Building on the core strengths of each, Cleveland Clinic and the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University are collaborating on a new health care-focused executive master of business administration (EMBA) degree program to begin this fall.
The Cleveland Clinic-Weatherhead Executive MBA at Case Western Reserve includes instruction and practical experience in the general management fields of leadership, strategy and innovation. The degree’s distinction comes first from a unique combination of specialty courses in health-care strategy and economics, and, second, from those who will teach them: Weatherhead School faculty renowned for their scholarly expertise in health care, and Cleveland Clinic instructors with firsthand leadership experience in one of the nation’s top-ranked hospitals.
“Health care is in the midst of an unprecedented transformation and is changing how we deliver care to patients and how we are reimbursed for services,” said Cleveland Clinic President and CEO Delos M. “Toby” Cosgrove. “The focus has shifted to quality and outcomes for patients, while moving away from the traditional fee-for-service model. In other words, health-care organizations are expected to produce better outcomes at a lower cost. This is putting a lot of pressure on providers to look at how they’re organized and how they do business. Meeting these new demands will require a new outlook and a new set of skills by health-care leaders.”
The specialized curriculum was developed in response to dramatic growth in the health-care sector nationally and the number of Cleveland Clinic physicians and health-care professionals who have graduated from the management school’s traditional EMBA program. The opportunity to draw on the Weatherhead School faculty’s expertise in health care as well as leading faculty from health-care practice at the Clinic resulted in the joint program.
“We at Weatherhead are thrilled to partner with Cleveland Clinic to create a health care leadership and education program that is unique in the world,” said Robert E. Widing II, PhD, dean of the Weatherhead School and the Albert J. Weatherhead III Professor of Management. “Our partnership with the Clinic provides an incomparable experiential and applied learning opportunity for health-care professionals seeking a cutting-edge executive MBA program.”
The specialized curriculum and novel team approach address a growing need for senior-level administrators, practicing physicians and other health-care professionals to be prepared for important changes in an evolving, complex industry. The program is also an option for senior managers in other fields looking to move into health care.
The 20-month academic program starts September 2015, consisting of 16 sessions over five semesters. Classroom sessions will be conducted at both the Weatherhead School and the Cleveland Clinic campus.
Executive MBA programs are residency-based curricula targeted to working professionals and managers. Cleveland Clinic Weatherhead EMBA classes will meet three days per month each semester.
The program’s coursework covers a range of subjects—business statistics, health finance, supply chain management, corporate governance, decision-making with analytics, design and more. The degree also includes an international trip with faculty, where students visit different countries to learn about global health-care models.
“Courses are designed to approach the business of health-care disciplines through the lens of leadership,” said Simon Peck, associate dean for MBA programs and associate professor in the management school’s Design & Innovation department. “Classes will provide experiences with a pragmatic link to application through case studies and discussions. Meanwhile, participants will build a valuable network of health-care professionals.”
The degree program also includes an applied project—with an executive coach—designed to help students create immediate value by solving problems and implementing solutions across an array of business processes in their own organizations.
The program combines leadership training by the Weatherhead School’s acclaimed organizational behavior faculty members with Cleveland Clinic’s world-class reputation for innovation and patient care.
“Rapid changes in the health-care landscape require the development of new leadership capabilities,” Peck said. “To become leaders in the management of health care, we are giving them new capabilities around areas such as team leadership and collaboration, analytics and big data analysis, patient experience design and innovation and health finance and accounting, in addition to a solid grounding in other functional areas of management and leadership.”
Students can apply online at weatherhead.case.edu. Applications are due by June 15. For more information, contact Stephen Scheidt, director of admissions at the Weatherhead School, at 216.368.6208 or stephen.scheidt@case.edu.