ABOUT SHAPE

This area contains links to a series of pages that will inform you about SHAPE and its activities. Please select from the list below.

Objectives
Strategies and Activities
Life membership
Member Programs
Constitution
Reports and Minutes
2008 Symposium
SHAPE Office Bearers -  ***New Link***

HISTORY 

SHAPE began in 1985 with a kick-start grant of $300,000 from WK Kellogg.  The original organisational structure was modelled on AUPHA (American University Programs in Health Administration). The driving force was a perceived need for emerging programs in health service management to have a forum for the sharing of ideas in order to foster quality in educational offerings.

 Tom Cloher (University of South Australia), was successful in obtaining a three year grant from the Kellogg Foundation and was instrumental in the development of SHAPE’s original constitution. At this time SHAPE stood for the “Secretariat in Health Administration Programs in Education”. Tom was the Executive Director with a Board of Directors. Among office holders during SHAPE’s early years were Professor Laurence Malcolm (University of Auckland, New Zealand), Professor Geoffrey Prideaux (RMIT, Victoria), Mr Colin Grant (University of New South Wales), Professor Duncan Boldy (Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia), Professor Jenny Graham (University of Newcastle), Professor Chris Selby Smith (Monash University), Dr Bob Jamieson (LaTrobe University, Victoria), Professor Emeritus Nan Kinross (Massey University, New Zealand) and Dr Mary Harris (University of South Australia).

Once the start-up funds from WK Kellogg had run out, the Secretariat model proved too expensive for a region with only a few programs dedicated to the discipline of health service management. Hence, in 1991, the name, structure and mission of the organisation were changed. Notably, SHAPE became a Society of Health Administration Programs in Education with important decisions made at the Annual General Meeting, rather than by a board of directors. The mission became the promotion of excellence in health service management education and research in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the Pacific through information exchange.

 SHAPE member programs

Characteristically, SHAPE member programs have been relatively small reflecting the size of their target market and the newness of the discipline of health service management. In the late 1980s, the Health Service Management Program at the University of New South Wales was about the only one with a large enough staff and student body to warrant a ‘School’ of its own. Most other programs were ‘housed’ within Departments/Schools of management or public health or health science or nursing. By 2004, the program at the University of New South Wales had been renamed ‘School of Public Health and Community Medicine’, and relocated within the Faculty of Medicine.

Largely because of their small size, SHAPE member programs have sometimes found their program under threat or subject to being moved around as the host department or faculty or university undergoes restructuring. Health service management programs with a strong and relatively stable ‘champion’ appear to have survived these times of turbulence more effectively than those that have, for one reason or another lacked these attributes. However, times of change and threat of takeover or program annihilation are very stressful for those involved. One of the important roles that SHAPE has been able to play is the provision of support to staff members throughout Australia and New Zealand involved in stressful and troublesome university maneuverings.

 The 1990s saw the emergence of university consortiums and these have had a marked impact on some of our member programs. In the late 1980s and early 1990s we had many within university cooperative arrangements but very few across-university cooperative arrangements.

 Student body and mode of course delivery

Apart for several designated distance education universities, the students of SHAPE member programs of the late 1980s attended regular on-campus classes, and were mainly local residents. Academics tended to teach either in the on-campus mode or by distance education. Teaching in both these modes was rare. By 1999, the situation was very different with universities marketing their courses around the globe and providing courses in diverse ways (eg on-campus, via distance education, in off-shore locations in partnership with local universities and/or industry, via the internet etc.). As a result, health service management academics in 1999-2005 were required to be multi-skilled, able to deliver courses using a range of learning methodologies. In 2008, SHAPE continues to provide an effective vehicle for the exchange of ideas about innovation in educational method applied to the delivery of health service management courses and the professional development of health service managers.

 Length of courses

In the late 1980s, most master degrees required two years full time study or 4 years part time study and had a required research component. Graduate diplomas were 12 months full time or 2 years part time. Today, there is a tendency for courses to be shorter and for there to be a sharp distinction between research degrees and course work degrees. Market-forces, and economic considerations rather than academic considerations appear to be at work. With the advent of full-fees for postgraduate courses, student ability to pay has become an important consideration in course design, content and mode of delivery.

 Level of course offerings

In 1988, most SHAPE programs offered courses in health service management at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level (eg associate diploma, diploma, bachelor degree, graduate diploma and master degree). Very few programs offered programs of study at the doctoral level. In 1999, this situation had changed markedly with many programs only offering postgraduate courses and nearly all programs offering doctoral level studies. By 2008, this situation had changed again with a re-emergence of undergraduate courses, particularly with respect to health information management. Also apparent in 2008 is the emergence of applied health service management courses for people working in the aged care industry.

 Innovation in course offerings

Competition certainly seems to be fostering some very interesting innovation in course offerings and methodology among SHAPE member programs. During SHAPE’s early years, member programs shared information about changing industry needs, course content, methods of delivery, including action learning and industry based teaching. Some programs offered short courses on a for-fee basis as well as their formal academic courses. Today, our programs are offering courses all over the World particularly the developing World using innovative methods. Within Australia some programs are offering courses for groups with special needs using appropriate and new methodologies (e.g., the combined experiential and course-linked program offered by the Australian College of Health Service Executives and the University of New England for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health service managers).

 SHAPE 2008

SHAPE’s role continues to be a forum for information exchange in the interest of fostering quality in educational offerings among programs offering courses in health service management. Importantly, in recent years SHAPE has become a forum for cooperative research activity among member programs and the Australian College of Health Service Executives. Tangible evidence of this latter activity has been the joint production of three publications, viz:

1)      The Changing Roles and Careers of Australian and New Zealand Health Service Managers: a collaborative workforce study involving members of The Society for Health Administration Programs in Education (SHAPE),The Australian College of Health Service Executives (ACHSE) and The New Zealand Institute of Health Management (NZIHM), (1998)

2)      Managing Health Service: Concepts and Practice, First Edition (2002);

3)     Medicine Called to Account: Health Complaints Mechanisms In Australasia, First Edition (2002)

4)      Managing Health Service: Concepts and Practice, Second Edition (2006)