The healthcare field seems to be among the fastest growing in America and is catching the eye of students nationwide.
The booming healthcare industry is expected to grow by millions of jobs over the next decade. The jobs fulfill the high demand for health services for the aging baby boomer population and the Affordable Care Act.
Healthcare administrators are among the most prominent professionals in this thriving industry. The following is a detailed overview of the job description and how students can enter a fascinating and rewarding career as a healthcare administrator.
Daily Duties of Healthcare Administrators
Healthcare administrators are also known as medical service managers and healthcare executives. They’re responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating various medical services for an entire facility or a specific department. It’s one of the highest leadership roles in the healthcare field. Healthcare administrators often work closely with and supervise:
- physicians
- nurses
- laboratory technologists
- administrative assistants
- information managers
- other healthcare employees
While many may have clinical expertise in a specialized field of medicine, healthcare administrators are primarily responsible for managerial duties overseeing the business and financial operations.
In the daily workday of a healthcare administrator, these highly qualified professionals are typically responsible for working to improve efficiency in:
- delivering quality health services
- staying educated on the newest regulations
- supervising assistant administrators and other facility employees
- managing the financial billing procedures of the healthcare setting
- developing work schedules
- representing the facility at governing board meetings
- organizing records of services
- communicating with medical staff on department needs
Since healthcare is consistently evolving, healthcare administrators also adapt policies to align with changes in:
- state or federal laws
- regulations
- technological advancements
- budgets
They must ensure compliance for the facility.
Healthcare Administrator Work Environment
Healthcare administrators carry out their duties in a variety of healthcare organizations in high-level management positions. The majority of health services managers are employed in an office setting in healthcare facilities, including:
- hospitals
- physician offices
- nursing home facilities
- private group medical practices
- home healthcare services
- outpatient care centers
- mental health clinics
- substance abuse treatment facilities
In larger hospital settings, healthcare administrators may focus their efforts on achieving long-term goals and making policies for the entire facility. In smaller facilities, administrators are involved in most day-to-day operations from finances to the coordination of patient treatment programs.
Healthcare administrators must have a strong set of business administration and medical service skills to be a successful leader. Therefore, students interested in joining this fast-growing discipline are often required to earn a master’s degree in one of these areas:
- Health Services Administration
- Public Health
- Public Administration
- Business Administration
Although these programs often involve two or three years of post-baccalaureate learning and at least one year of supervised administration experience, the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the average annual salary for healthcare administrators stands at an impressive $98,460. Therefore, becoming an in-demand healthcare administrator is well worth it for detail-oriented natural leaders with a passion for ensuring quality health services.
Resource: Top 10 Best Online MBA in Healthcare Management Degree Programs