Healthcare Management

Healthcare Management Career Overview

Healthcare management, is, as the name implies, the management of healthcare institutions like hospitals and clinics. Successful healthcare management professionals generally have a background in the healthcare industry as well as effective leadership skills. Even though the field may seem rather narrow, the experience of clinic managers and hospital managers is often radically different: being responsible for an emergency room or an intensive care unit is not nearly the same as running a dental clinic.

While healthcare managers don’t work directly with patients, their ability to manage efficiently directly affects the quality of care patients receive. Because of this direct link between healthcare management and patient experience, individuals who are given positions of leadership in healthcare facilities tend to have many years of experience in the industry.

Typical duties include:

• General office management duties.
• Budget management.
• Working with doctors to create the best possible experience for patients and establishing standard operating procedures for managing patient information.
• Oversee the staff, and in some cases take on duties similar to a human resources position.

Those looking to break into the healthcare management field should have, at the very least, some organizational training and experience. Those working in larger facilities will find a more diverse range of positions. Most people working in healthcare management work in a hospital or medical clinic, although some people do work in an office-like setting

Healthcare Management Training & Education

While some hospitals or other healthcare facilities may take applicants with a B.A. in Healthcare Management, attaining a Master’s Degree or a MBA can give you a significant advantage in the job market, especially for those with an eye on top positions.

Significant experience also helps you to land a more prestigious job in healthcare management. One way that you can help yourself get ahead is by working in a related entry-level position while you earn your Masters Degree. This route is especially popular, and many universities offer online healthcare management degree programs for working students. When you finish your degree, you will have both the experience and education that employers are looking for.

Healthcare Management Career & Salary Outlook

As the population grows and ages, the need for healthcare services will also increase. This means an increased opportunity for those in healthcare management positions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment rates in the areas of healthcare management are expected to increase through the year 2014.

Salaries for those in healthcare management range from $52,000 to $88,000 per year. Pay increases with experience and the size of the clinic being managed. For example, the average salary for a healthcare manager in a private office with 6 doctors or less is around $72,000 whereas a healthcare manager in a practice with 26 or more doctors will make more than $132,000.

For a relatively specialized profession, those with a background in healthcare management have many opportunities to choose from: hospitals, clinics, healthcare non-profit offices, and long-term care facilities, among others.

Career Fields/Specializations

Healthcare Administration Career

Those who work in healthcare administration plan, oversee, and coordinate the delivery of health care within a large organization. An effective administrative apparatus is essential to the smooth operation of a healthcare institution, so competent administrators are always in high demand.

Due to the fast-paced nature of many healthcare environments, the ability to manage under pressure is essential to success in this field.

Healthcare Manager Career

Healthcare managers work with physicians in smaller health clinics. They work to ensure that all healthcare processes are fluid and functioning properly. In addition to this, they may play a larger role in making business decisions than hospital administrators.

Successful managers tend to have strong organizational skills, the ability to manage other people, and the flexibility to adapt to changing laws and conditions.

Health Services Manager Career

Health services managers are in charge of making sure that patients receive the health services that they need. They may oversee a large number of hospitals and clinics. In addition to this, health services managers in managed care are more active in providing community outreach and preventative care information.

Healthcare Consultant Career

A healthcare consultant is someone who gets called in for contract work when a hospital would like to streamline its services. They observe the way that the hospital currently functions and make suggestions as to where improvements could be made. Healthcare consultants may work for a consulting company or be self-employed, but they are rarely direct employees of a hospital or healthcare facility.

Healthcare consultants should be talented problem solvers. Consultants should also be extremely versatile, as the task with which they are charged changes frequently as they move from client to client.