Exploring Careers in Healthcare Administration

Healthcare administration is a rapidly growing career field, with a projected growth of nearly 20 percent between 2016 and 2026, compared to an average of about seven percent for all occupations. For people who want to work in healthcare, but not as practitioners, there are many rewarding and well-paying careers on the administrative side. So, what exactly is healthcare administration, and which careers can you pursue with a degree in this field? With a solid foundation in industry ethics, policies, business, human resources, and marketing communications, you’ll have the expertise to implement plans that fulfill the operational needs of hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and other healthcare establishments. There are many career options to explore with a degree and certifications in Healthcare Administration.

If you enjoy working with people in a healthcare setting, think about a career in…

• Clinic Operations Management.
• Hospital Human Resources Management.
• Nursing Home Administration.
• Behavioral Health Program Management.
• Nutrition Services Management.

These careers favor direct contact with patients and hospital staff, and often include management and supervisory duties. Depending on the role, you may implement and manage patient care procedures, employee engagement initiatives, and other organizational operations.

Like working with health-related data? Think about a career in….

• IT Clinical Application Support.
• Patient Accounts Supervisor.
• Health Information Security Management.

Protecting and ensuring the accuracy of confidential information, managing budgets, and maintaining network security are just few of the tasks these careers require.

Are you a natural leader, capable of making major decisions? Think about a career in…

• Hospital Administration.
• Practice Administration.
• Clinical Director.

Roles like these require you to go above and beyond the call to uphold healthcare laws, policies, and regulations; comply with established and evolving industry standards; lead teams of mid-to-senior-level employees; and implement ethical decision-making strategies to keep healthcare facilities running smoothly and capable of providing the utmost care to their patients. A degree and certification in the Healthcare Administration field can grant you the freedom to take on many types of administrative roles within the healthcare sector, doing work that is just as impactful as careers involving direct patient care. With an average annual salary of $96,540 for health and medical services managers, rest assured that these careers are also lucrative — and give you the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others.