Cornell University & eCornell Launch New Online Certificate Programs for Healthcare Professionals

ITHACA, NEW YORK, October 19, 2010 -- eCornell and the Sloan Program in Health Administration from the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University have launched two new online certificate programs for healthcare professionals. Both programs can be completed in as little as 2-3 months.

“The flexible online model of eCornell’s certificate programs is a perfect fit for busy healthcare professionals who want the collaborative experience of a classroom without the limitations of schedules and geographic location,” explained Chris Proulx, CEO of eCornell. “Healthcare organizations themselves can also benefit by incorporating these programs into their corporate training and education programs.

Executive Leadership for Healthcare Professionals is a 5-course online certificate program that will develop the management skills that healthcare leaders need to succeed in today’s business climate, manage regulatory and business challenges, and positively impact the bottom line. The curriculum focuses on critical topics like capital budgeting, strategic planning, the basics of risk and return, how to identify, measure and incorporate risk into capital budgeting decisions; leveraging executive decision-making tools and formal methods to assess healthcare plans in light of regulations and ever-changing needs in the market.

Who Should Enroll?
Healthcare administrators, executives, chiefs of staff, board members, chief nursing officers, department directors and other healthcare professionals with management responsibilities, as well as clinicians and other medical staff with leadership aspirations. Prospective students can request more information at http://info.ecornell.com/l-hc and download the course catalog.

Healthcare Facilities Design: Strategy & Innovation is a 6-course online certificate program in strategic and facility planning/design that provides strategies and knowledge for healthcare managers and other professionals who need to help implement transformational change within any healthcare organization, towards making it more efficient, safe and patient-centered. The tools and methods taught in this program will prepare healthcare professionals to better address some of the leading problems plaguing the healthcare industry today. All organizations are facing significant challenges requiring a focus on strategic planning. Further, most healthcare organizations will be involved in renovation or major facility planning/design projects over the next few years. Focusing on strategic planning, providing tools and information on facility planning/design, and how to effectively use evidence-based research to evaluate, and contribute to transforming and improving healthcare environments—this program will provide the means to more effectively participate in the planning, design and evaluation process. In so doing, it will enable participants to help improve effectiveness, patient safety, quality of care, and the work environment of care providers.

Who Should Enroll?
Facility administrators, executives, chiefs of staff, board members, chief nursing officers, department directors and staff who will provide leadership and/or play a role in strategic planning, facility design or re-design/renovation, as well as healthcare architects, designers and facility planners. Prospective students can request more information at http://info.ecornell.com/l-hcfd and download the course catalog.

“The healthcare industry is under great pressure to provide high quality, patient-centered care while simultaneously increasing market share and maintaining a positive bottom line,” said Brooke Hollis, Executive Director, Sloan Program in Health Administration and one of the faculty authors of the facilities program. “These certificate programs tap into years of experience and research by faculty at Cornell and help address these challenges from two distinct angles: The process of strategic planning for programs and facilities, and the acquisition of executive and leadership skills for staff, career administrators and clinicians transitioning to roles of increasing responsibility.”

About the Sloan Program in Health Administration at Cornell University
Since its establishment more than 50 years ago as the field’s first graduate program with two years of academic course work, the Sloan Program in Health Administration has prepared professionals for leadership positions throughout the health care industry. The Sloan Program is built upon a foundation comprised of training in management; a solid understanding of the health care system, policy environment, ethics and public health; and hands-on learning in real-world settings.

Sloan is housed in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University, an innovative, interdisciplinary College that includes faculty in a wide variety of fields related to health and society. Another College department collaborating on this offering, the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis, has been an international leader in human-centered design for 40 years, and has faculty with backgrounds in architecture, interior design, environmental psychology, human factors, and facility planning and management. For more information visit www.sloan.cornell.edu, www.human.cornell.edu/dea and www.human.cornell.edu.

About eCornell
eCornell, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cornell University, provides many of the world’s leading organizations with online professional and executive development in the areas of leadership and management development, human resources, financial management and hospitality management. eCornell’s proven course development model and asynchronous instructor-led course delivery provide for engaging, rigorous and interactive learning. The company has delivered over 120,000 courses to more than 36,000 students in almost 200 countries. For more information visit www.ecornell.com.

Media Contact:
Will Hipwell, VP Marketing
(607) 330-3399
whipwell@ecornell.com