Complete Guide For A Career In Healthcare Administration

Complete Guide for a Career in health Administration

Definition of Health Administration

Healthcare Administration is defined as a discipline in public health which involves the management, administration and leadership of systems in public health, health care, hospitals, clinics and hospital networks.

What is the Job Description of a Healthcare Administrator?

The job descriptions of a healthcare administrator are diverse. They include a wide variety of activities geared towards the optimal operation of a health facility as a single unit. The job description of a health administrator includes:

1. They ensure that the stipulated or bench-marked outcomes in a health facility are achieved so as to attain the common goal of the health facility.

 

2. There are several departments that make up a health facility. It is the duty of a health administrator to ensure that they are running smoothly.

 

3. The job description of a health administrator also involves hiring, training evaluation and review. It is their responsibility to ensure that the right people are in the right jobs. In addition to ensuring that the individuals that make up healthcare workforce know what is expected of them.

 

4. Another important duty that falls within the job description of a health administrator is the management of health resources. It is their duty to ensure that resources are used efficiently and wastage is avoided as much as possible in all departments.

 

Healthcare Administration Requirements and  Competencies

Health care administration requirements are usually dependent on specialization. In general, there are two types of healthcare administration jobs the specialists and the generalists.

While the specialist are responsible for the smooth running of a specific department within the healthcare system such as accounting , finance , public health policy , public relations, budgets , human resources and marketing,  the  generalists are in charge  of managing or helping to manage the entire facility as a single unit . The competencies that are required in a dynamic system such as healthcare administration include:

 

1. Accountability
2. Achievement orientation
3. Change leadership
4. Collaboration
5. Communication skills
6. Financial Skills
7. Impact and influence
8. Innovative thinking
9. Organizational awareness
10. Professionalism
11. Self-confidence
12. Strategic orientation
13. Talent development
14. Team leadership

 

Health Administration Degrees

The management of healthcare is often studied as healthcare administration usually in university, business school, school of public health or an institute. Many institutions across the world offer the bachelor’s degree program in healthcare administration or human resources which leads to entry level jobs in healthcare administration. Nevertheless a master’s degree in healthcare administration is considered as the standard credential for most health administrators in the United States.  Individuals who seek to turn their administrative or clinical experiences into opportunities of developing new knowledge can pursue higher degrees in healthcare administration such as the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health Administration, and the Doctor of Health Administration (DHA) degrees.

 

How do I know if a healthcare administration degree is accredited?

In the United States and Canada, the Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) is the body charged with the responsibility of accrediting and overseeing master’s-level programs in healthcare administration. It accredits several degree programs some of which includes:

1. Master of Hospital Administration (MHA)
2. Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA)
3. Master of Business Administration in Hospital Management (MBA-HM)
4. Master of Health Administration (MHA)
5. Master of Public Health (MPH, MSPH, MSHPM)
6. Master of Science (MS-HSM, MS-HA)
7. Master of Public Administration (MPA)

 

Healthcare Administrator  Job Salary

 

• A healthcare administrator in the United States earns an average salary of $63,414 per year.

 

• An entry-level healthcare administrator with less than 5 years of experience earns an average of $50,000 per year.

 

• A healthcare administrator with 5 to 10 years of experience can expect to earn an average of $63,000 per year.

 

 

• A healthcare administrator with experience of about 10 to 20 years in the field of healthcare administration can expect to earn an average of  $71,000.

 

• A healthcare administrator with greater than 20 years experience in the field of healthcare administration can expect to earn an average of $87,000.

See The Top Paying Jobs in Public Health

 Healthcare Administration Job outlook

In general, the highest paying skills associated with jobs in healthcare administration are as follows:

• Strategic Planning
• Program Management
• Strategic Project Management
• People Management
• Data Analysis