WKU Owensboro News
WKU-UPIKE Expand Partnership to Offer Master of Healthcare Administration
- Wednesday, June 10th, 2015
WKU - UPIKE Expand Partnership to Offer Master of Healthcare Administration
Bowling Green, KY - WKU has expanded a partnership with University of Pikeville (UPIKE) Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine to offer an online Master of Health Administration (MHA) this fall. The program is designed for UPIKE students completing their Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine who want to complete an MHA during their rounds.
The MHA will be the second program offered through the WKU- UPIKE partnership. WKU currently offers the Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) pathway program, which offers pre-requisite courses students need to qualify for the M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology program.
“The MHA at UPIKE was developed specifically to equip osteopathic medicine students with the health care business concepts necessary to develop effective health care delivery and meet the needs of the communities they will serve,” said Dr. William Mkanta, MHA program director at WKU.
He said that reform taking place within the U.S. health system aims to link reimbursement to providers and health systems based on their performance within selective quality metrics.
“Under this new healthcare system, providers with a sound understanding of the health care business model will have a competitive advantage,” said Mkanta. “This master’s program will help prepare clinical and non-clinical professionals for success by developing innovative ideas based on the needs of the market.”
Crissy Priddy, coordinator of WKU Cohort Programs, added that the flexibility and convenience of this program are ideal for medical students balancing the rigorous demands of a residency program.
“This program will make it more convenient for residency students to expand their skillsets and become more versatile in today’s growing medical field,” said Priddy.
Dr. Linda Dunatov, associate dean for Student Affairs at UPIKE Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine, said that the WKU- UPIKE partnership creates outstanding opportunities for their students.
“Our partnership offers a unique opportunity for our medical students to prepare for their future roles as osteopathic physicians by broadening their knowledge of the healthcare industry.”
Students will be able to complete the program through a 2-year or 3-year option and can transfer 12 hours into the program. The 42-credit hour program will be offered online, which will culminate in a face-to-face symposium on the University of Pikeville campus.
For more information about WKU’s online MHA program at UPIKE, visit wku.edu/info/mha.
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Contact: Crissy Priddy
WKU Cohort Programs
Western Kentucky University Extended Learning and Outreach
270-745-2162
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