Message From the Chair

Welcome to the Department of Health Policy and Management (HPM) at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

This is a time of extraordinary transformation in health systems, both here in the United States and around the globe. In the United States for example, the implementation of the Affordable Care Act has significantly reduced the number of Americans without health insurance. At the same time, the health delivery system is consolidating, emphasizing value-based reimbursement, and increasingly focusing on prevention, public health, and population health management. In this time of change, our mission remains clear: to contribute to the creation and management of better health systems, both domestically and globally.  

We pursue our mission through our educational programs, our academic research, and our efforts to translate that research into the policy and management communities.  

Our educational programs provide students with the skills, networks, and practical experiences needed to navigate a complex and changing healthcare environment. Indeed, the department is recognized nationally for its unique blend of classroom and professional development programs, which include a multi-hospital marketplace simulation, consulting assignments for health firms in the tri-state area, internships, and case competitions, all rooted in a highly integrated and comprehensive set of core academic classes. Be sure to spend time looking through this website to learn more about our MHA management programs (including full-time, part-time, and executive), our MPH programs (in policy and comparative effectiveness outcomes research), and our non-degree programs here in the United States and around the world.

We invite you to also learn more about our superb interdisciplinary faculty, both those who work full-time here in the department and our impressive group of part-time and adjunct colleagues. In addition to their teaching, our full-time faculty are engaged in a wide range research initiatives, studying, for example, the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the needs of aging populations, the effectiveness of obesity prevention programs, the management strategies employed by high-performing firms, and the impact of laws and regulations on public health outcomes. Meanwhile, our part-time and adjunct faculty bring a different dimension to the classes they teach, drawn from their on-the-job experience and leadership.  

This is an exciting time to be a part of HPM! We have an advisory board comprised of an extraordinary group of CEOs, foundation presidents, and health policy leaders from around the nation. We have become a major player in non-degree executive education, with programs for healthcare leaders in places as diverse as China, Dubai, and France. We have new affiliations with research organizations around the world, such as the German-based Center for Healthcare Management, while also becoming even more connected with the health departments in both New York City and New York state.

There is certainly a daunting set of challenges facing health policymakers, managers, and researchers, here in the United States and around the world. As you consider your path forward, I hope you carefully review this website for information on our admissions process and our various courses of study. And feel free to contact us if we can help answer questions about our programs.

Thanks for your interest in HPM!

Warmly,

Michael Sparer, PhD, JD
Professor of Health Policy and Management;
Chair, Department of Health Policy and Management