Do you want to work in a management position within the healthcare field, then a career in healthcare management could be the right track for you. People in this field typically help plan direct and coordinate health services and often manage healthcare offices as well. This article explains what people in health care management do, where they work and the education and license required to work in this field. Health services managers take on leadership roles within healthcare offices, they can manage a whole facility or supervise specific services or processes within the facility. Exact job responsibilities can vary based on workplace expertise and education but some common tasks include improving the efficiency of an office creating reasonable goals for your department, hiring and on-boarding supervising staff, monitoring budgets and managing billing tasks.
Health care management versus Administration – Health care management and Healthcare Administration may sound similar but the two fields differ in important ways. Health care management is a broad field generally referring to the management of any or all aspects of health care facility or office. This can include the management of staff budgeting, the development of processes, communication across leadership teams and other tasks. Healthcare administration on the other hand typically refers to managing staff specifically some tasks include handling hiring, on-boarding and supervision of staff along with creating schedules and managing scheduling conflicts, salary and other tasks.
What’s positive for this field is that according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, Employment is projected to grow 20% from 2016 to 2026 much faster than the average of all occupations. Entry-level salaries for health care management can vary greatly based on different factors including where you live, your years of experience, your education level and where you work. If you graduate with an associate’s degree in health care management you’ll be able to apply for entry-level associate or specialist positions with the possibility of moving to higher-level positions such as supervisor and manager over the course of your career.
Health care management jobs – Health care management jobs vary depending on your level of education degree. Requirements can run from an associate’s degree to a master’s degree in Business Administration. Entry-level positions for those with an associate’s degree in health care management include front desk supervisor, medical accounts receivable specialist, medical billing supervisor, medical office specialists, and office supervisor. Jobs that may require a four-year master’s degree relevant experience and/or additional certification include health information management director, health manager, office manager, practice administrator, program manager, and clinical manager. Education and Skills – Educational requirements vary depending on the role employer and other factors associate degree programs to prepare you for entry-level positions and healthcare offices and facilities with the possibility of moving up the management ladder throughout your career. Many direct management positions require a bachelor’s degree or higher degrees for these fields usually have curriculums that focus on health care and management . Some possible courses for healthcare management include accounting healthcare, law, business, office operations, human resource management, and medical terminology.
In addition to education and experience, there are also some general skills required to work in healthcare management. These include analytical skills, detail-oriented technical skills, leadership skills and interpersonal skills, licensure and certification, if you want to be in healthcare management licensing and certification can vary based on your job and place of employment, for example, nursing home and assisted living administrators require licensure in all tapes, in addition, some states may require you to pass a state-specific exam so if you move somewhere else you’ll need to understand how that affects your licensing aside from nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Licensing isn’t usually required for professionals in healthcare management unless you want to focus specifically on nursing or social work programs, in that case, you may need to be registered and/or have licensing in those areas. We hope this article has provided you with an understanding of what healthcare management is and what people in this field typically do. If this field sounds right for you then you might want to consider an education in health care management.
