Written assignmentHealthcare delivery systems

HLT 205 Assignment U.S. Health Care Timeline

Ten dates and a 500-word forecast. The forecast is only defensible if the timeline established a pattern, which means choosing the ten dates with the last section in mind.

Editorial process

Last reviewed · August 25, 2026

Written by

Maren Caldwell

MSN, RN, CNE

Medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology and NCLEX preparation

Reviewed by

Dr. Tessa Redmond

DNP, RN, CNE

Evidence-based practice and clinical education

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Interpret the task
Assignment instructions
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Proposed outline
Research plan
Reference shortlist
Final review

Choose the ten dates so the prediction has something to stand on

The assignment has two halves and the second only works if the first was built for it. A prediction about how current reform will shape the future is an argument from precedent, so the ten dates should establish patterns you can extend: that coverage expansions have been incremental and category-based rather than universal, that payment reform repeatedly follows cost growth rather than preceding it, that new organisational forms appear when payment changes, and that federal action tends to follow state experimentation. Pick your dates with the closing argument in mind and the paper coheres; pick ten famous events first and the prediction becomes an opinion attached to a list. Each of those is a pattern with several instances behind it, which is what makes an extension into the future defensible rather than speculative. Ten famous events chosen first leaves the prediction as an opinion pinned to a list, and a marker reading the two halves together will see the join.

The brief also asks for three distinct categories, events or eras, major figures and their contributions, and the formation of health-related organisations, so make sure all three appear rather than filling the timeline with legislation. Figures are where students reach for the most famous names, but the contributions that shaped the system are often administrative rather than clinical, and choosing one of those is a stronger answer. Organisations matter for the same reason: an accrediting body or a professional association changed the system by setting standards that had no statutory force at all, which is a different mechanism from legislation and worth naming as such. Verify every date against an authoritative source, since health care timelines circulate widely with errors, and write the final section in the third person as instructed, which the brief states twice. The brief states the third-person requirement twice, which is usually a sign that people forget it.

Likely learning objectives

Select historical events so they support a later argument.
Distinguish legislative, professional and organisational mechanisms of change.
Choose figures for their structural contribution rather than fame.
Verify dates against authoritative sources.

Assignment instructions

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Review every instruction before using the planning guidance that follows.

Details: It is essential to identify, examine, and understand the history and foundations of health care in the U.S. as this will be the foundation for understanding health care systems though this course and in practice. Students will need to show a thorough understanding of the framework and dates of events while clearly demonstrating the impact and importance that these events have had in the medical field. For this assignment you will need to create a timeline that includes a minimum of 10 significant dates in the history of health care. Include the following in your timeline: Important events or eras in health care and their impact. Major figures and their contributions to health care. The formation of the various health-related organizations. In addition to the timeline, include a 500-word summary,written in the third person, of your predictions of how current health care reform policies will impact the future of health care, written in third person. Two references (minimum) in addition to your textbook are required for this assignment. HLT 205 Assignment U.S. Health Care Timeline Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center. On February 24, NIH and FDA announced a new partnership — a Joint NIH-FDA Leadership Council — to help ensure that regulatory considerations form an integral part of biomedical research planning and that the latest science is integrated into the regulatory review process. In addition, NIH and FDA will jointly issue a Request for Applications, making $6.75 million available over 3 years for work in regulatory science. By evaluating the entire genome of a 40-year-old man, scientists pinpointed gene variants linked to cardiovascular disease and several other conditions in the man’s family, as well as diseases not known to be in his family. Some variants predicted the man’s likely responses to common medications, including certain heart medications. This NIH-funded study provides a glimpse into how whole-genome sequencing might one day be used in the clinic. An independent panel convened by the NIH Office of Medical Applications of Research determined there is currently no conclusive evidence that taking any substance or engaging in any activity can prevent or delay Alzheimer’s disease or cognitive decline. The state-of-the-science group announced its findings on April 28, after hearing 2 full days of medical experts discuss both disorders. A pill that’s currently used to treat HIV infection can also greatly reduce the risk of acquiring HIV among at-risk men. An NIH-funded study of nearly 2,500 men who have sex with men showed that a daily antiretroviral pill led to a 44% decline in the risk of HIV infection compared to men receiving placebo pills. The finding represents a major advance toward HIV prevention. NLM released the first version of ReUnite, an iPhone app in the Apple iTunes App Store. The software was downloaded by more than 1,000 users in the first week of its release. ReUnite improves on the capabilities of the iPhone app Found in Haiti that was developed in response to the January earthquake. Both apps have been developed as part of ongoing research in NLM’s Lost Person Finder project, which seeks to improve post-disaster family reunification technologies. NIH-supported scientists developed a technique to regenerate damaged leg joints in rabbits. The researchers created porous scaffolds in the shape of leg bone tips and added a gel to aid cartilage development. By 3 to 4 weeks after surgery, the rabbits could move around almost as well as normal rabbits. Within 4 months, both bone and cartilage had regenerated. The accomplishment could point the way toward joint renewal in humans. NIH will establish an induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) Cell Center, capitalizing on the unique resources of the agency’s Intramural Research Program. The new NIH iPS Cell Center is 1 of 7 new initiatives supported through the NIH Common Fund during FY 2010. A computer model of heart disease in U.S. adults suggested that reducing salt intake by 3 grams per day could cut the number of new cases of coronary heart disease each year by as many as 120,000, stroke by 66,000 and heart attack by nearly 100,000. It could also prevent up to 92,000 deaths and save up to $24 billion in health care costs a year, the NIH-funded researchers estimated.

What the timeline assignment requires

01A timeline including a minimum of 10 significant dates in the history of health care.
02Important events or eras in health care and their impact.
03Major figures and their contributions to health care.
04The formation of the various health-related organisations.
05A 500-word summary, written in the third person, predicting how current health care reform policies will impact the future.
06A minimum of two references in addition to the textbook, in GCU style.