Health Care Strategy applies the discipline of business strategy to the unique structure and economics of the US health-care industry. It asks how providers and institutions create value (and, more importantly, how they capture it) in a sector where competition and innovation are rising. You go beyond simply creating value to build the critical-thinking and analytical skills needed to evaluate your organisation's needs, optimise decisions and develop new or innovative ventures.
This is an official Harvard Online course, featuring faculty from Harvard Business School and delivered on Harvard Online's learning platform. IPMC International handles your registration, payment and local support, then enrols you on the course. The format is self-guided within a scheduled cohort, and the Certificate of Completion is issued by Harvard Online.
The course develops three connected sets of skills:
The programme is taught through authentic business examples, interactive lessons and conversations with industry experts. There are no prerequisites. To earn the Certificate of Completion from Harvard Online, participants complete the four core modules and their quizzes by the stated deadlines.
Using the Statins case (selling products) and the Livongo case (selling a complex service), apply a framework for value creation and capture, and work out how much value a seller can capture given the competitive environment and value created for stakeholders.
Perform a "five forces" analysis, assess the strength of those forces across industries, and evaluate the growth trade-offs an elder-care entrant faces through the Oak Street Health case.
Evaluate a "natural experiment" in the British National Health Service, assess the opportunities of destination medicine, and analyse the business and regulatory moves that reduce or enhance competition.
Dissect a decision to vertically integrate, assess the effects on pricing under different assumptions, and examine how provider–insurer integration affects competition, prices and patient access.
Leemore Dafny: Your instructor. The Bruce V. Rauner Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, where she teaches health-care strategy and co-directs the PhD Program in Business Economics. She also serves on the faculties of the Harvard Kennedy School and the interdisciplinary Program in Health Policy.
Learners also hear from industry experts, including Beth Zoneraich (CEO of a health-care fertility organisation), Kevin Tabb (CEO of Beth Israel Lahey Health, a system of academic and teaching hospitals in Massachusetts) and Dr. Jorge Plutzky (Director of the Vascular Disease Prevention Program and on faculty at Harvard Medical School). Affiliations are listed for identification purposes only.
The course suits leaders of health-care organisations and those delivering care, as well as consultants, clinicians and product specialists who want to understand the business decisions shaping the sector. There are no prerequisites. It is ideal for professionals and organisations who want a globally recognised Harvard Online credential to advance their careers.
On successful completion you receive a digital Certificate of Completion from Harvard Online. No letter grades are assigned; participation is evaluated on a complete/incomplete basis. Once earned, you can add it to your CV and LinkedIn. For example, under LinkedIn "Licenses & Certifications" list Harvard Online as the issuing organisation and the certificate for Health Care Strategy as the credential.
The course fee is confirmed on enquiry and put in writing before payment.
Pay IPMC securely by debit/credit card in UAE Dirhams (UAE) or by UPI, card or net banking in Indian Rupees (India).
Yes. The course is delivered by Harvard Online and the Certificate of Completion is issued by Harvard Online.
No. There are no prerequisites. The course suits both clinical and non-clinical professionals who want to understand how business strategy applies to health care.
You complete the four core modules and their quizzes thoughtfully by the stated deadlines and contribute to discussions on the platform. You can set your own daily or weekly pace within the cohort. No letter grades are given; your work is assessed on a complete or incomplete basis.
This course runs as a scheduled Harvard Online cohort. The next cohort starts 21 Oct 2026. Contact us to reserve your place.
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