A new academic program being offered at Mississippi State University-Meridian Campus is designed to prepare graduates for leadership roles in the healthcare industry.

Through the Division of Business, students seeking a bachelor’s degree in business administration can now earn a concentration in healthcare administration.

“MSU-Meridian is on the cutting edge in offering this concentration in healthcare administration,” said Dr. Carlton C. Young, who will be joining the faculty in August as assistant professor of healthcare administration. “It is one of the most popular new study concentrations being offered by business schools across the nation.”

With more than 11 million jobs nationwide, healthcare is the fastest growing segment of the U.S. economy with the majority of private sector jobs created over the past five years in the healthcare field. According to Young, the employment of medical and health services managers is expected to grow 16 percent between 2006 and 2016.

“Healthcare is a growing field, and the demand for healthcare managers is expected to increase for years to come. It is an excellent career ladder with opportunities in many different sectors. It offers excellent earning potential, management and advancement potential, and career flexibility,” said Young, who holds both a doctorate in health services administration and a doctorate of jurisprudence (law) degree.

Meridian’s position as a major center for healthcare services in eastern Mississippi and western Alabama led to the creation of the academic program. The city is home to three general hospitals, a state mental hospital and numerous medical clinics, long-term care facilities and ancillary medical providers.

MSU-Meridian’s new program will be beneficial not only for individuals seeking a career in healthcare but also for those already working in the field, such as nurses, physical therapists, medical technologists, laboratory professionals, social workers and medical business office personnel.

A healthcare concentration would add another dimension to their technical skills and equip them with the business skills necessary in advancing in their profession.

Young said graduates with healthcare administration experience will find their skills in demand in fields such as hospital management, insurance companies, public health agencies, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, long-term care facilities, consulting companies and large organizations in need of healthcare management expertise.

“Graduates of this program will have broad exposure to planning, directing, controlling, coordinating and quality improvement in healthcare endeavors,” he added.

Young comes to MSU-Meridian from Durham, N.C., where he was serving as associate professor and assistant program director of the Master of Health Administration program at Pfeiffer University’s School of Business.

He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Ala., in 1980. Three years later, he earned his law degree from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University.

In 2005, Young was awarded a doctorate in Administration – Health Services with a concentration in strategic management from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His dissertation was titled “Measuring and Benchmarking Hospital Malpractice Performance.”

Prior to joining the faculty at Pfeiffer University, Young served as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Business while also working in private practice as an attorney. He has more than 25 years experience as an attorney and management consultant with emphasis on corporate and healthcare law and entrepreneurship.

“We are excited to have someone of Dr. Young’s caliber to lead our new healthcare administration concentration,” said Dr. Jack Tucci, professor and chair of MSU-Meridian’s Division of Business. “Area physicians and healthcare agencies should greatly benefit from his background in both law and healthcare, especially since his expertise lends itself to advising how to prevent or handle legal healthcare issues.”

To be accepted into the healthcare administration program, students must have completed the equivalent of freshman and sophomore years at a community/junior college or other qualified institution of higher learning.

A total of 124 credits hours, including 62 hours from upper division courses, are required to earn a business administration degree with a healthcare administration concentration.

Besides the traditional business, marketing, management and financial courses required, students will also need to pass the following courses: health systems, healthcare regulations, ethical issues in healthcare, managed care, health policy and a healthcare internship.

“Most of the coursework is tailored explicitly to healthcare environments, including management and supervisory strategies, conflict resolution, business development and marketing,” Young said.

This fall, he will teach classes in “Managed Care” from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Monday, “Health Policy,” from 6:45 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. on Monday, and “Healthcare Internship” from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

MSU-Meridian’s fall semester begins Aug. 17. Final registration is Aug. 12. For more information on registration or additional educational opportunities available from MSU-Meridian, call (601) 484-0100 or 1-800-824-5288 (toll free in Mississippi).