The healthcare industry is in a perpetual state of flux. The rapidly evolving and constantly growing industry has procured several opportunities and responsibilities for healthcare executives when considering more diverse careers in healthcare. This spans into all healthcare fields such as nursing, pharmacy, TeleHealth, business development in medical practices, hospital leadership, nursing homes, insurance agencies, and federal employers like the Veteran’s Administration. This is where higher education and a tailored degree in Health Services Administration can separate you from the rest of the resumes that land on someone’s desk.
What is a Health Services Administration Degree?
The curriculum within our MSHSA is specifically tailored to the healthcare leadership sector. Learning the nuances of the business and leadership aspect of healthcare administration will help prepare you to handle the numerous challenges of this continuously growing and progressive industry. This degree is necessary if your goal is to make healthcare administration your career path
How Much Can You Make With a Health Services Administration Career?
A master’s degree in health services administration opens you up for a variety of career options for higher-paying jobs after graduation. Your ultimate salary will depend on an array of factors including your years of experience, your professional training, the type of job you are applying for, the size of the organization, and the number of certificates you have earned, just to name a few. On average, most people who choose a health services administration career path make $77,000 a year. However, some jobs for a master’s in health service administration can offer you an annual salary as high as $200,000 depending on the industry they work in.
What do healthcare administrators do?
If you choose a health services administration career path, you might be responsible for improving efficiency, providing consistent quality care for patients, managing staff, reviewing finances, creating workflows and schedules, and monitoring adherence to laws and regulations for healthcare facilities. Although health services administrators frequently find employment in hospitals and medical centers, there are opportunities in nursing homes, retirement communities, and physician practices.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists other facilities where healthcare executives can find employment opportunities, some of which include:
- Home health agencies
- TeleHealth Services
- Outpatient facilities
- Healthcare associations
- Consulting firms
- Integrated Delivery Systems (IDS)
- Managed care organizations:
- Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO)
- Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO)
- Research institutions and universities
- The Public Health Department
- Healthcare Cybersecurity
What careers are in health services administration?
1. Assistant Manager/Administrator
An experienced administrator may be given the responsibility of overseeing a healthcare facility’s employees, finances, and procedures. This allows health administrators to obtain higher-paying positions and business decisions that affect the entire organization. These roles are available in private corporations, public entities, nonprofits, and even federally ran institutions.
2. Clinical Research Manager
Due to technological advancement, clinical research continues to thrive and needs those leaders capable of seeing the bigger picture and effectively communicate findings to their community. The complexity of clinical research often requires coordination of researchers, study participants, physicians, and pharmaceutical executives.
3. Healthcare Facility Marketing Managers or PR Specialists
Public relations campaigns and consistent community communication is a fundamental aspect of the healthcare business. Someone within this role has to understand the necessity of building notoriety within the business to business relations, as well as, business to consumer communication.
4. Nursing Home Administration
To become an administrator in a nursing home, we highly recommend considering our Healthcare Institution Leadership Track or our Healthcare Quality and Improvement Track.
5. Clinical Leader/Manager
A professional that has knowledge relating to a specific clinical area is referred to as a clinical leader or clinical manager. Specific clinical areas include neonatal care and radiology. Once a clinician earns their health administration leadership master’s degree, they may be hired as a clinical leader in their department.
6. Health Information Managers
Health information managers are responsible for maintaining and securing patients’ electronic medical records. These managers may also supervise a team of medical coding employees or work with IT professionals to make sure that all the records are legally compliant, accurate, and easily accessible.
The field of healthcare management emphasizes the need of skilled and experienced individuals who can assist in introducing and managing the many changes that are taking place within the healthcare industry. Within an executive role within healthcare, you can make a valuable contribution to enhance the health of the residents in the communities you serve.
For more information on our online programs, please contact Alyssa at asuderma@uwyo.edu. You can also check out more information about earning your online Master’s degree in Health Services Administration by exploring the rest of our website.