While people typically think of the technology industry when they think of rapidly growing sectors, healthcare is actually in the midst of a huge boom. In the coming years, there is likely to be a steep increase in demand for professionals in the healthcare industry — especially in healthcare administration roles.
For those interested in pursuing a career in the space, understanding the many different types of health care administration career possibilities can help make the process of entering the field easier to navigate. Here are some of the potential roles that one can pursue after obtaining a healthcare administration degree.
Healthcare Executive
Typically, when one thinks of c-suite executives they probably imagine professionals in industries such as finance and banking. While these ideas aren’t false, c-suite executives can be found in a myriad of other fields as well. One such sector is healthcare, which has a number of lucrative and impressive roles that one can strive towards.
Healthcare executives can occupy a number of different roles such as chief nursing officer, chief information technology officer, and chief executive officer. Though these roles have unique distinctions, they are all management roles that require the skills of being able to lead a company. In addition to commanding high salaries, those who pursue a role as a healthcare executive will find that many new jobs are becoming available in the field.
If one is intent on finding a path to become a healthcare executive, they’ll have to gain some work experience after obtaining a health care administration degree. The type of work experience that one will need will depend upon the specific executive role that they are looking to step into. After gaining several years of experience, one can bolster their chances of qualifying for an executive position by gaining relevant certifications along with an advanced degree in the field.
In addition to gaining work experience and furthering one’s education, it can be extremely useful to put effort into networking with other individuals throughout the process. The bigger that one’s network becomes, the more likely that someone one knows may be able to help one land that executive role in the future. As such, it’s important to be mindful of making connections while pursuing any healthcare executive role.
Hospital Manager
Though doctors and nurses play integral parts in making hospitals run smoothly, none of this would be possible without someone in a health care administration role facilitating everything. From planning budgets to creating schedules, professionals called hospital managers are the ones who ensure that hospitals are able to run seamlessly and provide care to scores of individuals.
In addition to dealing with budgets and scheduling, hospital managers are also in charge of making sure that different departments within a hospital have everything that they need to function smoothly. This includes making sure that these departments have a good stock of supplies and ensuring that there are enough employees there to provide all patients with adequate care.
Hospital managers are also tasked with the responsibility of crafting and implementing new policies. These policies can vary greatly and touch on various topics. For example, a hospital manager might create a policy that dictates what information employees are allowed to post on social media about their work for the sake of protecting patient confidentiality. Other policies may revolve around how employees should respond when coming into contact with patients with certain diseases.
An important skill to have as a hospital manager is the ability to communicate effectively. This is because they must be able to communicate their ideas and decisions to employees in a way that everyone understands.
To become a hospital manager, one must have both an undergraduate and master’s degree in health care administration or a related field. In addition, one must gain several years’ worth of relevant experience that shows that one is capable of taking on the pressure and responsibilities of the duties that hospital managers must perform regularly.
Medical Records Manager
Medical records managers are professionals tasked with maintaining the organization, security, and privacy of medical records within a medical facility or organization. These professionals play a significant role in ensuring that patient records and information are kept private and secure.
In addition to ensuring that the privacy of records is upheld, medical records managers also have the responsibility of ensuring that all records are kept up-to-date and are current at any given time. These professionals must also communicate extensively with various employees who have access to private information to dictate how they are allowed to use the information.
Another facet of the medical records manager role is implementing cybersecurity measures to keep digitally housed information safe from hackers and cybercriminals. As one can imagine, these professionals are an integral part of the healthcare ecosystem and play an important role in keeping patient information private.
Unlike many other health care administration roles, it’s possible to become a medical records manager without obtaining an advanced degree. However, one will likely need to gain several certificates along with several years of work experience in the field to become qualified for the position.
Stepping into a Health Care Administration Position
While health care administration hasn’t become a widely talked about field yet, it is a sector ripe with lucrative and fulfilling career paths that are waiting to be taken advantage of. As the healthcare industry continues to grow, more and more health care administration roles will become available to those who are qualified.
This being the case, those exploring education and career options would be wise to give some thought and consideration to pursuing a role in the field of health care administration.
