Healthcare Financial Management Fundamentals from Coursera

This course is the continuation of "Intro to Finance in Healthcare." If you have not yet taken the introductory course, it is recommended that you complete that course prior to this course. The foundational knowledge is carried through in this deeper dive into financial management in healthcare.

In this course, you will continue to explore concepts and topics related to accounting and finance basics for healthcare organizations. You will learn how to read, interpret, and use a financial statement in order to understand the financial health of an organization. You will explore long-term financing and learn about the types of debt available to healthcare organizations. You will also be introduced to financial planning and analysis and how to best assess the financial performance of a company.

You will be asked to put yourself in the position of a financial officer within a healthcare organization as you explore the complexities and challenges healthcare organizations face when managing healthcare financial decisions. Throughout this course, you will be given the opportunity to evaluate your understanding through engagement in a course project, discussions, and through completion of content quizzes along the way.

What's inside

Syllabus

Assets, Liabilities, and Equity

Understanding the balance sheet is an essential aspect of analyzing a business's financial health. In this module, we will explore the basics of the balance sheet, including assets, liabilities, and equity. In this module we will learn more about this crucial financial statement and gain a deeper understanding of how it can give us valuable information about a company's financial standing.

Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)

Financial Planning and Analysis, or FP&A, is an important area in a company that helps align the organization's financial data with its financial statements and supports strategic business decisions. A key product of most FP&A departments is developing the finance plan of a company which covers key areas such as assessment of the financial condition, working capital management, payer contracting strategy, analytics & reporting, and data management. Financial planning and budgeting are critical to the success of a company and its ability to achieve its goals. In this module, we will discuss the key functions of FP&A, the elements of the financial plan of a company, and the overall importance of budgeting and financial planning.

Long-Term Financing

It is important to understand the crucial role that capital plays in the acquisition and financing of assets for healthcare providers, as well as to examine the different financing options available to them. This module explains that capital is necessary for healthcare providers to operate and purchase assets, and it can be obtained through either debt financing or equity financing. In this module we will also explore the cost of capital and how companies raise capital through selling bonds. We will also explore how long-term debt is crucial for healthcare providers and that the cost of capital is influenced by several factors.

Financial Condition Analysis

Financial stability is critical to the success of any healthcare organization. To determine a company's ability to fulfill its mission, it's important to assess and understand its financial and operating performance. This module will cover the key indicators, ratios, and techniques used in financial and operating performance analysis.In essence, financial condition analysis is a vital tool for evaluating a company's financial and operating performance. By utilizing techniques like financial statement analysis, operating indicator analysis, and ratios like profitability, liquidity, debt management, and asset management ratios, it's possible to gain a comprehensive understanding of a company's financial health. We will explore these concepts and more during this module.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Teaches healthcare financial management, which is vital for professionals in the field

Develops a strong understanding of financial statements, their analysis, and their use in assessing financial health

Led by instructors with expertise in healthcare finance

Follows a logical progression from foundational concepts to advanced topics

Requires completion of an introductory course, which may limit accessibility

Assumes some prior knowledge of accounting and finance basics

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Healthcare Financial Management Fundamentals with these activities:

Read "Healthcare Financial Management" by William Cleverly

Show steps

Gain a deeper understanding of the financial management of healthcare organizations through this comprehensive book.

View Essentials of Health Care Finance on Amazon

Show steps

Read the book and take notes.
Summarize the key points in the book.

Create a glossary of financial terms

Show steps

Build your vocabulary and understanding by creating a glossary of financial terms you encounter in the course.

Show steps

Identify financial terms you do not know.
Look up the definitions of the terms.
Create a glossary with the terms and their definitions.

Review key concepts

Show steps

Review key accounting and finance concepts to strengthen your foundation for the course.

Browse courses on Assets

Show steps

Review the basic concepts of accounting.
Go through the different financial statements and their components.
Understand the key ratios used in financial analysis.

Five other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all eight activities

Practice reading financial statements

Show steps

Enhance your ability to interpret financial statements by following guided tutorials.

Show steps

Find tutorials on financial statement analysis.
Follow the steps to analyze a balance sheet and income statement.

Join a study group

Show steps

Connect with other students to discuss the course material and reinforce your understanding.

Show steps

Find a study group or start your own.
Meet regularly to discuss the course material.

Solve financial analysis problems

Show steps

Develop your problem-solving skills by practicing financial analysis problems.

Show steps

Find practice problems online or in textbooks.
Solve the problems and check your answers.

Create a financial plan

Show steps

Apply your understanding of financial planning by creating a plan for a healthcare organization.

Show steps

Gather data on the organization's financial performance.
Analyze the data to identify areas of improvement.
Develop a plan to address the areas of improvement.
Present your plan to the organization's management team.

Write a blog post on a healthcare financial topic

Show steps

Enhance your understanding and communication skills by writing a blog post on a healthcare financial topic.

Show steps

Choose a healthcare financial topic to write about.
Research the topic and gather information.
Write a blog post that is informative and engaging.
Publish your blog post on a platform like Medium or LinkedIn.

