MHA 5101, Legal Foundations of Health Care
Course Description
This course provides an analysis of the legal aspects of health care delivery and the impact on health care institutions.
Students will examine tort law, professional liability, cost controls, liability insurance, antitrust, and health care access.
Course Textbook
Pozgar, G. (2012). Legal aspects of health care administration (11th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Analyze law, ethics, bioethics, and related dilemmas in the health care environment.
2. Identify the sources and classifications of laws as well as the structure of the U.S. court system.
3. Describe the role of the medical practice acts, licensure, and laws designed specifically for the healthcare
environment.
4. Explain the features of managed care and federal assistance programs.
5. Examine the rights and responsibilities of the patient, physician, and medical practice.
6. Discuss the characteristics of negligence and the tort of negligence, malpractice, and professional liability.
7. Interpret issues concerning public health information, vital statistics, abuse reporting, and management of
controlled substances.
8. Examine laws designed to protect the healthcare worker, the environment, and the healthcare consumer.
9. Explain the purpose, contents, and ownership of the medical record.
10. Describe the objectives, implementation, and concerns associated with HIPAA.
11. Identify issues related to key bioethical areas including organ transplants, contraception, sterilization, artificial
insemination, surrogate motherhood, genetics, and abortion.
12. Articulate issues surrounding death and dying including its five stages, euthanasia, advance directives, viatical
settlements, and end of life care.
Credits
Upon completion of this course, the students will earn three (3) hours of college credit.
Course Structure
1. Unit Learning Outcomes: Each unit contains Learning Outcomes that specify the measurable skills and
knowledge students should gain upon completion of the unit.
2. Unit Lesson: Each unit contains a Unit Lesson, which discusses lesson material.
3. Reading Assignments: Each unit contains Reading Assignments from one or more chapters from the textbook.
Chapter presentations are provided in each unit study guide as Suggested Reading to aid students their course of
study.
4. Learning Activities (Non-Graded): These non-graded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their
course of study.
5. Unit Assessments: This course contains eight Unit Assessments, one to be completed at the end of each unit.
Assessments are composed of written response questions.
MHA 5101, Legal Foundations
of Health Care
Course Syllabus
MHA 5101, Legal Foundations of Health Care 2
6. Unit Assignment: Students are required to submit for grading Unit Assignments in Units I and VIII. Specific
information and instructions regarding these assignments are provided below. Grading rubrics are included with
the Unit I and VIII Assignments. Specific information about accessing these rubrics is provided below.
7. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or
course content related questions.
8. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates.
Unit Assignments
Unit I Case Study
In this unit, we have discussed negligence and tort law in the healthcare field. Using your favorite search engine (such as
http://www.scholar.google.com), locate a case study involving one or both of these topics. Once you have read the case,
you will compose a paper consisting of a minimum of three pages. Your paper should consist of the following:
Details of the case
Summary of each side’s argument during the case
Summary of the ruling in the case
Which party in the case had the best legal argument? Why? What were the pros and cons of each side’s argument? MHA 5101, Legal Foundations of Health Care
All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have
accompanying citations. Any references or citations used should be in APA style.
Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.
Unit VIII Course Project
The course project provides you with an opportunity to choose one medical law or medical ethics issue of special
interest and to study that issue at a deeper level for further understanding and application. This five to seven page
(double-spaced) paper must critically analyze the issues related to the selected topic, with the textbook, web
resources, and professional journal articles (which may also be found online) being utilized to complete the project.
Please be sure to cite all references using APA format to avoid plagiarism. The paper must be submitted in APA
format. Please contact the Student Success Center for complimentary assistance with APA formatting and writing
tutoring.
In your Course Project, be sure to include:
Description of your selected issue
Discussion of how the issue impacts healthcare professionals and healthcare organizations
Impact of your selected issue on patients and families
Critical analysis of the issue, including at least one specific case example
Significance of the issue to the practice of healthcare administration
Recommendations for approaches to deal with the issue
Possible Course Project Issues:
Medicare-funded organ transplants
Medicaid-funded organ transplants
Death with Dignity Act of Oregon
Genetic engineering
Institutional review boards and medical research
Hospital ethics committees – roles and responsibilities
Medical staff credentialing
Disruptive physicians
Living wills
Durable power of attorney for healthcare
Ethics of managed care
Legal aspects of managed care
Universal healthcare – Is it right for America?
