what is healthcare administration

Are you interested in becoming a member of the healthcare community? Do you want to work on the administrative side instead of the clinical side? If you answered “yes” to both of these questions, you should consider the role of a healthcare administrator.

Healthcare administrators are a vital part of any medical facility and are in demand throughout the healthcare industry. It's a challenging yet rewarding career for those with a strong administrative aptitude and a caring personality. Continue reading to find out “what is healthcare administration” and why you may want to consider taking healthcare administration degree courses.

 

Take the first step in your career journey today!

What is healthcare administration | Performing the Healthcare Administration Duties and Responsibilities

Let's ask ourselves: “what is healthcare administration?” Professionals in healthcare administration oversee the daily operation of medical and health services facilities. They manage and coordinate front and back-office activities at healthcare facilities, including patient relations, medical records, and financial reports. The healthcare administration duties and responsibilities consist of the following:

  • Improve efficiency and quality in delivering healthcare services
  • Ensure that the facility in which they work is up to date and compliant with laws and regulations
  • Manage the finances of the facility, such as patient fees and billing
  • Create work schedules
  • Prepare and monitor budgets and spending to ensure departments operate within funding limits
  • Keep and organize records of the facility’s services
  • And so much more1.

Healthcare administrators work with physicians, nurses, medical and clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, and other healthcare workers during their healthcare administration duties and responsibilities. You may also interact with insurance companies and other medical service providers during your workday.

You possess the skills and qualities of a healthcare administrator

Are you interested in learning more about “what is healthcare administration” but you’re afraid you don’t have the skills and qualities of a healthcare administrator? Medical facilities are looking for bright and skilled healthcare administrative professionals for their office staff. The following qualities and skills will help you succeed in the future and prepare you for your healthcare administration career path:

  • Analytical Skills: they must understand and follow current systems and regulatory practices and adapt to new laws
  • Communication Skills: they must effectively communicate policies and procedures to other health professionals and ensure their staff’s compliance with new laws and regulations.
  • Detail-Oriented: they must pay attention to detail.
  • Interpersonal Skills: they discuss staffing problems and patient information with other professionals.
  • Leadership Skills: they are responsible for finding creative solutions to staffing or other administrative problems. They must hire, train, motivate, and lead staff.
  • Technical Skills: they must stay up to date with advances in healthcare technology and data analytics2.

Having these skills and qualities is an important part of the job. When you possess these skills, it shows that you could perform the tasks at hand and succeed in the future.

Every day is different

When you choose a career in a healthcare organization, you are choosing one that is not a 9-5 office job. Healthcare administrators generally work full time, with some managers working more than 40 hours per week.

Work during evenings or weekends may be required in healthcare settings that are open at all hours, such as hospitals and nursing homes. Healthcare administrators may need to be on call in case of emergencies3.

Someone with the qualities of a healthcare administrator will have the opportunity to work in different locations and choose where you want to work. Some of these locations are:

  • Hospitals; state, local, and private
  • Office of physicians
  • Nursing and residential care facilities
  • Outpatient care centers3

As healthcare technologies expand, they'll be more opportunities for those with computer skills to expand their careers into electronic health records and information technology services. You will also have the opportunity to continue your education in various administrative and financial career paths within the healthcare industry.

There is a positive career outlook

No one wants to go into a career that doesn’t have a huge demand or positive outlook in the future. The demand for healthcare administrators could offer many opportunities for entry-level graduates to start their healthcare administration career path.

The employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow 32 percent from 2019 to 20294.  That's much faster than the average for all occupations. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as the baby-boom population ages and people remain active later in life, there should be increased demand for healthcare services, and thus healthcare administrators4.

The medical industry continues to expand and so does the healthcare administration career path. These are highly desired professionals with the right skill set to confidently do their job. But what education and training will I need and where could I go to take healthcare administration degree courses to start my career?

Discover “What is Healthcare Administration” at National Career College today!

If you’re interested in attending healthcare administration degree courses, consider National Career College. Enrolling in our classes will allow you the opportunity to gain the skills and experience necessary to become an entry-level healthcare administrator.

National Career College offers an Associate of Applied Science Degree program that could be completed on campus or through our healthcare administration online school programs. In just 61 weeks with an externship, students will be able to become the role of healthcare administrator with our online and in-person classes.

Want to learn more about the healthcare administration duties and responsibilities? Enroll in National Career College today.

 

Learn more about Healthcare Administration at National Career College

 


Sources:

  1. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-2
  2. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-4
  3. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-3
  4. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-6