Academics

Director named for online undergraduate health policy administration program

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. —Jennifer Lees Deutsch, co-curricular programs manager for the World Campus Master of Health Administration program, has been selected as the program director and instructor of the new online bachelor of science degree for the Department of Health Policy and Administration. The appointment is effective July 1.

Penn State announced the new online bachelor of science in health policy and administration (HPA) in April. The 120-credit degree is offered by Penn State World Campus and the Penn State College of Health and Human Development.

Deutsch will be responsible for the leadership of the online HPA bachelor of science degree. Her responsibilities will include planning, implementation, and ongoing program evaluation. She will oversee the development of course content and degree requirements, including the internship program, to ensure the online curriculum is of utmost quality. Additionally, she will develop and instruct online courses and recruit and supervise faculty for the program.

“Our vision is to be the leading online undergraduate program in Health Policy and Administration by leveraging the Penn State brand and World Campus delivery model to develop our students into healthcare leaders who positively impact and improve the industry,” Deutsch said. “Offering our curriculum online allows us to reach those who are geographically removed from campus and provide students with the convenience and flexibility to continue working while furthering their education. As the healthcare market continues to evolve, I anticipate an increased demand for our degree and I am excited about the opportunity to champion the program.”

“We are very fortunate to have someone with Jennifer’s administrative skills, professional experience, and familiarity with World Campus programs at Penn State to take the lead as director of the online undergraduate degree,” said Marianne Hillemeier, head of Department of Health Policy and Administration. 

As co-curricular program manager of the online MHA program, Deutsch facilitated the program’s startup and managed day-to-day operations. Previously, she served as grant program coordinator for the Institute for Clinical Research Education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and clinic coordinator of the EEG Department at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Academically, she holds a master’s degree in Health Care Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University and is an alumna of the Health Policy and Administration bachelor’s degree program at Penn State.

The college offers an identical bachelor’s degree in health policy and administration at the University Park campus. The same high-quality faculty who teach in residence also teach online.

“We are so pleased to bring this highly regarded program to our online adult learners through the Penn State World Campus,” said Karen Pollack, assistant vice provost for undergraduate online and blended programs at Penn State World Campus. “We have a growing world population that is aging, and thanks to the B.S. in Health Policy and Administration we have a degree program online that will help us prepare students to plan and administer the health care services that will be in even greater demand in the future.”

A degree in health policy and administration prepares students to work in a variety of health care organizations, such as hospitals, physician practices, home health agencies, health insurance companies, medical device manufacturers, research and policy organizations or governmental agencies.

The online program has the distinction of being certified by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration, an organization that works to improve health care delivery. The program is also affiliated with the resident and online master of health administration, which is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education.

For more information about the online bachelor’s in health and policy administration degree, visit the program’s website.

Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated June 24, 2015

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