Cost-shifting in healthcare
MHA 5101, Legal Foundations of Health Care
The Joint Commission – role in healthcare
MHA 5101, Legal Foundations of Health Care 3
The Joint Commission – alternatives
Patient safety in healthcare
Complementary and alternative healthcare – ethical issues
Complementary and alternative healthcare – legal issues
Nursing practice – ethical issues
Nursing practice – legal issues
Allied health practice – ethical issues
Allied health practice – legal issues
Medical practice – ethical issues
Medical practice – legal issues
New reproductive technology – ethical issues
New reproductive technology – legal issues
Landmark cases – Select any one landmark case in healthcare law and present your own summary of the
facts, issue, finding and reason. Critically analyze the case, and explain your agreement or disagreement with
the court’s finding.
Other topics – The course project can certainly be completed on another issue not listed above. If you are
selecting a topic which is not listed above, please obtain approval from your professor before beginning your
work.
The Course Project is worth 100 points and is due by the end of Unit VIII.
Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.
CSU Online Library
There is a virtual library with resources, including both journals and ebooks, to support your program and your course at
Columbia Southern University. eResources are accessible 24 hours a day/7 days a week from the CSU Online Library
gateway page. To access the library, log into myCSU, and then click on CSU Online Library. Resources are organized in
the library by title, but if you click on Research Guides, you will find eResources arranged by subject.
The Library Reference service is available 7 days a week; you can reach CSU’s virtual librarians by e-mailing
thevirtuallibrarian@columbiasouthern.edu. These professional librarians will be glad to help you develop your research
plan or to assist you in any way in finding relevant, appropriate, and timely information.
Librarian responses may occur within minutes or hours, but it will never take more than 24 hours for a librarian to send
a response to the e-mail address you have provided. Replies to reference requests may include customized keyword
search strategies, links to videos, research guides, screen captures, attachments, a phone call, live screen sharing,
meeting room appointments, and other forms of instruction.
APA Guidelines
CSU requires that students use APA style for papers and projects. Therefore, the APA rules for formatting, quoting,
paraphrasing, citing, and listing of sources are to be followed. Students can find CSU’s Citation Guide in the myCSU
Student Portal by clicking on the “Citation Resources” link in the “Learning Resources” area of the myCSU Student Portal.
This document includes examples and sample papers and provides information on how to contact the CSU Success
Center.
Grading Rubrics
This course utilizes analytic grading rubrics as tools for your professor in assigning grades for all learning activities. Each
rubric serves as a guide that communicates the expectations of the learning activity and describes the criteria for each
level of achievement. In addition, a rubric is a reference tool that lists evaluation criteria and can help you organize your
efforts to meet the requirements of that learning activity. It is imperative for you to familiarize yourself with these rubrics
because these are the primary tools your professor uses for assessing learning activities.
Rubric categories include: (1) Assessment (Written Response) and (2) Assignment. However, it is possible that not all of
the listed rubric types will be used in a single course (e.g., some courses may not have Assessments).
MHA 5101, Legal Foundations of Health Care 4
The Assessment (Written Response) rubric can be found embedded in a link within the directions for each Unit
Assessment. However, these rubrics will only be used when written-response questions appear within the Assessment.
Each Assignment type (e.g., article critique, case study, research paper) will have its own rubric. The Assignment rubrics
are built into Blackboard, allowing students to review them prior to beginning the Assignment and again once the
Assignment has been scored. This rubric can be accessed via the Assignment link located within the unit where it is to be
submitted. Students may also access the rubric through the course menu by selecting “Tools” and then “My Grades.”
Again, it is vitally important for you to become familiar with these rubrics because their application to your
Assessments and Assignments is the method by which your instructor assigns all grades.
Communication Forums
These are non-graded discussion forums that allow you to communicate with your professor and other students.
Participation in these discussion forums is encouraged, but not required. You can access these forums with the buttons in
the Course Menu. Instructions for subscribing/unsubscribing to these forums are provided below.
