UH West Oʻahu announces the only undergraduate health care administration program in the state

University of Hawaiʻi-West Oʻahu
Contact:
Julie Funasaki Yuen, (808) 454-4821
Public Relations and Marketing Department
Posted: Mar 14, 2008

Beginning in Fall 2008, UH West Oʻahu will offer the only undergraduate program in Health Care Administration in the state of Hawaiʻi. Graduates will earn a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration (BAPA) with a concentration in Health Care Administration. The concentration is designed to address the increasing need for health care managers as stated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and to provide future administrators with the skills needed in a constantly evolving field.

"Current and future health care managers will be expected to focus on improving access, containing rising health care costs, enhancing efficiency in health care facilities, and increasing quality of care," says UH West Oʻahu Health Care Administration Associate Professor Dr. Kristina Guo. "Our Program is designed to meet and fulfill the health care workforce and career development needs for the State of Hawaiʻi by preparing graduates with the skills needed to pursue and advance their careers in managerial positions in the health care field."

Students pursuing a BAPA degree with a concentration in Health Care Administration will complete a curriculum designed to further their understanding of central concepts of health care systems as well as analyze and provide solutions to health care challenges. The new concentration will assist those who are already employed in the health care field to fully develop management, legal and behavioral skills for more effective job performance.

Public Administration degree candidates may also select a concentration in Justice Administration or General Public Administration. UHWO offers certificate programs in Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management and Health Care Administration.

"We are very excited to offer this program, the only undergraduate program in Health Care Administration in the State of Hawaiʻi," says UH West Oʻahu Interim Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Joanne Itano. "As we prepare for the new campus in the City of Kapolei, we are expanding our current programs and developing new ones to meet the workforce needs of the State of Hawaiʻi."

UH West Oʻahu is currently accepting applications for the Fall 2008 semester. For more information about the Health Care Administration Concentration, contact Dr. Kristina Guo at 454-4732 or kguo@hawaii.edu. UH West Oʻahu Public Administration Professor and Division Chair Dr. Ross Prizzia is also available for inquiries at 454-4712 or rprizzia@hawaii.edu.

For more information, visit: http://www.uhwo.hawaii.edu