As the healthcare administration field continues to expand, a healthcare administration career remains one of the most popular occupations for qualified job candidates. While healthcare administrators often work in hospital facilities, many others find rewarding careers in numerous alternative settings where they provide oversight for healthcare programs, information systems, finance and insurance operations, staff management and personnel training. As a result of these diverse employment opportunities, qualified healthcare administrators can use their expertise to build competitive, sustainable careers.
Planning a Career in Healthcare Administration
Working in a healthcare administration career requires certain aptitudes and skills. Those interested in this career should consider if they have the:
- Aptitude to work with patients, families and staff in demanding, fast-paced settings.
- Adaptable behaviors to accommodate constantly changing workplace dynamics.
- Strategic management skills to organize, plan and promote programs for staff and clients.
- Resource utilization skills to maintain efficient work operations.
- Computer information systems knowledge to appropriately code and manage financial accounts.
Healthcare Administration Training Across Business Settings
Credentialed healthcare administrators come from a variety of medical and business backgrounds, beginning their careers as medical technologists, nurses, information specialists or human resource managers. Candidates for healthcare administration jobs may have received additional training to obtain graduate degrees allowing them to work in administrative capacities. Training usually involves specializing in areas that prepare graduates to work in occupational settings such as public health agencies, long-term care facilities, health information services departments or health management. Coursework from schools accredited by The Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) typically expect professional mastery of:
- Medical and technical terminology related to healthcare practices.
- Accounting and billing practices in the health industry.
- Computer information systems for healthcare programs and database coding.
- Management of human resources, training programs, staff hires and benefits packages.
- Strategic planning for resource utilization.
- Legal and ethical protocols for healthcare environments and programs.
- Professional oral and written communication skills for the healthcare workplace.
Healthcare Administration Careers Outside the Hospital Setting
Practicing healthcare administrators have a broad range of workplace settings to consider including numerous placements across the healthcare industry situated outside of hospital environments. Dynamic employment settings include public health clinics, private medical practices, hospices, educational training programs, senior care residences, home health groups, teaching schools, research facilities, government agencies, the military or insurance companies. Job titles include:
- Healthcare program director
- Hospice administrator
- Home healthcare coordinator
- Insurance underwriter
- Health information manager
- Healthcare administration consultant
- Social welfare administrator
- Healthcare teaching supervisor
- Public healthcare administrator
- Nursing home director
With the wealth of jobs available in the healthcare administration field and employment on the rise through 2022, motivated candidates with the right job credentials will enjoy numerous employment settings for their careers. Many of these jobs will be in alternative medical and insurance settings where qualified graduates can meaningfully employ their skills and abilities to organize, manage and lead healthcare programs and personnel. With such important responsibilities across employment settings, professional healthcare administrators stand as vital contributors to promoting high-quality healthcare for all.
