A Message From The Department of Health Care Administration & Human Resource Management

This academic year has been one of the most challenging for the Department of Health Care Administration (HCA) and Human Resource Management (HRM) but I am encouraged by the students’ unwavering commitment to success, as well as the faculty’s compassion and adaptability while still delivering high-quality education amid the global pandemic. Although most of our courses have been offered online for some time, our faculty swiftly and effectively made the necessary adjustments to improve student engagement, offer flexibility, and revise course delivery methods to ensure a positive learning experience.

Although class enrollment took a slight dip, our students are largely excited to continue their studies in our Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration, Bachelors in Human Resource Management, and Master of Business Administration/Health Care Administration Concentration programs despite personal and academic challenges that have resulted from COVID-19. One of the most common concerns of students, however, is cancelled internships. Real-world, on-the-job experience is invaluable, especially for our traditional students and early careerists. In some cases, virtual internships have been obtained but such opportunities are rare when organizations have been faced with strict visitation restrictions, furloughs, layoffs, etc. In an effort to continue to supplement classroom learning when virtual internship experiences are not available, students have been given access to local health care professionals to establish mentor relationships. Students have also been encouraged to join local health care professional organizations, such as the American College of Health Executives and the SC Hospital Association, as student members to take advantage of professional networking opportunities and virtual events. Ideally, departmental faculty will make more inroads with local health professionals and alumni over the next several months for work experience, exposure, and/or insight.

Our health care administration student club, the Health Executive Student Association, will resume normal activities in January. Student officers and club members will continue to forge relationships with local health professionals, host career exploration events, and organize a semester community service project. Students have already expressed community service ideas to show appreciation for essential workers and others who have been impacted by COVID-19.

Even in unprecedented circumstances, our programs continue to thrive and stay in step with higher education trends. As acknowledged by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration, interprofessional education (IPE) is a critical pedagogical approach for preparing health care professional students for working in collaborative team environments at health care facilities. As a faculty member in health care administration, I have begun to work on IPE initiatives in partnership with faculty in the health sciences, nursing, social work, psychology, and athletic training programs - to name a few, as the newly formed Interprofessional Education Committee. It has been refreshing and rewarding to collaborate with other faculty, share resources, align our curricula, and develop semester workshops for all students with healthcare-related majors to learn about, from, and with each other.

I am also happy to announce that Dr. Chitalu Adams, Associate Professor of Human Resource Management, assessed and revised the HRM curriculum to achieve confirmation from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) that the curriculum at Limestone University is in alignment with SHRM’s Curriculum’s Guidelines. SHRM is the largest and most widely recognized organization and resource with over 300,000 human resources members in over 165 countries. Achieving academic alignment with SHRM’s guidelines qualifies students enrolled in the HRM major to apply for the SHRM certification exam under a special student eligibility provision, a significant career advantage for HR professionals.

It is anticipated that COVID-19 will have long-term effects on the job outlook and roles of professionals in the fields of health care and human resources. I look forward to working with faculty to stay abreast of the changing dynamics and to incorporate relevant context to the curricula to best prepare our students for careers in both evolving industries.

Stefanie Corbett

Chair, Department of Health Care Administration & Human Resource Management