A letter from the Department Chair

Dear Prospective Student:

I am the Chair of the Department of Health Policy and Administration (HPA) and I would like you to consider the following information, as well as additional information provided on our website. If you think you and the HPA degree Program are a good match, I invite you to apply for admission.

The Washington State University HPA Program is one of only four CAHME-accredited health services administration programs in the 14-state Western region (excluding California) comprised of Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The Spokane health services market, one of the leading markets between Seattle and Minneapolis, is an excellent laboratory for learning health administration. There are nine health services organizations with over 300 FTE employees each in Spokane County. Health care comprises 11% of the Spokane County employment base and 40% of the service job sector.

The HPA Program is designated full accreditation status by accredited by CAHME (Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education) formerly ACEHSA (Accrediting Commission on Education for Health Services Administration). According to the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) Directory of Programs, "[CAHME] is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) which oversees accreditation of the nation’s colleges and universities, and by the Department of Education, as the only accrediting agency in the field of health services administration. Accreditation by[CAHME] is the most important assurance that a graduate program meets the quality standards developed by the profession and the health services industry.”

The WSU HPA Program is also a member of the WICHE (Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education) WRGP (Western Regional Graduate Program). According to WICHE, “The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) consists of very high quality masters and doctoral degree programs which tend not to be widely available throughout the West.” WRGP membership means that residents of Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming are eligible to enroll at resident rates of tuition in the Washington State University Spokane Health Policy and Administration Program. To be admitted to WRGP, the WSU HPA Program had to meet criteria of distinctiveness and demonstrated quality. 

The HPA Program believes that the health status of citizens is determined heavily by community and environmental characteristics, and individual behavior, in addition to the health care system. Thus, we think health care leaders and organizations should be closely linked to the community setting in which they work. The program provides significant opportunities for students to participate in community activities while learning how to undertake community health improvement.  

The faculty have a close working relationship with public officials and policy makers at the state level who work with health care reform issues. Students and faculty have the opportunity to work on policy projects providing rich and broadening experiences in health policy and management.  

Since many of the students are working professionals, we try to offer flexible opportunities for graduate study that enable individuals to obtain the needed knowledge, skills, and values for career advancement while pursuing the graduate degree. Classes are scheduled at convenient times, and the graduate project and internship activities are adapted to the specific interests and needs of students.  

Washington State University is a land-grant university that became a multi-campus system in 1989 with the establishment of branch campuses in Spokane, Tri-Cities and Vancouver. The Pullman campus enrolls approximately 17,000 students – 15,000 undergraduate and 2,000 graduate students. More than 2,000 juniors, seniors and graduate students are enrolled at WSU Spokane, WSU Tri-Cities and WSU Vancouver. Washington State University offers the stimulation and reputation of a Carnegie Doctoral/Research Extensive institution within smaller, friendly living environments.

Spokane is a city of 410,700 with excellent cultural amenities. Spokane is the center of the Inland Northwest region and adjacent to the mountain ranges, lakes, and rivers of eastern Washington, northern Idaho, and western Montana, providing excellent skiing, boating, rafting, fishing, camping, hiking, tennis, and golfing opportunities.  Housing and other costs of living are significantly lower than the East and West Coasts, and we have very competitive public, rather than private, university tuition rates. The program is housed on the beautiful new Riverpoint higher education campus on the Spokane River across from Gonzaga University. 

We look forward to talking further to you about the program. Please call, write, or e-mail (hpa@wsu.edu) us if you have further questions. I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

Sincerely,

Winsor C. Schmidt, J.D., LL.M.

Chair and

Professor of Health Policy and Administration