Month: September 2017

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Stacie Costa MTO Thesis Defense: Wednesday, September 27th at 4:30pm

Stacie Costa
Title: DEVELOPING A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS: CHALLENGES AND REMEDIES
Date/Time: Wednesday, September 27th at 4:30pm
Location: A&F Conference Room (M-5-211)
Degree: MBA with specialization: Finance

Abstract:

The United States health care system has reached a turning point where exorbitant costs and uneven care are no longer acceptable.  Costs are rising, and neither hospitals nor insurance companies have any incentive to reduce them as they just try to push costs onto one another.  Reforming the United States healthcare system will require a fundamentally different approach for all parties involved.

The purpose of this thesis is to examine and discuss the major problems plaguing the healthcare industry, specifically involving hospitals and other health care organizations.  Then, potential and actual solutions will be reviewed.  Four major categories for health care challenges and issues are discussed: Payment, Information Systems, Business Strategy, and Operations Management.

Authors and scholars who write about health care challenges often discuss remedies to them.  These potential solutions from the literature are discussed in order to understand their feasibility.

Ultimately, the best way to find out if these potential solutions are viable is to ask someone who deals with these challenges every day.  Many health care administrators, physicians, nurses, and managers were interviewed to see what they thought about the potential solutions.  While many of them agreed with the literature solutions, they also recommended different solutions and offered new findings and insight.

The interviews with health care professionals led to a new framework for change.  Recommendations are then made based on the feedback from these interviews.  No matter which department they work in, these health care professionals unanimously emphasized the need for positive and productive company culture, standardization in all areas, and further staff education as ways to reduce cost.  The results show that these overarching themes will have a major impact on the industry as a whole, regardless of the challenge it faces.

 

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Finding your class room at the UMass Center – One Beacon Building

If your room is listed in Wiser as UMassCenter, 1 Beacon St Boston, your class will be held off of the main harbor campus. It will instead be held in downtown Boston, at the One Beacon Building, in the lower level.

Example – Room: UMassCenter 1 Beacon St Boston

One Beacon Wiser image

Once you arrive at the One Beacon building, you will find the UMass Center, and the classrooms in the lower level. Look for the hallway in between the Santander Bank, and Rebecca’s Cafe. You will see the sign for the UMass Center.

You can get to the One Beacon building by way of the MBTA, using either the Red line or Green line stops of Park Street or Downtown Crossing. There is also parking available on site.

One Beacon Boston map Highlighted Park St and Downtown MBTA stops

One Beacon Building Highlighted with MBTA stops Park St and Downtown Crossing. 

 

 

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Finding your class location and the CM Grad Programs Office

With the start of the new academic year here, the Graduate Program Office would like to provide a location guide to help you find your way around campus, to your classroom, and to our office location.

CM Grad Program Offices

CM Office Sign in HallwayThe Graduate Program Office is located in the McCormack Building, on the 5th floor. Here you will be able to find the offices for Jeff Masse, Tara Norton, and Steve Sze.

Presently the elevators adjacent to the office are being upgraded, but you can take the elevators down the hall (near the Beacon Fitness Center, from the 1st floor), then take a right once off the elevators on the 5th floor, and head down the hallway to our office suite.

Steve.CM.Office.Welcome

Look for the ceiling sign indicating “Graduate Office”. To make an appointment with an advisor, email Steve.Sze@umb.edu, and he will assist in scheduling an appointment for you.

Classroom Locations: “How do I locate my classroom?
What does W-01-0058 or UMass Center mean?”

  • WISER will list class locations with the following notation; the first letter is for the building, the next number is for the floor, and the final number is the room. Typical building locations are:
    • W- Wheatley
    • M- McCormack
    • Y- University Hall
  • So W-01-0058 would be located in Wheatley Hall, on the 1st floor, in room number 58.
  • NOTE: Some classes are held at our downtown Boston location, at One Beacon Street, at the UMass Center. Classes located there will be noted as:
    • UMass Center– One Beacon Street, Downtown Boston
  • Directions and Maps:
    • For detailed directions to classrooms on the Harbor Campus– 100 Morrissey Blvd
    • For detailed directions to classrooms at the UMass Center– 1 Beacon St, Boston
    • Here you will find the  Campus Map