Career Overview
Health care administrators are also known and medical and health services managers or healthcare executives. It is their main responsibility to plan, organize, and coordinate the delivery of healthcare. They often specialize in a specific clinical area, or they are generalists who manage an entire facility or medical system. Due to rapid changes in the medical care industry, healthcare administrators must be prepared for huge changes to the delivery and organization of health care systems in the United States.
Education Requirements
Bachelor’s Degree in Health Care Administration
Master’s Degree in Health Care Administration
Most medical healthcare manager positions require a master’s degree. A bachelor’s degree is adequate for entry level positions in smaller facilities and departments. In physician offices and clinics, on the job experience may be a substitute for some formal education. Most colleges and universities offer bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees in public health, medicine, allied health, public administration, and business administration. These are all accepted degrees for health care administrators.
Coursework
Hospital Organization and Management
Marketing
Accounting & Budgeting
Human Resources Administration
Health Economics
Health Information Systems
Biostatistics or
Licensing Requirements
Most states require nursing care facility administrators to have a bachelor’s degree, pass a licensing examination, and complete a state approved training program, and also pursue continuing education. Certain states also require administrators of assisted-living facilities to be licensed.
School Recommendations
Walden University
Kaplan College
University of Phoenix
Salter College
Carrington College California
Employment Trends
Jobs Available for health care administrators in 2008:Â 283,500
Projected job openings for health care administrators through 2018:Â 328,800
Average Annual Salaries for health care administrators in 2008: $82,240
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