How to Become a Healthcare Operations Manager

Recently, we wrote about what you can do with a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration, and here, we are going to talk about how to land one of the best jobs in the industry, the role of healthcare operations manager.

This is a phenomenal job, but it’s also one that is incredibly complex, as it requires excellent management skills, the ability to solve problems quickly, and a deep understanding of how to run operations efficiently. 

In this post, we will explain why it’s worth becoming a healthcare operations manager, what you’d do in this position, and how you can increase the chances of landing this excellent job.

After you’ve read about becoming a healthcare operations manager, fill out our information request form to receive additional details about our 100% online Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration, which is the perfect way to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities you need to succeed in this position.

If you’re ready to get started, submit your application today.

What is Healthcare Administration and Why is it Important for Healthcare Operations Managers?

Healthcare administration is the field that focuses on the behind-the-scenes action taking place in various medical facilities. 

In short, it’s the set of processes used to manage healthcare operations, which is exactly what a healthcare operations manager is tasked with doing. 

Healthcare administrators are responsible for running all non-clinical functions at healthcare organizations, including day-to-day operations, staffing, budgeting, and long-term strategic planning.

Here are some specific examples of healthcare administration work:

• Operating one or multiple departments in a large hospital or another medical facility. Healthcare administrators ensure synergies between departments are utilized and all separate units work together to achieve a common goal.
• Overseeing specific facilities including doctor’s offices, physician’s practices, or home health agencies. Healthcare administration best practices are used by healthcare operations managers to run these facilities.
• Optimizing operations and keeping daily activities aligned with long-term, strategic business goals within particular clinical areas such as cardiology, nursing, or physical therapy.

As the list above clearly demonstrates, healthcare administration best practices and procedures are applied all over the medical industry to provide the framework needed to deliver effective medical services at scale, on time, and under budget.

Is Becoming a Healthcare Operations Manager a Good Career Option?

In short, yes. This role is an excellent way to make a positive contribution within medical facilities, while also working in a field with no shortage of career opportunities.

There are three primary reasons to consider becoming a healthcare operations manager, including:

1. Healthcare operations managers are essential players at virtually every healthcare organization, as they’re responsible for ensuring that medical facilities operate efficiently. 
2. These professionals earn a sizeable income, with Indeed.com reporting that the average annual salary for healthcare operations managers was $75,004 as of February 2023.
3. Demand appears set to grow sharply over the next decade, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projecting employment for “Medical and Health Service Managers” (a similar role) will rise 28% between 2021 and 2031, making it a great time to begin building the knowledge and skills needed for this position.

If you’re interested in a career that uses sound management practices and operational data to drive efficiencies in a dynamic and fast-paced environment, then you should give serious thought to becoming a healthcare operations manager. 

What Do Healthcare Operations Managers Actually Do?

As a healthcare operations manager, it will be your responsibility to run the day-to-day operations of whatever process, group, department, or organization you’re overseeing.

To accomplish this objective, you may find yourself doing a variety of tasks, from managing the operating budget of your respective department or unit to establishing policies that ensure efficiency and high-quality delivery of healthcare services.

Typical tasks for a healthcare operations manager include things like:

• Collecting, analyzing, and leveraging relevant data to investigate where efficiencies can occur, then proactively taking steps to implement proposed changes.
• Adhering to operating and other financial budgets, ensuring metrics are met and that the facility is financially viable. 
• Fostering relationships with other departments or facilities to align operations with overall strategic objectives.
• Implementing process improvement methodologies to reduce costs, improve quality, and reduce wait times for patients. 
• Managing staff, creating work schedules, resolving operational or employee issues, and creating a culture of inclusion and safety in a fast-paced and high-stress environment.

Healthcare operations managers are often considered to be the problem-solving experts at healthcare organizations, which requires those in the position to thrive in an atmosphere of change and embrace the truly dynamic environment they operate in. 

If you’re going to make your way in the healthcare administration industry, you will need to develop a robust and comprehensive set of skills that helps prepare you to overcome these sorts of challenges, and the best way to build the skills you need to excel in this role is to get your degree in healthcare administration. 

What Skills & Abilities Are Needed to Become a Successful Healthcare Operations Manager?

The role of a healthcare operations manager is incredibly challenging and complex, which is why there are several different skills you will need to develop to achieve success in the field. 

According to Zippia, you should prioritize skills like:

1. Expertise in Procedural Implementation – You’ll be responsible for creating the action plan used by staff to complete their daily duties, you need to know how to implement sound operational procedures in a medical facility.
2. Project Management Skills – Medical facilities constantly have projects underway, including expansion projects or updating systems and medical equipment. Having a strong project management skillset in tasks like scheduling, resource planning, and quality control will help ensure these projects are executed successfully.
3. Process and Quality Improvement Skills – As the leader of overall operations it will be your responsibility to ensure quality patient care processes, flag operational bottlenecks, and implement process improvement techniques to fix problems and create a more streamlined process.
4. Data Analysis Skills – When suggesting solutions or looking to implement changes, your reasoning should be founded on research, data, and statistics, so you’ll need to be capable of interpreting complex data sets to find solutions for improving operations.
5. Relationship Building Skills – Nearly everything you do as a healthcare operations manager will involve people in some way. Learning to lead effectively and demand the best from your team while also ensuring a caring atmosphere will be extremely important in the success of your medical facility or department.

The surest way to develop the fundamental skills, techniques, and expertise a healthcare operations manager needs to be successful is to earn a degree in the field, like CSU Global’s Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration.

Our completely online program was constructed to give you the foundational skills and proficiencies required to succeed in your new role from day one, ensuring you have a great chance of building a successful career in this highly competitive industry. 

