Regents Approve New Healthcare Administration Degree ProgramProgram will serve Rochester and surrounding communities(July 20, 2006) -- On Wednesday, July 12, the University of Minnesota Board of Regents approved a new academic program in healthcare administration to be offered by the University¿s School of Public Health. The new program will serve health care professionals in Rochester and surrounding communities. It is designed for individuals who desire to advance their careers in health care management and health services delivery. The new Master of Healthcare Administration will start admitting students immediately for a fall semester in Rochester. The new program is organized for working adults allowing students to take courses online, giving them great flexibility in organizing their professional, personal and academic lives. The program also includes face-to-face courses offered in the evening and on weekends, allowing students to travel from a distance to attend. "Health care is a business with interdisciplinary connections," said Faith Zimmerman, University of Minnesota Rochester program director for health sciences. ¿Online courses have been organized to provide flexibility and the face-to-face courses have been included to aid students in making invaluable connections to other providers and to expand the sharing of ideas and concepts." John R. Finnegan, Jr., assistant vice president for public health at the University of Minnesota and dean of the School of Public Health, said this new offering was designed as a result of extensive research with prospective students, the organizations they serve, and past graduates of other programs offered by the School of Public Health. Finnegan said the University of Minnesota¿s School of Public Health and the healthcare administration programs are consistently ranked among the top in the nation. This new program in Rochester represents another milestone as it is the first new academic program requested and financially supported by legislative funding acquired by the Rochester Higher Education Development Committee. The goal of this committee is to expand the University of Minnesota presence in Rochester, focusing on the needs of the committee and industry as they relate to the economic drivers of the region. The health care industry and this educational opportunity for health care administration were two areas highlighted by the committee. Contact: |