Health care administrators work in an office environment and are responsible for managing different health care facilities including hospitals, doctor’s offices, clinics, health centers and nursing homes. For those who wish to become healthcare administrators, there are two possible career paths. A generalist is responsible for managing an entire health care facility, and for overseeing the smooth operation of the facility. Specialists, on the other hand, work in specific areas of healthcare administration handling areas such as finance, personnel, accounting and budgeting.
Qualities of a Health Care Administrator
Becoming a health care administrator certainly carries its rewards; it’s important to note that a health care administrator’s code of ethics must be high, as you will be responsible for managing a medical facility—you’ll need to ensure that the staff members always deliver the best possible care, and that the facility is complying with all governmental regulations. Not only will employees be affected by the health care administrator, but so will the patients. For these reasons, those interested in the medical profession should have a genuine interest in quality health care, have excellent written and oral communication skills, and should be organized and have good leadership skills.
Educational and Training Requirements
To become a healthcare administrator, proper education and training is required. During the high school and college years, students should focus on such courses as algebra, economics, accounting, government, business management, human resources and sociology. With a bachelor’s degree, students can be hired into entry level positions; to get the full benefit of your healthcare administration degree, however (and to command a higher salary), a master’s degree (in healthcare administration) is needed. Most health care organizations require that their employees hold a master’s degree, along with clinical experience. If you have a busy schedule, you don’t have to attend classes to get your education to become a health care administrator. Online colleges and universities offer career paths in healthcare administration, which will earn students a bachelor’s degree right from the comfort of their own home.
Get Experience in the Medical Field
College bachelor and master’s programs offer internships where students can gain experience working in a local healthcare facility. Even after a master’s degree has been obtained and clinical experience is completed, it is important for healthcare administrators to continue their education and to constantly work to increase their knowledge base in the medical field. Continuing education for healthcare administrators includes taking online courses and attending medical conferences. To continue on with a healthcare administration degree, students can also enroll in an online master’s program. These programs will also incorporate the hands-on learning and training that is required for healthcare administration careers.
Become Licensed
Certain types of healthcare administration jobs require that a person be licensed—for example, licensing is required for nursing home administrators. In order to hold a health care administrator’s license, students will need to pass their licensing tests with a certain score, usually no less than a B average.
Career Outlook and Salary
Fortunately, healthcare administration jobs are in demand, making this a great career. The median salary for a healthcare administrator can range from $87,000 in a general hospital to $72,000 in a nursing care facility.
There are great rewards and benefits for becoming a healthcare administrator. Individuals have a chance to have a meaningful and powerful effect on health care and public policy. They may not have direct day to day contact with patients, but they can impact patient care by maintaining the highest standards and ethics for those patients’ medical care and recovery.