SALT LAKE CITY – To address an urgent shortage of healthcare professionals needed to navigate an increasingly complex healthcare system, Western Governors University (WGU) is now offering a first-of-its-kind Bachelor of Science Health Services Coordination (BSHSC) degree program. The program, which began accepting applications September 1, will prepare graduates to coordinate among healthcare providers, patients, caregivers, and services to improve the effectiveness, safety, and efficiency of an evolving healthcare system.
In addition to medical coordination skills, students will develop competencies in leadership skills, cultural awareness, patient-centered care coordination, and the ability to identify and intervene with high-risk patients through WGU’s proprietary Professional Leadership and Communication course.
“This new degree program will help individuals advance their careers in a fast-growing health profession,” said Dr. Stephanie LaPuma, Academic Program Director/Associate Dean in WGU’s College of Health Professions. “Aligning curriculum with current workforce needs is at the core of what we do. This degree program is specifically designed to offer individuals a pathway to a value-based healthcare career that is in high demand.”
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that jobs in health services coordination will increase 20% by 2026. This degree program will benefit students new to health professions, while also creating a bachelor's degree pathway for experienced pre- and paraprofessionals, medical assistants, certified nursing assistants (CNAs), home health aides, EMTs, paramedics, and military medics seeking job security or promotion. BSHSC graduates will be prepared to navigate emerging value-based care systems, promote patient-centered holistic care, and provide integrated care management.
The BSHSC, like all WGU degree programs, is competency-based, allowing students to study and learn on their own schedules and advance as soon as they demonstrate mastery of course materials. WGU’s affordable tuition of approximately $7,000 per year and flexible learning model make it possible for busy students to earn an accredited degree on a tight schedule.
Details of the program are available at www.wgu.edu/BShealthservices.
