Under the umbrella of health administration, there are several job titles, each with its own set of duties and responsibilities. It is a diverse field with employment opportunities in general and surgical hospitals, private clinics, nursing homes, hospice, rehabilitation facilities, long-term care, social services, health insurance, and the pharmaceutical industry. You may work behind the scenes in accounting or take center stage as a manager or other leadership position within each of these. Consequently, there is an assortment of degrees that provide the qualifications to seek a career in various health administration areas.
Overview of Education
If entry-level work is suitable, then you could earn an associate degree. Many of these are available online or at local community colleges. The typical curriculum includes medical terminology, billing and coding, office management, basic college math, computer skills, medical law, and accounting principles. These courses supply a foundation to work in a supporting or assistant role in the healthcare system.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were 244,909 conferred degrees in health professions for the 2017-18 school year (most recent data). This category was second to business graduates with 386,201. Other stats show that 65% of degrees in health administration are a baccalaureate. The data complies with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) that bases the median wage of $100,980 for Medical and Health Services Managers on those with a bachelor’s degree.
The degree synonymous with the profession is the Master of Health Administration (MHA) – available online or on-campus at numerous learning institutions. Statements from MHA.org attest that individuals with a master’s and experience may earn an average of $189,000. The highest paying industry is Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing at $204,300.
A graduate degree bodes well for employment opportunities to stand out against your competition. However, this is a longer and more expensive route. Once completed, the reward might be worth the effort if you aspire to reach the upper management ranks.
Putting educational qualifications aside, we will look at some of the job titles and synopsize each of the duties.
Clinic Administrator
- Develops and approves budgets and pay scales
- Creates marketing plans
- Enter confidential patient information
- Confer with medical personnel on staffing needs
- Assures practices comply with state regulations
- Assesses inventory and equipment requirements
Health Information Manager
- Ensures patient records are accurate and complete
- Responsible for data management
- Inputs pertinent patient data into the computer system
- Adjusts work assignments
- Conducts productivity performance reviews
- Work with physicians to improve documentation
Hospice Administrator
- Oversees the medical care and pain management of patients
- Acts as liaison with family
- Tracks and orders medical supplies and equipment
- Arranges physical and speech therapy
- Handles bereavement care and counseling for families
- Responsible for adequate staffing and quality of care
- Discusses treatment options with physicians
Social Welfare or Services Administrator
- Organizes and directs programs for seniors, children, and at-risk individuals
- Supervises social workers and volunteers
- Writes training manuals
- Networks with public officials
- Assists in programs for abused children, drug addicts, juvenile delinquency, physically challenged people, foster care, and more.
- Conducts investigations alleging abuse and neglect
Health Care Consultant
- Analyzes health trends and data
- Involved in specific projects requisitioned by clients
- Interviews employees
- Writes and presents reports on revenue, employment stats, and related data
- Recommends changes for work efficiency
- Recommends cost-saving measures
- Analyzes organizational effectiveness
Director of Emergency Facility
- Ensures community will have assistance in an emergency
- Synchronize emergency response communication
- Responsible for adequate emergency medical supplies and equipment
- Develops, implements, and evaluates emergency services program
- Monitors compliance with state regulatory and hospital policies
Home Health Care Manager or Administrator
- Handles the demands of government agencies, patients, and staff
- Ensures medical staff is skilled, professional, and compassionate
- Performs financial management
- Handles scheduling and arranges training
- Confers with home-care clients to determine the quality of care
- Familiar with Medicare, Medicaid, and related health insurance
Hospital Executive or Administrator
- Confers with and presents reports to the Board of Directors (if applicable)
- May hire physicians, nurses, and technicians
- Provides comfortable and state of the art patient facilities
- Assess need for updated and more technological medical equipment
- Discusses legal issues with management
- Responsible for directing operations in all the hospital specialties – from ambulatory care to radiology
- Maintains a visible presence, continually interacting with key stakeholders to inform and advise them of strategies, current healthcare trends, and legislation
Pharmaceutical Health Care Manager
- Responsible for overseeing new products or changes to existing products
- Manage timelines, budgets, and risks for each assigned project
- Interact with clients to identify requirements and specify project plans, schedules, and delivery dates
- Train, supervise, and evaluate quality control personnel
- Investigate and work to resolve problems with the quality of materials and finished products
Conclusion
The extensive list of health administration jobs covers many titles and job sectors. Regardless of your education choice and career selection, you’ll join an occupation that will add about 2.4 million jobs over ten years (2019-2029: BLS). A January 2018 article in The Atlantic reported that the healthcare industry’s growth is more significant in administration than physicians.
Additional Resources:
Top 50 Highest Paying Master’s Degrees
Are there professional organizations that will benefit my career in Health Administration?
How do I become a Health Administrator?