How To Start a Career In Healthcare Administration

We have great news if you’re interested in a new career in healthcare administration: you’ve come to the right place. Healthcare administration is extremely broad with many specialties and lots of room for growth.As the world of healthcare continues to adapt and change, the need for professional services will continue to grow. To give you a glimpse of what healthcare administration is, what skills you will need and what jobs are available for you, we’ve made this summary just for you!

What is Healthcare Administration?

This includes health service managers and health care managers. Often, this professional field is rooted in hospitals but also essential to nursing homes and health agencies. They implement policies and coordinate with staff and systems to make continuous improvements.

By working on the administrative side of healthcare, you create an environment in facilities, services, budget, staff and programming. Functioning smoothly and helping patients get the best possible care. Some people choose to focus more heavily on policy, working with organizations like the Red Cross or federal governments.

5 benefits of working in healthcare management

If you’re looking for a career that has plenty of stability and security, healthcare management may be perfect for you. Here are five benefits of working in this field:

1. There’s a lot of demand for healthcare managers.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the number of jobs in healthcare management will grow by 20 percent from 2016 to 2026. This is much faster than the average growth rate for all other occupations.

2. Healthcare management is a recession-proof field.

Despite economic downturns, the demand for healthcare services always remains high. This means that healthcare management is a safe career choice, no matter what the economy is doing.

3. You’ll have plenty of opportunities for advancement.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the number of managerial positions in the healthcare industry will grow by 18 percent in the next decade. That means there are plenty of opportunities for advancement if you start your career in healthcare management.

4. Healthcare managers are in high demand.

According to Indeed, there are currently more than 9,000 open positions for healthcare managers across the United States. This means you’ll have no trouble finding a job once you’ve completed your training.

5. The pay is excellent.

The median salary for healthcare managers is over $100,000 per year. And with the projected job growth in this field, your salary is only going to increase over time.

Getting Certified With To Work In Healthcare Management

There are many different degrees that can lead to a career in healthcare management. Some of the most common degrees include business administration, healthcare administration, and public health. However, there are many other degrees that can also lead to a career in this field.

Some colleges and universities offer specific degrees in healthcare management, while others offer healthcare management as a concentration or minor within another degree program. Regardless of the degree you choose, it is important to make sure that the program is accredited by a reputable organization.

If you are not sure which degree is right for you, or if you are not sure if a particular college or university offers a healthcare management degree, you can visit the website of the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Association of University Programs in Health Administration. These organizations are responsible for accrediting nursing programs and health administration programs, respectively.

3 Skills You’ll Need in Healthcare Administration

Though there are many job-specific skills involved in becoming a healthcare administrator, chances are you already have these soft skills needed for the position. Let’s take a look at some skills you might need to possess and how they should be applied.

Communication – This must-have ability is essential for any industry. Communication for health administrators happens daily but is particularly important when explaining new policies and procedures. Administrators need to be self-aware and mindful not just of what they’re saying but saying it nicely.
Teamwork – This skill is often discussed in the cover letters and resumes of most candidates. This means they’re the ones who quietly go out of their way to help. They recognize what needs to be done.
Quality assurance and control – It is essentially getting the work done to ensure that standards are met. Administrators may seek out feedback with tools like patient comment cards and online reviews. They build a culture of accountability that relies on trusted staff to identify issues and address them before they become big problems.

3 Careers You Can Have with a Healthcare Administration degree

While a career in this field starts at entry-level an advanced degree can help you get there faster. Solid knowledge of business administration and principles is useful even in these entry roles. Whether you’re currently enrolled in healthcare management courses, there are many options. Listed below are three entry-level healthcare administration jobs that can put you right on track.

Medical Office Administrator – You will take charge of healthcare day to day duties while getting a behind-the-scenes look at the healthcare profession. Tasks are answering phones, accounts receivable, handling contracts, contacting insurance companies, and hiring managing staff.
Medical Executive Assistant – This role can get you a chance to work directly with executives and healthcare administrators. This is where you can get experience overseeing projects and manage from idea to execution and to completion.
Healthcare Human Resources Manager – These job duties and skills in hospital administration with a human resources manager are similar to what’s required in a hospital administration. Human resources managers direct many of the administrative functions of an organization including recruitment, hiring and consulting with management and serving as a link between the organization and its employees.

Conclusion

The above are just a few examples but there are many entry-level jobs that can open the doors for your career. Choose your first job based on the skillset you want to develop that will ultimately lead you to your goal. Always do your research when making any decisions on your career.

References

“5 Entry Level Healthcare Management Jobs That Start Careers” Online programs OLLU. Retrieved December 13, 2021 from: 5 Entry Level Healthcare Management Jobs That Start Careers | OLLU (ollusa.edu)
“Jobs for People With a Healthcare Administration Degree” Nurse Org. Retrieved December 13,2021 from: What Jobs Can You Get With a Healthcare Administration Degree? (nurse.org)
“10 Healthcare Administration Skills You’ll Need in Order to Lead” Rasmussen University. Retrieved December 13, 2021 from: 10 Healthcare Administration Skills You’ll Need in Order to Lead | Rasmussen University
“What is Health Care Administration?” Elmhurst University. Retrieved December 13, 2021 from: What Is Healthcare Administration? | Elmhurst University Blog
“Healthcare Manager average salary in Canada 2022” Talent.com (2022): https://ca.talent.com/salary?job=healthcare+manager#:~:text=Find%20out%20what%20the%20average%20Healthcare%20Manager%20salary%20is&text=Entry%2Dlevel%20positions%20start%20at,up%20to%20%24153%2C647%20per%20year.
“Medical and Health Services Managers” BLS (2022): https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm