Healthcare in a Civil Society - Medicine as Business: The Impact of Corporatization on Healthcare

Fort Worth, TX US
February 17, 2024

Overview

As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, the growing influence of corporatization within the industry has become a defining factor in the provision of medical services. The convergence of business principles with healthcare practices raises pertinent ethical questions that demand careful examination. This program seeks to shed light on the multifaceted impact of corporatization on healthcare and explore the ethical implications it presents for patients, healthcare professionals, and society at large.

Corporatization, driven by market forces and profit motives, has led to a shift in healthcare institutions' ownership and management structures.  A mixture of corporate entities – large and small, public and private – play a role in the operation and governance of healthcare systems, raising concerns about how these changes impact the core principles of medical practice, the doctor-patient relationship, physician autonomy, equitable access to healthcare, and external corporate pressures driven by profit motives.  Even in nonprofit settings, there are profit incentives that create tension between profit maximization and patient welfare.

Corporate medicine is here to stay, which raises critical questions:

  • How do we ensure that corporate interests do not undermine the ethical obligation to provide the best possible care to patients?
  • How can ensure that equitable access to affordable quality healthcare is available to patients in vulnerable population groups?
  • What responsibility does the government play, if any, in regulating corporate medicine?
  • What role do private and public sectors play in providing care to these people?
  • What impact does corporatization have on the patient-doctor relationship and what can be done to safeguard it?  What impact does it have on those who provide care in corporate structures?
  • How can we strike a balance between corporate efficiency and the ethical responsibilities of healthcare professionals?

The impact of corporatization on healthcare extends beyond economic and operational considerations; it delves into the realm of ethics and moral values guiding the practice of medicine.  Drawing insights from our panel of experts, this program will explore these ethical implications.  By engaging in thoughtful and informed discussions, we aspire to cultivate a deeper understanding of the challenges posed by corporatization and strive to identify ethical frameworks that can safeguard the integrity of healthcare while navigating the changing landscape of the industry.

This program is being offered in person at the Health Science Center and via Zoom.  The registration fee is the same.

Target Audience

This activity is intended for Healthcare providers, students, healthcare administrators and leaders, and the Tarrant County community.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity leaners should be able to:

  • Summarize the historical factors and events that have contributed to the evolution of healthcare corporatization and appraise their implications for patient care, including access, quality, autonomy, and the doctor-patient relationship;
  • Discuss how market forces, insurance systems, technological advancements, and changing patient expectations have shaped the healthcare industry's shift toward corporate models, and evaluate the implications for healthcare costs, accessibility, and quality;
  • Describe how corporatization in healthcare impacts provider autonomy and well-being and can create conflicts of interest in patient care;
  • Explain how the corporatization of healthcare can impact access, and the affordability, equity, and quality of care for patients in different demographic groups;
  • Describe the potential tension between profit-driven motives and patient-centered care and discuss the ethical challenges that arise from prioritizing financial interests over patient welfare;
  • Discuss strategies and solutions for addressing the ethical challenges presented by healthcare delivery corporatization and identify at least one thing healthcare providers and hospital systems can do to prioritize patient welfare and the integrity of medical decision-making over financial interests; and
  • Discuss issues raised in the plenary session and work together to develop a question to ask the panel in the second session
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 4.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
  • 4.00 ANCC
  • 4.00 AOA Category 2-A
  • 4.00 ASWB Credit
  • 4.00 Certified Public Health (CPH)
  • 4.00 Ethics
  • 4.00 Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
  • 4.00 HSC Participation
Course opens: 
12/04/2023
Course expires: 
03/30/2024
Event starts: 
02/17/2024 - 8:30am CST
Event ends: 
02/17/2024 - 1:00pm CST
Cost:
$25.00
Rating: 
0
University of North Texas Health Science Center - Medical Education & Training Building
3500 Camp Bowie Blvd
Fort Worth, TX 76107
United States

Disclosures will be updated as they are received.

Other Contributors(s)

Michael Williams, DO, MD, MBA, MHA, FACHE

has no relevant financial relationships to disclose at this time.
Course Director(s)

Stuart Pickell, MD, MDiv

has no relevant financial relationships to disclose at this time.
Moderator(s)

Pete Geren, none related to the seminar

has no relevant financial relationships to disclose at this time.
Speaker(s)

Matthew Dzurik

has no relevant financial relationships to disclose at this time.

Sara Garza, MD, FAAP, LSSYB

has no relevant financial relationships to disclose at this time.

Sheila Page, DO, Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

has no relevant financial relationships to disclose at this time.

Stuart Pickell, MD, MDiv

has no relevant financial relationships to disclose at this time.

In support of improving patient care, The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing Education for the healthcare team. 

As a Jointly Accredited Organization, The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. 

American Osteopathic Association

The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association to award continuing medical education to physicians. 

National Board of Public Health Examiners

This activity is approved for 4 credit(s) accepted by the National Board of Public Health Examiners' Certified Public Health (CPH) recertification program.

Texas Administrative Code

The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth certifies this activity meets the requirements for continuing education for Texas-licensed Professional Counselors and Texas-licensed Marriage and Family Therapists. 

Designation Statements

Physicians

The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth designates this program for a maximum of 4.0 contact hour of AOA Category 2A CME credits and will report CME and specialty credits commensurate with the extent of the physician's participation in the activity. 

The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth designates this activity for a maximum of 4.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. 

Nurses

This activity provides up to 4.0 contact hours. 

Certified Public Health Professionals

This activity provides 4.0 contact hours.

Social Workers

Social Workers completing this course receive 4.0 contact hour of continuing education credits. 

Licensed Professional Counselors

This activity provides 4.0 contact hours.

Certificate of Attendance

The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth certifies this activity for 4.0 hours of participation.

Available Credit

  • 4.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
  • 4.00 ANCC
  • 4.00 AOA Category 2-A
  • 4.00 ASWB Credit
  • 4.00 Certified Public Health (CPH)
  • 4.00 Ethics
  • 4.00 Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
  • 4.00 HSC Participation

Price

Cost:
$25.00
Please login or register to take this course.

Requests for refunds must be received in writing by February 3, 2024, to receive a full refund less a $10 admin fee.  Refund requests must be received in writing by HSC, register@unthsc.edu.  No refunds will be issued after February 3, 2023, except for documented medical emergencies. No shows are not eligible for refunds.