Graduates of the ALTCA program can take advantage of careers in organizations including nursing home facilities; home health care programs; assisted living facilities; and opportunities in community-based aging organizations along the continuum of care.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the field of medical and health service administrators is expected to grow by 23 percent by 2022—much faster than the average for all occupations in the U.S. What’s more, the BLS reports that there will likely be increased demand for nursing care facility administrators as Baby Boomers continue to age.
To that end, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has launched a new master’s degree program in Aging and Long Term Care Administration (ALTCA), for those interested in advancing their career in the growing field of aging services and the administration of institutional and community-based care.
At the core of the new program is the Nursing Home Administration 120-hour program, which satisfies the educational requirement for licensure in Pennsylvania. In addition, students will complete a six-credit Administrator in Training course, which provides 1,000 hours of administrative experience in a long-term care facility.
The interdisciplinary program features courses in the biological, environmental and psychosocial aspects of aging as well as courses in organizational development and leadership (supervised by Jeffrey Branch, EdD, assistant professor, psychology, and director of the Organizational Development and Leadership Graduate Program) to provide students with management and leadership skills.
“The focus on administration is directed toward furthering the careers of those already employed in the aging services, as well as those who have an interest in working in facilities and providing services for the aging population,” said Ilene Warner-Maron, PhD, RN-BC, NHA, clinical assistant professor, psychology, and co-director of the ALTCA program.
Dr. Warner-Maron says graduates of the program can take advantage of careers in organizations including nursing home facilities; home health care programs; assisted living facilities; and opportunities in community-based aging organizations along the continuum of care.
For the past 125 years, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
Daniel McCunney
Associate Director, News and Media Relations
Email: danielmc1@pcom.edu
Office: 215-871-6304 | Cell:
267-449-1360
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