Health Administrator Careers
What is a Hospital Administrator?
Hospital Administration is the most popular subfield in one of the largest industries in the United States. Healthcare Administration is the business of leadership and management in hospitals and healthcare facilities and is the central point of control. The position involves a wide range of responsibilities, which include public relations, staffing, budgets, legal matters, patient rights, and a plethora of other duties. Hospital Administration is a structured discipline that requires creative problem-solving skills to address specific situations with both analytic detail and a humanistic approach.
What does a Hospital Administrator do?
Hospital Administrators are essential to the efficient and effective operation of hospitals and healthcare facilities. Hospital Administrators manage and lead the daily business operations of their organization. They assume responsibility for budgets, staffing, patient rights, public relations, and administrative management as well as being part coach, motivational speaker, counselor, and overall problem solver.
Where does a Hospital Administrator work?
Hospital Administrators work in hospitals and healthcare facilities in roles that plan and oversee the delivery of services. Dependent on degree level, an individual who seeks employment in Hospital Administration can be employed in other positions within the organization. There are few executive positions available at the baccalaureate level, but there are many positions, such as department leaders, mid-level managers, and program directors at the entry level. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a healthy market outlook for those seeking employment in Hospital Administration across multiple industries. Positions in Hospital Administration can be found in nursing homes, physician offices, outpatient, and rehabilitation facilities. Hospital Administrators are employed as generalists or specialists in that they oversee or manage the entire facility or a specialized part of it. Specialists work with policy analysis, accounting, budgeting, marketing, or human resources to name a few.
- Nursing Homes
- Hospitals
- Physician Offices
- Rehabilitation Hospitals
- Any specialized department of the above mentioned, such as policy analysis, accounting, human resources, marketing, or budgeting.
What does a Hospital Administrator study?
Individuals who achieve executive positions most always have advanced degrees in healthcare. Healthcare and Hospital Administration are the business of health, so most Hospital Administrators have experience in industry or health and four-year degrees. The following are standard degrees for Hospital Administrators, but most Hospital Administrators on the fast track for executive employment have advanced degrees in Healthcare Administration and credentials.
- Health Information Management
- Healthcare Administration
- Business Administration
- Public Health
- Public Administration
- Health Services Administration
Undergraduate coursework is usually in business or healthcare, and coursework includes accounting, human resources, economics, ethics, and management. The Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) oversees the accreditation of master’s level programs in the United States and Canada. CAHME accredits the following degrees:
- MHSA — Master of Health Services Administration
- MPH — Master of Public Health
- MPA — Master of Public Administration
- MHA — Master of Hospital Administration
- MHA — Master of Health Administration
- MBA-HM — Master of Business Administration in Hospital Management
National Center for Healthcare Leadership
The National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL) is an agency established in the United States for the pursuit of excellence in health and healthcare systems. This nongovernmental organization identifies the following competencies required to manage and lead healthcare facilities with credibility and creativity:
- Philosophy of Change Leadership
- Accountability
- Collaborative Thinking
- Goal Setting and Achievement Oriented
- Financial Skills
- Communication Skills
- Theory of Team Leadership
- Influence and Impact
- Innovation
- Self-confidence and Decisiveness
- Professionalism
- Strategic Development
- Interpersonal Skills
What other career opportunities are available for Hospital Administrators?
Some Hospital Administrators attain higher education in research and academic-based doctoral programs. A Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Health Administration prepares candidates for careers in teaching and public policy shaping or to lead complex healthcare organizations.
How much money does a Hospital Administrator earn?
According to PayScale.com, the average Hospital Administrator salary is around $88,000 per year with a high rate of job satisfaction. Many positions offer performance bonuses and profit sharing. Earning potential correlates directly with experience and degree as many healthcare facilities are streamlining roles and responsibilities for cost-cutting benefits. Highly cross-trained professionals will be more desirable in the future job market for Hospital Administrators.