What Type of Job at the CDC Can I Get with an MBA in Healthcare Management?

Graduates with an MBA in Healthcare Management tend to overlook the fact that there are many great jobs at the CDC seeking their specific qualifications.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC)  is the public health institute of the United States. It’s a federal agency with the duty of working with health institutes in each state to educate the public and promote the prevention of illnesses and diseases. It was founded in 1992. The CDC seeks to hire the best, the brightest, and the most committed people to carry out the agency’s mission to protect American citizens from health threats. Using the leadership skills acquired with an MBA in Healthcare Management, the following are three administrative jobs at the CDC that will place you on the front line of enhancing our nation’s health security.

Supervisory Public Health Advisor

Many MBA graduates with a specialization in healthcare management work for the CDC as supervisory public health advisors. In a wide range of public health efforts, they are involved in:

  • planning
  • managing
  • directing
  • researching
  • analyzing
  • implementing

In a national leadership role in the area of community health, supervisory advisors to develop strategies for preparing public health programs to ensure the branch’s objectives are being met. Supervisory advisors are responsible for:

  • overseeing the work of subordinate public health employees
  • providing consultation on any programmatic issues
  • developing community health initiatives
  • making optimal use of available resources

Most supervisory public health advisors will need a master’s degree and at least one year of relevant full-time work experience in health services.

Resource: Top 25 Master’s in Public Health Degree Programs With the Highest Acceptance Rates 2014

Health Program Manager

At the CDC, health program managers are given important responsibilities needed to maintain the daily operations of the federal agency. They include providing:

  • the overall vision
  • leadership
  • direction

Health program managers are involved in:

  • fostering a solid workplace culture
  • overseeing continuous process improvement
  • driving change management efforts
  • establishing a common set of policies
  • managing multiple public health programs
  • resolving issues
  • keeping track of finances
  • creating resourcing strategies
  • meeting with executives regularly to monitor program successes

In the fast-paced environment of the CDC, health program managers typically need to have an MBA degree or its equivalent with relevant leadership work experience in the health services industry.

Public Affairs Specialist

Earning an MBA in Healthcare Management comes with plenty of coursework related to public relations and communications, which can be very useful when working as a public affairs specialist for the CDC. Public affairs specialists are typically responsible for analyzing and evaluating public health program needs. They advise top-level executives on information that should be made readily available to the public. As the face of the CDC, public affairs specialists often:

  • maintain working relationships with broadcast media representatives
  • speak with reporters
  • prepare organization publications
  • develop appropriate communication channels
  • create campaign guidelines for enhancing attitudes about the agency

While most MBA graduates do not come to the CDC to get rich, they do earn solid salaries that are generally higher than state and local government jobs available in healthcare management. These great jobs at the CDC lead to a lucrative salary potential with extraordinary benefits. They will also provide the opportunity for you to use your health administration abilities to stem the spread of infectious diseases and increase our nation’s preparation for potential public health emergencies.