This course introduces students to the U . S . health care and public health systems through the lens of systems science , focusing on the historical evolution , structural complexity , and dynamic interdependencies and integration among key system components . It explores how health care systems are organized to deliver services , how various interdisciplinary subsystems--including financing , regulation , workforce , and technology--interact , and how feedback loops influence policy and operational decisions . Emphasis is placed on the systems-level factors that shape health outcomes , such as stakeholder networks , governance structures , and resource flows . Students learn to analyze health policy decisions within a systems framework , considering the roles of power , incentives , and societal values in shaping priorities and trade-offs . The course equips students with systems thinking tools and vocabulary essential for understanding the emergent behavior of complex organizations , enabling them to critically assess challenges related to coordination , innovation , and sustainability . Class sessions also examine adaptive systemic responses to emerging technological , legal , and ethical dilemmas , highlighting the dynamic nature of the U . S . healthcare system as a complex adaptive system .