Careers in healthcare are some of the most thriving careers available nowadays because of the vast improvement and expansion of the healthcare business. Apart from the doctors, nurses and specialists who deliver treatments to patients, another important aspect of healthcare is the administration and management side. That’s where health administration and management careers come in. For example, if you were to earn an online Master's degree in healthcare administration, you would have the skill set necessary to run entire sections of a hospital or other care center.
Here are some of the things you need to know about careers in health administration and management.
- Job Description: Health administrators and managers are in charge of the business operations of a medical facility. They are the ones responsible for the systematic organization of patient files and medical records, as well as for other administrative duties such as patient relations, supply procurement and even medical insurance reimbursement and billing. The specific duties of a health administrator and manager will depend on the type and size of medical facility.
- Areas of Responsibility: To be more specific, here are some of the most common areas that a health administrator and manager are responsible for: information systems, nursing administration, human resources, planning and development, medical staff relations, marketing, materials and supplies management, and patient care services.
- Job Settings: This career covers a wide variety of health administration jobs, again depending on the type of medical facility and how big this facility is. A big hospital, for example, may have several different assistant administrators who direct activities in different departments. A small family clinic on the other hand may have just one administrator in charge of the entire operations of the facility.Some of the facilities that a health administrator works in include the following: hospitals (both private and government-run) and clinics, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and insurance carriers.
- Job Titles: Some of the job titles in this field include the following: clinic operations director, department director and overall administrator.
- Required Training: To become a health administrator, the minimum requirement is a bachelor’s degree in a related field, particularly in health care management. To increase the chances of promotion, an MBA in healthcare management (such as Master of Health Administration and Master of Public Health) is preferred.During training, the skills that will be honed to prepare for a career in health administration include knowledge in accounting, information systems, operations management and organizational behavior. Knowledge of medical terms, processes and laws are honed as well. In order to keep up with the industry, continuing education for healthcare administrators may be necessary.
- Characteristics: To be successful as a health administrator, it is important for one to have highly-developed interpersonal skills, ability to make sound decisions based on data and situations, and good leadership skills, even amidst a potentially stressful environment.
- Job Outlook: Most health administrators are employed in hospitals (40%). This profession is expected to grow at an above average pace, especially in areas of home health care, managed care operations and long term care. The median annual health administration salary is at $80,000 to $140,000 for department directors and $46,750 to more than $100,000 annually for administrators in a physician’s practice.
There you have it! This is just some of the important information about health administration and management careers. Good luck!