Do I Really Need a Degree in Healthcare Administration to Get a Job in the Industry?

The majority of jobs in healthcare administration expect at least a bachelor’s degree. Earning a degree in healthcare administration should substantially increase your chances of getting the most competitive positions in the industry, as many employers are going to be looking for people with academic credentials and experience in healthcare administration when hiring for this role.

Indeed.com suggests that anyone looking to break into the field first earn their bachelor’s degree in one of the following topics: health administration, general management, business administration, or nursing. 

If you don’t yet have a bachelor’s degree, then you’ll want to consider CSU Global’s Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare Administration and Management, which is an outstanding option for launching a career in healthcare administration.

Assuming you already have a bachelor’s degree, you should consider completing our Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration, Master’s Degree in Project Management, or Master’s Degree in Management, all of which are excellent options for anyone looking to become a healthcare operations manager.

The healthcare administration industry is highly competitive and potential employers will look for candidates who have a strong educational background, so earning your degree in one of the programs above could help to increase your marketability for the best positions in this field.

How Will CSU Global’s MHA Help Prepare me for a Career as a Healthcare Operations Manager?

Our online Master’s Program in Healthcare Administration is focused on preparing you for the most important and complex tasks that healthcare operations managers are asked to take on, including:

• Identifying and analyzing patient care trends to find areas of underperformance and implement new initiatives to course correct.
• Presenting operational performance to executives, clearly communicating areas of strength and areas where further improvements can be made.
• Liaising with doctors, nurses, and other staff members to ensure that team members are working together to meet key performance indicators.
• Overseeing the operating budget to ensure financial success measured by important metrics like cash flow balance are being met or surpassed

In addition to the skills above, this program will also train you to handle other critical tasks, like:

• Implementing key performance indicators (KPI’s) to measure the performance of operational activities, providing the foundation needed to improve operations in the future.
• Learning to analyze data objectively to understand where improvements can be made and to identify opportunities for implementing new procedures to improve performance.
• Evaluating current healthcare policies, procedures, laws, and regulations to guarantee your facility is compliant with all known requirements.
• Learning how to ensure that the operations teams work together with other departments needed to run a successful medical facility, including finance, HR, marketing, and strategic planning.
• Applying robust project management methodologies to ensure new projects are completed on time and within budgetary constraints.

The knowledge and skills you pick up throughout your master’s program will be essential to preparing you for a successful career in this challenging field.

What Else Can I Do to Increase My Chances of Success?

Successfully finishing your degree in healthcare administration is undoubtedly one of the best ways to prepare you for a successful career as a healthcare operations manager, but it’s not the only thing you can do to increase your odds of success. 

Other options include completing a relevant certificate to further your skills and abilities, while simultaneously bolstering your resume and marketability.

Indeed.com suggests 7 different certificates for anyone looking to break into a healthcare management career, including: 

1. The American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) certificate
2. The AHA’s Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management (CPHRM) certificate
3. The Professional Association of Health Care Office Management’s Certified Medical Manager (CMM) certificate
4. The Health Care Compliance Association’s Compliance Certification Board’s Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC) certificate
5. The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CPHIMS) certificate
6. The Healthcare Financial Management Association’s Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CHFP) certificate
7. The National Association for Healthcare Quality’s Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) certificate

Keep in mind, however, that completion of a certificate program isn’t essential to getting a job as a healthcare operations manager. 

The reason we’re suggesting looking into these options is that the best jobs in the industry are highly competitive, so improving your academic credentials and resume could make it easier to land your dream position.

Should I Get My Degree in Healthcare Administration Online?

Whether you decide to earn a degree or one of the certifications listed above, we recommend completing them online instead of in person.

One of the most important reasons to study online is that online studies present a much more flexible and effective way to get complete your higher education credentials. 

Many students simply don’t have the time or a schedule that allows them to consistently show up to in-person classes, and by studying online, you’ll be able to enjoy far more freedom on that front.

Getting to study when it works best for you, from any location and at any time is a huge benefit that you should take into consideration, but choosing to study with us at CSU Global would include other significant advantages, including:

• No requirements to show up at set times or in physical locations.
• Monthly class starts.
• Accelerated courses.

These benefits are perfect for anyone with a busy schedule, and especially for those adult learners who already have other commitments, like family or work responsibilities that they cannot ignore.

Studying online with us is the perfect way for you to further your education without compromising the other important areas of your life.

Why Should I Choose CSU Global’s Healthcare Administration Program?

Our online Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration was built to provide you with all the skills, abilities, and knowledge you need to kickstart your career as a healthcare operations manager.

This program is regionally accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, which ensures that your degree will be valued by potential employers looking for capable healthcare operations managers, but it’s also earned several excellent rankings, including:

• A #2 ranking for Best Online Master’s in Healthcare Administration from Best Health Degrees.
• A #5 ranking for 25 Best Affordable Online Healthcare Administration and Management Degree Programs 2020 from Affordable Schools. 
• A #5 ranking for the 5 Best Master’s in Healthcare Administration Online from Best College Reviews.

CSU Global itself is also widely considered to be an industry leader in higher education, having recently received several important rankings of its own, including:

• A #10 ranking for Best Online Colleges for ROI from OnlineU.
• A #1 ranking for Best Online Colleges & Schools in Colorado from Best Accredited Colleges.
• A #1 ranking for Best Online Colleges in Colorado from Best Colleges.

Finally, we offer affordable tuition rates, and a tuition guarantee that promises your tuition rate will not increase as long as you remain enrolled with us. 

To get additional details about our fully-accredited online Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration, please give us a call at (800) 462-7845, or fill out our Information Request Form.

Ready to get started today? Apply Now!