Oregon Public Broadcasting

Two of Oregon’s largest universities began a new joint program Friday meant to prepare students to help transform the healthcare industry. Rob Manning reports.

28 students will be among the first to get masters of business degrees in healthcare management. 

Portland State and Oregon Health and Science universities have started what is a unique program in the Northwest.

Lead professor, Jim Huntzicker of OHSU, calls the new MBA students the “future leaders of healthcare.”

Jim Huntzicker: “They’re going to impact thousands of people’s lives. They’re going to make healthcare more affordable, they’re going to make it more affordable, and they’re going to improve the health of the population.” 

The program will be mostly online, so that full-time healthcare workers -- as most of the students are -- can do the class work on their own schedules.

PSU will generally offer the business administration courses, while OHSU will guide the health side.

Students will graduate from the $40,000 program, in three years.