Prospective students should contact Rebecca Garcia Sanchez in MATC's School of Health Sciences at (414) 297-6263.

MILWAUKEE (Dec. 16, 2011) – Milwaukee Area Technical College will offer a new Healthcare Services Management (HSM) associate degree beginning with the fall 2012 semester. The 68-credit degree will combine healthcare and business/management studies. Graduates are expected to fill a demand as healthcare organizations seek to hire employees who have a combination of skills in both areas. HSM classes do not begin until August 2012, but students should apply soon because the required petition process for program admission begins in February 2012.

The HSM program is designed to prepare students to demonstrate leadership, supervise support staff, ensure efficient departmental workflow and employ strong communication skills. It will be the only associate degree program of its kind in Wisconsin.

Dr. Dessie Levy, dean of MATC’s School of Health Sciences, stated, “In these difficult economic times, organizations are expecting employees to be versatile and to cover multiple areas of responsibility. We believe that the program will prepare students to meet the needs of healthcare institutions of all sizes. This program may appeal to individuals who have previously taken courses in business, healthcare or liberal arts and are interested in pursuing a new career.”

HSM graduates could find employment in hospitals, community-based facilities, outpatient departments, physician offices, clinics, laboratories, intermediate/long-term care facilities and group homes/assisted living facilities. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook for 2010-2011, employment for office and administrative support supervisors and managers will have increased by 11% between 2008 and 2018.

The degree takes a laddered approach. Students with background and schooling in business, healthcare or liberal arts may have earned credits which apply to the degree. For students with no healthcare background, the health unit coordinator and phlebotomy diploma programs are embedded into the HSM associate degree, allowing them to gain the necessary technical training. After earning an HSM degree at MATC, graduates may transfer credits into bachelor’s degree programs in healthcare administration/management at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Cardinal Stritch University or Concordia University.

For more details on the program, visit http://bit.ly/vBGNjp

MEDIA CONTACT
Ginny Gnadt, MATC Public Relations
(414) 297-6770, gnadtv@matc.edu