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SPOKANE, Wash. -- The graduate program in health policy and administration at Washington State University received high marks from the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education in its recent review of the program’s performance on accreditation standards. 

CAHME granted a six-year reaccreditation, double the minimum period of three years, to the WSU program, one of only 72 CAHME-accredited programs in North America. 

The review team noted several strengths of the program:

An academic coordinator works directly with students throughout their time with the program to advise and support them.

Focused and effective course syllabi lay out objectives and performance expectations so students understand exactly what is required for successful completion of each class and the degree.

The program includes comprehensive coverage of health care finance and accounting, taught by nationally recognized expert Joseph Coyne.

The program emphasizes the development of analytical skills essential for success as health care administrators and health policy analysts.

Winsor Schmidt, professor and chair of the department, said, "the accreditation process is an assurance of quality and continuous program improvement. The six-year reaccreditation confirms our position as a leading program with a consistent record of high quality."

CAHME is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and by the Department of Education as the only accrediting agency in the field of health services administration. According to the Association of University Programs in Health Administration, “accreditation by CAHME is the most important assurance that a graduate program meets the quality standards developed by the profession and the health services industry.”

Benefits of accreditation for students include access to scholarship and special project grants funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; availability of residency positions; fees and dues reductions for recent graduates from professional organizations such as the American College of Healthcare Executives; and eligibility for full graduate membership status in the Association of University Programs in Health Administration.

The WSU Health Policy and Administration Program is the only CAHME-accredited program admitted to the Western Regional Graduate Program of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. To be admitted to the Western Regional Graduate Program, the WSU program had to meet criteria of distinctiveness and demonstrated quality and show particular strength in programs targeted to the emerging social, environmental and resource development needs of the West, and in innovative interdisciplinary programs.

Selection for the Western Regional Graduate Program places the health policy and administration program among the top four health administration programs in their 14-state Western region comprised of Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

About Washington State University Spokane

WSU Spokane is the urban campus of WSU, a land-grant research university founded in 1890. The campus features advanced studies and research in health sciences and health professions, the design disciplines, education, social and policy sciences, and science and technology. WSU is classified by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as a research extensive and doctoral-granting university, and is ranked among the top public research universities in the nation.

Web sites:

Department of Health Policy and Administration:  www.hpa.spokane.wsu.edu

WSU Spokane: www.spokane.wsu.edu

CAHME-accredited programs: www.cahmeweb.org/programs.htm

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