There are many different types of positions available for those who choose to enter the field of Health Care Administration. Medical professionals are not the only important parts of the health care field; there is a need for those to oversee the management of health care facilities and the staff of those facilities. However, the education must precede any type of application for a position in this area with most facilities requiring experience as well.
The field of health care administration includes medical and health services managers who are also called healthcare executives or healthcare administrators. Those who work in this field are responsible for planning, directing and coordinating various medical and health services. These employees might be responsible for managing an entire facility, manage a specific clinical area or department of a medical facility or even manage a medical practice that consists of a group of physicians.
Medical Records and Health Information Technicians
The responsibility of a medical records and health information technician is to organize and manage health information data. They must do this in a way that ensures it is of high quality, is easily accessible, the information is accurate, and the records are secure in both hard copy and electronic versions. These technicians are also responsible for coding and categorizing patient information for the purpose of insurance reimbursement, inclusion in databases and registries, and for proper maintenance of a patient’s medical history and record of treatments.
Health Services Administrators
A health services administrator is responsible for running hospitals including all units and departments as well as other types of health care facilities. They manage staff and make sure the facility and it staff meets the needs of the patients. The rising cost of healthcare means healthcare administrators must also make sure the medical facilities for which they are responsible run efficiently and are able to remain in business in order to meet the health care needs of the community. This means they must develop and implement budgets in order to keep track of expenditures.
Administrator of a Hospice or Elderly Care Facility
This region of health care administration is one that is on the increase, especially with the aging baby boomers who are now entering into their “golden years.” This increase in the aging population brings about many challenges within the area of health care with many patients and their families facing living arrangements that are new to them. This creates the need for having an administrator who is educated and compassionate to manage all of the necessary services in both physical and mental health.
Conclusion
With the challenges in health care that face both patients and medical health providers in the 21st century, there is a definite need for quality health care administrators who are well-informed, educated and compassionate. The administrators must be on top of the latest advancements in technology as well as being capable of handling all the financial aspects involved in running a medical facility or group of physicians. There are new positions developing every day that require someone knowledgeable in health care administration, and those with the experience and ability to handle the responsibilities will advance farther in this area.
