Stevenson’s Graduate Nursing Program Adds Area’s First Concentration in Population-Based Care Coordination
Stevenson University’s Master’s in Nursing Program has received approval from the Maryland Higher Education Commission to add a new concentration in Population-Based Care Coordination. This is the first concentration of its kind to be offered by a Maryland university and is the third concentration within Stevenson’s Graduate Nursing program itself, which includes existing concentrations in Nursing Education and Nursing Leadership/Management. Stevenson is now accepting applications for fall 2014 for students who want to pursue this new concentration.
The National Quality Forum defines care coordination as “the deliberate organization of activities and information to improve health outcomes by ensuring that care recipients’ and families’ needs and preferences for healthcare and community services are met.” The looming changes in the U.S. healthcare system required by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act present multiple challenges for healthcare providers in the U.S. One important aspect of these changes is the need for expert care coordination by knowledgeable providers who are well acquainted with healthcare delivery systems, insurance policies, and the varied needs of clients. Population-based care focuses directly on health promotion and disease prevention activities that influence the community’s overall health profile.
“The knowledge and skills required for population-based care coordination are already in great demand within the healthcare community,” said Joyce Becker, J.D., Dean of Stevenson’s School of Graduate and Professional Studies. “Our program will prepare nurses for this new reality and for the next step in their careers.”
“The goals of the Affordable Care Act and changes in the Maryland Health Care System bring a greater emphasis on care coordination throughout healthcare,” said Judith Feustle, Associate Dean for GPS Nursing. “This concentration will give nurses in hospitals, health departments, schools, and other agencies the essential knowledge and skills required for navigating the changes, challenges, and opportunities of the population-based approach.”
Stevenson’s Master’s in Nursing can be completed within 24 months and is designed to be relevant, timely, and applicable to the growing demand for nurse educators, managers, and care coordinators.
The online program helps students to acquire the advanced knowledge and skills needed to move ahead in their professions. The new Population-Based Care Coordination concentration is a 36 credit online curriculum that offers six new courses relevant to the concentration coupled with five core courses taken by students in the Nursing Education or Nursing Leadership/Management concentrations.
The School of Graduate and Professional Studies will host an online Virtual Information Session on Tuesday, June 10, 2014, to introduce and answer questions about the new Population-Based Care Coordination concentration. To register, contact Amanda Courter, Enrollment Counselor, at 443-352-4243 or email acourter@stevenson.edu.
For more information, visit Stevenson’s School of Graduate and Professional Studies online at www.stevenson.edu.