beyond."
The online MHA graduate program is administered through the University of Regina campus. The first MHA classes will be offered beginning September 2013. For more information, please visit www.schoolofpublicpolicy.sk.ca.
-30-
For more information, please contact:
Erica Schindel, Communications and Marketing Specialist
Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy
University of Saskatchewan campus
(306) 966-2663
erica.schindel@usask.ca