Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Policy, Law, Ethics, and Regulations (Online)

HCA 6400-A70

Course: HCA 6400-A70
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: ACFN
CRN: 10392

Course Description

This course will examine the interrelated changes in healthcare administration, ethical and legal expectations, and the organization of health care and health policy over the last century. The ways that leaders in healthcare organizations adapt to and challenge public policies throughout the policymaking process, the consequences of this behavior for the administration, services, staffing, inter-organizational linkages, and the impact on health and practice, research, and education. (Spring - 1st Session, Summer - 2nd Session) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): HCS 6100 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C Registration Restriction(s): MBA, MSBA, or CSIA majors only

Required Texts

Pozgar, George D. (2021).   Legal and Ethical Essentials of Health Care Administration (3rd Edition) [978-1284172560]
 

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Explain how the advances in medicine led to the rise of the modern-day hospital and improving the quality of patient care.
  2. Explain the development and sources of law, the purpose of tort law vs. criminal law.
  3. Describe the elements of a contract and how the contractual relationship guides healthcare administration.
  4. Describe the various corporate duties of healthcare organizations.
  5. Describe  the credentialing and privileging process and liability of physicians, nurses and healthcare allied professionals.
  6. Describe the role of medical records and the importance of electronic medical record systems.
  7. Summarize the types of patient events that are reportable under the law.
  8. Explain the elements and conditions of an insurance policy and the unique characteristics of professional liability insurance.
  9. Describe the key elements of seven major health care related laws and regulations.
 

Course Requirements

There are no prerequisites for this course.  Enrollment in this course outside of program requirements may require advisor approval.

Course Outline

Quizzes
There will be weekly quizzes to assess your understanding of course content. Points and question types will vary.

Discussions
Discussion boards will consist of questions related to lecture topics and require an initial post and at least two substantive replies to your peers' posts.

Paper
Write a 3-5 page paper due toward the end of the course.  Detailed assignment instructions are provided in the course materials.


Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late Policy
All assignments must be submitted by the due date unless prior permission has be granted by the instructor to turn the work in late.

Make-Up Work/Extra Credit
There is not extra credit or make up work. 

Attendance Policy

As this is on online course, your attendance will be measured by your participation and completion of course activities. 

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.