As a vital leader in a wide range of clinical settings, the healthcare administrator is responsible for coordinating all medical services that are provided by physicians, surgeons, registered nurses, laboratory technicians, and other health specialists. Healthcare administrators are highly trained and educated individuals who are given the hefty task of making complex health policy decisions for the organization and financing of healthcare delivery systems. In today’s rapidly changing healthcare industry, it is estimated that there are 300,000 healthcare administrators across the United States managing entire medical facilities. If you are interested in joining the ranks in this growing, the following is a complete job overview on the typical day in the life of a healthcare administrator, according to the Princeton Review.
Healthcare Administrator Job Description
Also commonly referred to as health or medical services managers, healthcare administrators are natural leaders who direct facilities, services, staff members, programs, budgets, and relations with other health-related organizations. Healthcare administrators are responsible for improving the quality of healthcare services, staying current on new healthcare regulations for proper compliance, managing facility finances, supervising assistant administrators, designing staff work schedules, communicating with various members of the medical departments, and maintaining thorough records of a facility’s services. Rather than dealing directly with patients on a daily basis like clinicians, healthcare administrators work behind the scenes to make necessary policy changes and lead the improvement of our nation’s healthcare system.
Work Environment for Healthcare Administrators
Although most individuals assume that all healthcare administrators work in hospital settings, there are actually a large number of medical services managers employed in nursing homes, private physician practices, residential care facilities, outpatient care centers, ambulatory healthcare services, pharmaceutical companies, home health agencies, and insurance providers. Depending on the size of their organization, healthcare administrators may be in charge of managing an entire facility or specialize in overseeing the operations of a specific clinical area. Since many of the medical facilities they manage provide round-the-clock care, healthcare administrators often work long hours beyond the 40-hour work week and may need to be called in to handle problems at any given moment.
How to Become a Healthcare Administrator
While there are entry-level positions available for healthcare administrators with a bachelor’s degree in smaller medical facilities, only a lucky few will be able to work up the ranks to upper-level management positions with this degree. Therefore, it is normally recommended that aspiring healthcare managers pursue at least a Master’s in Health Administration degree, public health, nursing administration, or business administration. Courses related to accounting, management, finances, hospital organization, health policy, economics, and health information systems will be vital for success. In order to build the most essential leadership qualities and communication skills, students should choose a master’s program that has been given the stamp of approval by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education to ensure high quality standards are being met.
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With the large baby boomer population continuing to drive demand for healthcare services in a rapidly evolving medical delivery system, employment for healthcare administrators is projected to grow much faster than average at the rate of 23 percent before 2022 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Not only will pursuing a career as a healthcare administrator help you bring in a sizeable annual salary of $88,580, but it will also put you in a rewarding leadership position in which you can truly make your mark on improving the delivery of high-quality patient services.
