Health Justice Certificate

Health Justice Certificate Program Overview

The study of health justice introduces students to the concepts that build and surround medical-legal partnerships. In recent years, medical-legal partnership has expanded across the country to embrace a grass-roots healthcare reform movement.

Medical-legal partnership expands the healthcare team to include lawyers to solve medical problems that have a legal cause. These medical problems often stem from population health and the social determinants of health including: income inequalities, adequate housing concerns, education and employment medical hurdles, determining legal status for immigrants and veterans, and implementing protective measures such as guardianships for children and the elderly to name a few. Lawyers and medical professionals are uniquely positioned to advocate for patients and clients to improve healthcare outcomes and potentially cut healthcare costs. Students will be poised to make a lasting impact on healthcare policies and practices essential to our current time. This material is applicable to students across law, policy, healthcare, community health, psychology, social work, and public health.

In this certificate program, coursework includes discussion of legal remedies for social determinants of health and other health inequities and health disparities by improving cross-discipline communication, identification of policy change to improve population health and serve the poor and vulnerable in order to achieve social justice. As students explore and discover the connections between poverty, law, disease, and healthcare infrastructure they can be better equipped to produce effective change to improve the health of their communities. This program will provide invaluable understanding for leaders in healthcare and law.

Program Curriculum

Health Justice Certificate

Skills You’ll Learn

• Recognize indicators for medical-legal interventions.
• Investigate social determinants of health, epidemiology, and health inequities.
• Synthesize information about health inequities, social determinants, and epidemiology to create intervention strategies.
• Demonstrate skills in searching and evaluating literature to facilitate evidence-based decision making.
• Create and evaluate approaches to medical legal interventions.
• Apply persuasive writing and oral communication techniques to advocate for legislative change.

Career Outcomes

This certificate blends theory and application with a goal of preparing students to serve as organizational resources for medical-legal interventions as part of population and community health efforts. Students will be encouraged to identify a specific area of interest as they begin coursework, and incorporate interests into assignments.  This strategic approach can result in a valuable portfolio of resources, data and advocacy statements, as well as visual and oral presentations that will be the cumulative work product. Those who complete this certificate can serve in roles such as:

• Health Advocate
• Public Health
• Social Justice
• Medical Justice
• Program Outreach Manager
• Health Equity Manager

Scholarship Opportunities

George M. Dennison Civic Engagement Scholarship is a scholarship opportunity that is available through Montana Campus Compact (MTCC) for volunteer-oriented students. In order to apply, University of Providence students must have completed at least one year towards a degree or certificate. Reference letters are highly recommended.

Find out more about our scholarship opportunities here.

Program Costs

The University of Providence is committed to affordability and providing pricing transparency for all School of Health Professions programs. Pricing transparency at UP includes:

• Accessible and up-to-date information on tuition costs, university fees, application and admission fees, deposit amounts, and additional program costs.
• Cost of attendance worksheets outlining specific tuition layouts by program and semester.
• Information about scholarship opportunities and tuition discounts for specific groups.
• Information about the financial aid process.

Visit our Tuition and Fees page to access the latest pricing information. Access the Health Justice Certificate Estimated Cost Breakdown sheet to view pricing information for this degree program, including a cost breakdown by semester and associated program costs. Visit our Financial Aid page to learn more about the financial aid process.

Healthcare Professionals Tuition Incentive

The University of Providence is committed to supporting the healthcare workforce by empowering current healthcare professionals to start, enhance or advance their career in healthcare. The Healthcare Professionals Tuition Incentive (HPTI) Program provides currently employed healthcare professionals with the opportunity to apply tuition discounts to in-demand programs offered through our School of Health Professions catalog.

Visit the Healthcare Professionals Tuition Incentive Program page to learn more.

Providence Health & Services Partnership

Our unique partnership with Providence Health allows eligible Providence Caregivers and their dependents to receive an exceptional education from an accredited, faith-based, university. Caregivers and their dependents who enroll at the University of Providence may receive many possible benefits, such as discounted tuition rates and preferred admission, as part of their education benefits. Visit the Providence Human Resources Service Portal to learn more about caregiver education benefits, the application process for our programs, and tuition discounts.