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What is Health Care Administration: A Career in Health Care Administration

The health care administration field handles the business end of activities in the health care industry. Health care administrators are responsible for planning, coordinating and directing the delivery of health care within various organizations.

Health Care Administration Job Outlook

Health care administration is a growing field, with employment in this area projected to increase by 16 percent between 2006 and 2016. Job prospects will be especially good for applicants who possess graduate degrees and have advanced business and management skills. The greatest number of new health care administration jobs is expected to be in the areas of home health care, long-term care and managed care.

Entering the Field: A Health Care Administration Degree

A degree in health care administration prepares students with the skills and knowledge necessary to enter this exciting field.
 
Although coursework varies by school, most programs aim to equip graduates with a thorough understanding of the health care industry, business and management skills and familiarity with modern health care issues.
 
Some of the courses offered to students in health care administration degree programs may include:
  • Anatomy and Physiology
  • Business Law
  • Ethics in Health Care Administration
  • Health Administration Finance
  • Health Policy
  • Human Resources Management
  • Introduction to Health Care
  • Program Evaluation and Management in Health Services
  • Statistics.
Both bachelor's and master's degrees are available in health care administration; depending on the type of position and level of responsibility you desire, you can select an appropriate degree plan.
Looking for a school that focuses on this subject?
Here is a list of institutions and the number of programs they offer.

Health Care Administration Jobs

Here are just a few of the job opportunities available to graduates of bachelor's degree programs in health care administration:
  • Assistant Hospital Manager
  • Health Benefits Specialist
  • HR Specialist
  • Managed Care Analyst
  • Patient Coordinator
  • Program Developer
  • Quality Improvement Specialist.

If you choose to pursue a master's degree in health care administration, the following positions will also be open to you:

  • Administrative Manager
  • Associate Professor of Health Systems Management
  • Director of Health Information Management
  • Hospital Administrator
  • Medical Director
  • Personal Health Services Administrator.
Health care administration jobs fall under two main categories: generalized and specialized administration. Generalized administration jobs focus on overseeing or running an entire facility, while specialized administration positions concentrate on a specific department within an organization, such as marketing, finance or human resources.

Work Environments

As the health care field changes and develops, health care administrators are finding work in more diverse environments.
 
Some of the organizations that currently employ health care administrators include:
  • clinics
  • hospitals
  • insurance companies
  • nursing homes
  • public health agencies.
Hospital jobs and positions within larger health care organizations continue to offer the most job security in this field. With current changes in technology, however, the number of clinic and outpatient care sites is expected to grow, producing more jobs in these areas.

Health Care Administration Salaries

The salary range for health care administrators currently falls between $57,000 and $102,000. Variations in salary typically depend on an individual's level of education and experience and the size of the facility in which he or she works.
 
Project managers in hospitals make an average of $57,572 per year, while healthcare consultants make an average of $69,132 annually. Practice administrators and chief executive officers (CEOs) topped the charts with average incomes of $79,992 and $101, 246, respectively.
Do you have a program in mind?

Research different schools that offer any of the below programs with the links below.

Associate's Programs
Bachelor's Programs
Master's Programs
Doctoral
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