Career center

Learners who complete Healthcare Financial Management Fundamentals will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Financial Analyst

Financial analysts are responsible for evaluating the financial health of companies and making recommendations on investments. This course would provide you with the foundational knowledge of financial statements including the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows. In addition, understanding the techniques used for financial condition analysis would be particularly relevant to the role of a financial analyst.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst

Investment Analyst

Investment analysts are responsible for evaluating the potential of different investments. This course would provide you with the foundational knowledge of financial statements and how to analyze them to make sound investment decisions. Additionally, the course's exploration of long-term financing and the cost of capital would be particularly useful for investment analysts.

See salaries and explore the career path for Investment Analyst

Financial Manager

Financial managers are responsible for overseeing the financial operations of an organization. This course can help build a foundation for financial management by providing you with a solid understanding of financial planning, budgeting, and analysis. Additionally, this course may also provide insight on key topics such as long-term financing and the cost of capital.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Manager

Healthcare Consultant

Healthcare consultants work with healthcare organizations to improve their financial performance. This course can help build a foundation for healthcare consulting by providing you with a solid understanding of the financial challenges faced by healthcare organizations including financial planning, budgeting, and analysis. Additionally, this course may also provide insight on key topics such as long-term financing and the cost of capital, both of which are particularly relevant to healthcare.

See salaries and explore the career path for Healthcare Consultant

Healthcare Executive

Healthcare executives are responsible for overseeing the operations of healthcare organizations. This course can help build a foundation for healthcare management by providing you with a solid understanding of the financial challenges faced by healthcare organizations including financial planning, budgeting, and analysis. Additionally, this course may also provide insight on key topics such as long-term financing and the cost of capital, both of which are particularly relevant to healthcare.

See salaries and explore the career path for Healthcare Executive

Credit Analyst

Credit analysts are responsible for evaluating the creditworthiness of borrowers. This course would provide you with a foundational understanding of financial statements including the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows. In addition, understanding the techniques used for financial condition analysis would be particularly relevant to the role of a credit analyst.

See salaries and explore the career path for Credit Analyst

Auditor

Auditors are responsible for examining an organization's financial statements to ensure accuracy and compliance. This course would provide you with a foundational understanding of financial statements including the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows. In addition, understanding the techniques used for financial condition analysis would be particularly relevant to the role of an auditor.

See salaries and explore the career path for Auditor

Budget Analyst

Budget analysts are responsible for developing and managing budgets for organizations. This course can help build a foundation for budget analysis by providing you with a solid understanding of financial planning, budgeting, and analysis. Additionally, this course may also provide insight on key topics such as long-term financing and the cost of capital.

See salaries and explore the career path for Budget Analyst

Financial Planner

Financial planners help individuals and families manage their finances. You can get a better understanding of financial planning concepts such as budgeting, saving, and investing from this course. With this course's focus on topics like FP&A, financial condition, and long-term financing, you will be able to develop strong analytical skills which are essential for success in financial planning.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Planner

Risk Manager

Risk managers are responsible for identifying and mitigating risks for organizations. This course can help build a foundation for risk management by providing you with a solid understanding of financial risk analysis and management. Additionally, this course may also provide insight on key topics such as long-term financing and the cost of capital.

See salaries and explore the career path for Risk Manager

Healthcare Financial Analyst

Healthcare financial analysts are responsible for analyzing the financial performance of healthcare organizations. This course would provide you with a foundational understanding of financial statements and how to analyze them to make sound investment decisions. Additionally, the course's exploration of long-term financing and the cost of capital would be particularly useful for healthcare financial analysts.

See salaries and explore the career path for Healthcare Financial Analyst

Quantitative Analyst

Quantitative analysts are responsible for developing and using mathematical and statistical models to analyze financial data. This course can help build a foundation for quantitative analysis by providing you with a solid understanding of financial statement analysis and modeling. Additionally, this course may also provide insight on key topics such as long-term financing and the cost of capital.

See salaries and explore the career path for Quantitative Analyst

Actuary

Actuaries are responsible for assessing the financial risks associated with insurance policies. This course would provide you with a foundational understanding of financial statements and how to analyze them to evaluate financial risk. Additionally, the course's exploration of long-term financing and the cost of capital would be particularly useful for actuaries.

See salaries and explore the career path for Actuary

Tax Accountant

Tax accountants are responsible for preparing and filing tax returns for individuals and businesses. This course would provide you with a foundational understanding of financial statements including the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows. In addition, understanding the techniques used for financial condition analysis would be particularly relevant to the role of a tax accountant.

See salaries and explore the career path for Tax Accountant

Insurance Underwriter

Insurance underwriters are responsible for evaluating the risk of insurance policies. This course would provide you with a foundational understanding of financial statements and how to analyze them to make sound underwriting decisions. Additionally, the course's exploration of long-term financing and the cost of capital would be particularly useful for insurance underwriters.

See salaries and explore the career path for Insurance Underwriter

Healthcare Financial Management Fundamentals

Two deals to help you save

What's inside

Syllabus

Good to know

Save this course

Activities

Career center

Reading list

Share

Similar courses