The University of Miami’s School of Business Administration, Miller School of Medicine Department of Public Health Sciences, and the de Beaumont Foundation today announced the establishment of a unique certificate program aimed at training public health professionals in business fundamentals and skills.
A 2015 study using the results of the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) prompted the development of this program. An article published in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice showed that just under half of the 10, 246 members of the public health workforce reported proficiency in budget skills. Those skills and others are significantly associated with increased yearly compensation.
“Because of the dramatic transformations in our overall health system, and in public health agencies, the need for public health professionals to have strong business acumen has never been greater,” said Steven G. Ullmann, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Health Sector Management and Policy at the University of Miami School of Business Administration. “We are delighted to partner with the Miller School and the de Beaumont Foundation to build an innovative program that will meet this growing need.”
The Building Expertise in Administration and Management (BEAM) Certificate Program for Public Health Professionals will require 20 contact hours, to be delivered through an interactive, asynchronous platform. The curriculum will be developed over the next year by the University of Miami partners and the de Beaumont Foundation in collaboration with a National Advisory Committee comprising federal, state, and local health officials as well as leading public health advocacy organizations. Practitioners in the field of public health will pilot the courses in July 2017, and enrollment for the program will begin in October 2017.
A kick-off event for the new certificate will take place on Tuesday, October 25, at the Robert and Judi Prokop Newman Alumni Center on UM’s Coral Gables Campus. The University of Miami will join leaders from the de Beaumont Foundation for a screening and panel discussion of the documentary short, Public Health and Politics: Examining the Surgeon General.
UM top public health physician-researchers and principal investigators for the program are Roderick King, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Dean of Public Health Education, Alberto Caban-Martinez, D.O., Ph.D., M.P.H, assistant professor of public health sciences and Director of the Musculoskeletal Disorders and Occupational Health Lab, and Steven G. Ullmann, Ph.D., professor and Chairman of Health Sector Management and Policy.
“Public health experts work tirelessly to devise equitable programs, manage clinics and studies that address the overall community’s health needs,” said King. “The establishment of this certificate program is vital to ensuring the success of their work, outreach and overall impact.”
“PH WINS revealed a direct link between business skills and success in the public health workforce,” said Edward L. Hunter, President and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation. “These skills will continue to be fundamental for success as pressures increase on public sector budgets and new opportunities arise to partner with other sectors. We are thrilled at this opportunity to create an educational platform in partnership with the University of Miami.”
