Are you interested in a career in healthcare, but don’t want to spend years studying or have a mountain of debt? A Bachelor of Science in Health Administration may be something to consider. Administrators in this field of work oversee services and commerce of hospitals, nursing homes, clinics and more care facilities. This field of management in healthcare requires individuals who are talented and can help introduce the changes often taking place in the healthcare sector.
Students who enroll for the healthcare administration bachelor’s degree learn about routine healthcare provider operations and delivery systems. They are also familiarized with the financial role in healthcare and are taught how to communicate to stakeholders. Students furthermore study how to manage teams and analyze the importance of critical decision making. Click here to learn more about what the degree entails.
What is Administration of Health Services?
Administrators in this sector combine business, science and policy to manage the financial and human resources in a facility to deliver valuable services. This includes coordination of health services in facilities and overseeing finances of service providers, management of database and creating budgets.
Other skills include designing policies of insurance companies in healthcare and to guarantee efficiency in care facilities. Managers operate as top executives of the entire facility or manage specific departments, like information technology.
In order to become a manager in healthcare, one must at least obtain a bachelor’s degree in either healthcare administration or healthcare management. Students frequently decide on a bachelor of science in health administration, but employers may prefer to hire someone with a master’s degree. Graduate programs often include work experience, under supervision, which may offer a head start to graduates in the field.
Health Administrators Licensing Requirements
Those wanting a job as a facilitator at a nursing home will need to apply for licensure. The licensure requirements will depend on the state, but is a prerequisite across the United States.
In general, applicants are expected to complete an exam and carry out hours of work which is supervised. The number of hours will be determined by the board of the state’s licensure. Hospitals or clinics do not require a licensure, but managers in healthcare can strengthen their job prospects by earning optional certification.
Health Administrators Salary and Career Outlook
Graduates who obtain a bachelor’s degree in healthcare is entering an industry which grows exponentially. A growth of 18% is expected from 2018 to 2028, a rate which is much greater than usual.
According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics the average annual income of managers in health and medical services was $100 980.00 in 2019. This number may vary based on education, geographical position and experience. In general healthcare administrators with a bachelor’s degree will earn lower salaries because they are employed in entry-level or mid-level positions. The opportunity may include a position in areas like; Finance, human resource, nursing administration, care services for patients and government relations.
Occupation Options
As with any other career choice, healthcare administrators do not start at the top. Usually they gain experience by starting as assistants to administrators, financial clerks and nurses.
Students who have obtained a Bachelor of Science in Health Administration can pursue a career in both public and private sectors. Employment opportunities, apart from medical centers and hospitals, include retirement communities and nursing homes.
Check out your options of types of occupations you can consider once you have this degree, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4reRbEkecfY.
Those who start their career with an associate’s degree are often employed as conventional administrators. Their responsibilities include ordering of supplies and organizing schedules. They also bill patients by means of medical software, have access to patient records and perform management functions.
Assistant managers are experienced administrators and often oversee a facility’s finances, employees and procedures. These are higher paying job positions and responsibilities include balancing departmental budgets and reviewing projects.
Clinical research involves management and coordination of those involved. Due to its complexity, it often requires an administrator who is an expert in management of finances and budgets.
Considering all the employment opportunities this field has to offer, a Bachelor of Science in Health Administration is definitely something worthwhile.