Once you have completed Unit VIII, you MUST unsubscribe from the forum; otherwise, you will continue to
receive e-mail updates from the forum. You will not be able to unsubscribe after your course end date.
Click here for instructions on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and post to the Communication Forums.
Ask the Professor
This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content questions.
Questions may focus on Blackboard locations of online course components, textbook or course content elaboration,
additional guidance on assessment requirements, or general advice from other students.
Questions that are specific in nature, such as inquiries regarding assessment/assignment grades or personal
accommodation requests, are NOT to be posted on this forum. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of a nonpublic
nature, please feel free to email your professor. Responses to your post will be addressed or emailed by the
professor within 48 hours.
Before posting, please ensure that you have read all relevant course documentation, including the syllabus,
assessment/assignment instructions, faculty feedback, and other important information.
Student Break Room
This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Communication on this forum should
always maintain a standard of appropriateness and respect for your fellow classmates. This forum should NOT be used to
share assessment answers.
Grading
Unit Assessments (8 @ 5%) = 40%
Unit I Case Study = 20%
Unit VIII Course Project = 40%
Total =100%
Course Schedule/Checklist (PLEASE PRINT)
The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule,
you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted.
MHA 5101, Legal Foundations of Health Care 5
MHA 5101, Legal Foundations of Health Care Course Schedule
By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. Please keep
this schedule for reference as you progress through your course.
Unit I Introduction to Health Law
Review: Unit Study Guide
Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide
Read:
Chapter 1: Reflections on the Past
Chapter 2: Introduction to the Legal System
Chapter 3: Tort Law
Suggested Reading: See Study Guide
Submit: Assessment
Case Study
Notes/Goals:
Unit II Criminal and Civil Law in Health Care
Review: Unit Study Guide
Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide
Read:
Chapter 4: Criminal Aspects of Health Care
Chapter 5: Contracts and Antitrust
Chapter 6: Civil Procedure and Trial Practice
Suggested Reading: See Study Guide
Submit: Assessment
Notes/Goals:
Unit III Medical Staff and Nursing Law
Review: Unit Study Guide
Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide
Read:
Chapter 7: Corporate Structure and Legal Issues
Chapter 8: Medical Staff
Chapter 9: Nursing and the Law
Suggested Reading: See Study Guide
Submit: Assessment
Notes/Goals:
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MHA 5101, Legal Foundations of Health Care Course Schedule
Unit IV Allied Health, Information and Informed Consent
Review: Unit Study Guide
Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide
Read:
Chapter 10: Allied Professionals Legal Issues
Chapter 11: Information Management
Chapter 12: Patient Consent
Suggested Reading: See Study Guide
Submit: Assessment
Notes/Goals:
Unit V Legal Reporting and Patient Rights
Review: Unit Study Guide
Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide
Read:
Chapter 13: Legal Reporting Requirements
Chapter 14: Patient Rights and Responsibilities
Chapter 15: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Suggested Reading: See Study Guide
Submit: Assessment
Notes/Goals:
Unit VI Healthcare Ethics and End-of-Life Decisions
Review: Unit Study Guide
Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide
Read:
Chapter 16: Healthcare Ethics
Chapter 17: Procreation and Ethical Dilemmas
Chapter 18: End-of-Life Decisions
Suggested Reading: See Study Guide
Submit: Assessment
Notes/Goals:
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MHA 5101, Legal Foundations of Health Care Course Schedule
Unit VII Professional Liability and Employee Relations
Review: Unit Study Guide
Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide
Read:
Chapter 19: Professional Liability Insurance
Chapter 20: Labor Relations
Chapter 21: Employee Discipline and Discharge
Suggested Reading: See Study Guide
Submit: Assessment
Notes/Goals:
Unit VIII Employee Rights, Managed Care and Patient Safety
Review: Unit Study Guide
Learning Activities (Non-Graded): See Study Guide
Read:
Chapter 22: Employee Rights and Responsibilities
Chapter 23: Managed Care
Chapter 24: Tort Reform and Risk Reduction
Chapter 25: Patient Safety and Zero Tolerance
Suggested Reading: See Study Guide
Submit: Assessment
Course Project
Notes/Goals:
MHA 5101, Legal Foundations of Health Care