Whether young, old or in between, good health is central to the well-being of all. Delivering modern health care requires that many complex and diverse components work seamlessly together. While doctors, nurses, and other medical practitioners serve as primary caregivers, health care administrators work in the background to ensure this system runs smoothly.
“Medical school exists to teach medicine, not business,” says Mark Bellinger, M.D. “It’s become so complex I think most physicians don’t have the faintest idea how to run a practice. There’s too many regulations, laws, and things that we as doctors can’t possibly fathom.”
Health care administration is the bridge between patients, doctors, laws and regulations, ethics, finance, and operations. Health care administrators are the glue holding all those components together. That’s a task easier said than done, begging the question, what does a health care administrator do?
The Many Faces of Health Care Administration
Working in the field provides numerous career opportunities, and many job titles fall under the health care administration rubric.
- Hospital Administrator
- Administrative Assistant
- Community Health Manager
- Health Services Manager
- Health Information Manager
- Information Technology Specialist
- Medical Office Manager
- Medical Technologist
- Nurse Administrator
- Patient Services Representative
A Day in the Life
Given the profession’s broad scope, describing a “typical day” in health care administration is perilous. On any given day, in any one of thousands of facilities, non-medical health care professionals respond to the needs of patients, practitioners, staff, and the communities they serve.
The common thread through all of it is supporting, managing, and leading the maintenance and delivery of health care. The stitches holding the fabric of good health together are many. Health care administrators will find themselves working in a variety of settings, including:
- Hospitals
- Doctor Offices
- Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
- Home Health Care Management
- Outpatient Care Centers
- Community Health Services
Career Outlook
Driven by rapidly shifting demographics, an always-changing regulatory landscape, and unforeseen circumstances, there is an urgent need for health care professionals. It is an exciting, lucrative, and challenging time to begin or expand a health care administration career.
Industry Growth and Demand
Health care is among the largest and fastest-growing industries in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects job growth for Medical and Health Services Managers to expand 32 percent through 2029, much faster than the economy as a whole. The BLS forecasts 133,200 new job opening in health care administration through 2029.
Compensation
Salaries in health care administration vary widely depending on the specific job, organization, and locale. Nonetheless, pay is commensurate with the sustained demand for dedicated, well-trained workers at all levels.
The BLS reports a median annual salary for top-level managers and administrators of $104,280. For health care administration workers at all levels, Glassdoor pins an average salary at $74,028 annually.
Master of Science in Health Care Administration and Management
The online M.S. in Health Care Administration and Management degree program from Point Park University provides an ideal learning pathway for starting or expanding a career in health care.
The flexibility of the online format affords working professionals the opportunity to plan their learning around their busy schedules. At the same time, the program is “designed with a rigor that provides students with the theory and practical knowledge they need,” says Point Park Associate Professor Archish Maharaja, Ed.D.
Created by industry experts, the curriculum prepares students with theoretical and real-world understanding of the full range of issues critical in health care management. Topics include policy analysis, leadership and ethics, law, health care informatics, accounting and finance, global health care administration, and more.
The core 36-credit curriculum includes:
- Health Economics
- Accounting for Health Care Managers
- Health Care Law
- Quantitative Methods and Data Analysis for Health Care
- Marketing and Strategic Planning in Health Care
- Health Care Informatics
- Health Systems Administration and Management
- Health Care Policy Analysis
- Financial Management of Health Systems
- Ethics and Leadership for Health Care Managers
- Health Care Quality and Evidence-Based Medicine
- Global Health Care Administration and Management
Student success is paramount at Point Park. Every online MHA course instructor has years of real-world experience providing a wide-ranging abundance of practical knowledge. Students can immediately benefit from this wealth of experience in the workforce. Furthermore, each student receives personalized support from application to graduation. It is this student-centered approach coupled with a flexible, expansive, and rigorous curriculum that sets the Point Park MHA program apart.
Earning a master’s degree in health care administration opens the door to a rewarding and worthy career at the center of the well-being of all. Point Park University helps you get there.
