Health Risk and Crisis Communication Programs Introduced
World-Renowned Faculty to Teach New Online Program Designed to Prepare Communicators for Health Crises and Disaster Response
Crisis communication has traditionally been a component of public relations and organizational communication, but developments such as 9/11, the threat of global terrorism, the anthrax scare, SARS, the recent swine flu outbreak, Katrina, and other disasters have given rise to the need for health communication to expand its parameters into the field of crisis communication. Similarly, the public health field has been moving quickly to incorporate courses on crisis communication within larger scope of health promotion.
A new completely online Master of Science Degree and graduate certificate program in Health Risk and Crisis Communication (HRCC) is now available through Chapman University College, one of California’s oldest, most prestigious private universities and ranked as a top school in US News and Report’s Best Colleges 2009.
The Health Risk and Crisis Communication Masters degree program, which can be completed in 18 months, is designed to help adult learners and working professionals locally, nationally and across the globe learn to lead effective strategic communications campaigns and provide valuable information to the public, media and other critical stakeholders.
“Chapman University College’s new Health Risk and Crisis Communications program will benefit those ranging from professionals who interact with patients and their families on everyday medical issues to emergency responders who react to natural or man-made disasters,” said Gary Brahm, chancellor of Chapman University College.
“Whether communicating during a crisis or explaining a prognosis or medical procedure to a patient, it’s critical that those tasked with communicating critical information understand the importance of their role in delivering information. Offering this degree online will allow a more geographically dispersed student body direct access to this important education program so they are equipped to react to complex communications challenges.”
The program will prepare students for leadership roles in health and related fields such as healthcare, pharmacy, nutrition and wellness, government and public policy by focusing on communications which take place through consumer-provider interaction, the media, health campaigns, international perspectives, mental health, gerontology, oncology and public health.
“While health risk and crisis communications is often associated with disasters and health epidemics, communication is an important everyday function for doctors, nurses and other medical professionals,” said Lisa Sparks, PhD and HRCC program developer. “Everyday, people from diverse backgrounds interact with medical professionals about complex health care issues that are difficult to understand. By educating health personnel to communicate in a style which can be easily understood by their audience, we can help reduce miscommunication, which will result in improved health outcomes, better emergency preparedness and response, and a reduction in medical malpractice.”
The program is being led by Sparks, who is a professor and presidential research fellow of health and risk communication at Chapman University in Orange, California, and director of graduate students of the Master of Science in health communication in the Schmid College of Science. She has authored and edited more than 10 books in the areas of communication, health and aging with the distinct focus on cancer communication science and has published more than 100 research articles and scholarly book chapters.
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