In the past decade, health care has witnessed dynamic changes. Advances in technology and medical science have been matched only by the breadth of law and regulation now part of every aspect of the profession.
Successfully navigating this increasingly difficult system is, at best, challenging and often seems overwhelming. To address that need, Nova Southeastern Universitys Shepard Broad Law Center introduced a two-year, 30-credit Masters in Health Law (M.H.L.) program, teaching non-lawyer health care professionals the skills necessary to effectively identify, understand and deal with the intricate set of legal issues in the health care environment. Taught by experts in the interrelationships of law and professional health care, the curriculum examines core legal concepts, procedures and policy interpretations affecting the health care industry. Graduates come away with a legal awareness sensitive to health care issues, giving them the ability to gauge the scope and severity of potential problems and enabling them to recognize when and where a lawyers assistance is needed. Accommodating the need and desire of most health care professionals to remain in their present location and employment and, at the same time, draw upon a nationwide faculty, the M.H.L. program offers a unique opportunity via NSU Laws state-of-the-art, internet-based distance learning technology. The majority of work, with the exception of attendance at two or three on-campus Institutes, will be accomplished conveniently from the students own home, on the students own time, without compromise of career or other obligations. Still, the program is highly interactive, requiring student participation nearly everyday. Such interactivity, while permitting students flexibility in terms of timing, ensures high-quality education. Health care providers, physicians, nurses, program administrators, pharmacists and those in the allied health professions now require more knowledge of the law and regulations of our health care delivery system, the contractual relationships involved and the intricacies of Medicare and Medicaid billing and coding. The staffs of managed care companies or insurance companies must understand the regulatory regime governing risk management and privacy issues. And all must be acutely aware of patients rights. Graduates at NSUs M.H.L. program find themselves well prepared for the challenges presented by new legislation, regulations, and judicial decisions governing American health care today and into the future.For more information, contact Jennifer McIntyre, director of distance education programs, at (954) 262-6079 or mcintyrej@nsu.law.nova.edu.
