The University of Iowa has launched a new certificate program to equip clinicians and administrators with core healthcare management skills.

The Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Management, offered in the UI College of Public Health’s Department of Health Management and Policy, will provide foundational business skills to physicians, other clinicians, and managers. Up to 10 students will be accepted to the initial cohort, with classes beginning fall 2018.

Ian Montgomery, clinical associate professor of health management and policy and director of the Center for Healthcare Executive Studies and Services (CHESS), says the development of the Healthcare Management Certificate is a direct result of the success of the Top 10-ranked Executive Masters of Health Administration (EMHA) program.

“Prospective EMHA students sometimes ask if there is either an abbreviated version of that degree that focuses on core skills, or a way to try the EMHA curriculum on a limited, non-degree basis,” says Montgomery. “The new Healthcare Management Certificate does both.”

Over a period of 15 months, certificate students will complete five foundational, healthcare-specific courses from the Executive MHA curriculum: Management, Financial Reporting, Policy, Leadership, and Financial Management.

Certificate completion can count toward the credits needed for the Executive MHA program. Courses will be offered in five-week blocks from 4 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays (first three courses) or Wednesdays (final two courses) at UI campuses in Iowa City and Des Moines.

For more information, contact Montgomery at Ian-Montgomery@uiowa.edu.