Occupation Focus: Health Care Administration
The health care field is endowed with numerous opportunities that enhance growth and success. With new improvements and innovations, many people are joining the industry to start their careers, as the field offers more chances for advancement. Health care administrators manage hospitals, nursing homes, and other health agencies. They can be either specialist (heading specific departments) or generalists (managing the entire facilities). This study will focus on health care administration jobs, in terms of technological competencies, opportunities available, responsibilities, and demand for this position.
The field of healthcare is quite dynamic, thus, requiring the administrators to be reasonably flexible and adaptive. A hospital administrator should have a master’s degree in health service administration, public administration, or business administration (Seltzer, 2011, p. 351). Apart from this, the healthcare administrator should be competent in analyzing and improving workflow processes; evaluating costs and benefits while making financial decisions; and carrying out job analysis.
Opportunities
Career opportunities for healthcare administrators are quite extensive, ranging from the private sector to government hospitals and agencies. Healthcare administrators can be employed in hospitals, clinics, NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations), private healthcare facilities, nursing homes, as well as pharmaceutical companies. The size of an organization will determine how long a promotion ladder is while internal competition hinders advancement (LaPierre & Zimmerman, 2012). Healthcare administrators normally rise through ranks up to the executive level. The more a health administrator is educated, the higher the chance to advance in a career. An experienced healthcare administrator is capable of undertaking a consultancy role. Healthcare administrators can also become policymakers in government departments and agencies.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Healthcare administration job involves managing the healthcare facility as a business. The Healthcare administrators can be responsible for the entire facility or may have specific duties in the facility. Their main responsibilities are to ensure that patients are taken care of through promotion and illness prevention programs to employees (Healthcare Executives’ Responsibility, 2010, p. 107). Specific duties of healthcare administrators usually vary with their job title. For instance, a nursing home administrator ensures that proper care is offered to all patients in the nursing home. Healthcare administrators are charged with budgeting, scheduling, marketing, and information communication.
Pros and Cons of Working in Healthcare Administration
Healthcare administrators are among the best-paid professionals in the medical field. Their annual salary ranges from $84, 000 to $120,000. This is much far above other professionals in the healthcare sector, and even outside the healthcare sector. Job security and satisfaction is assured to administrators who meet the basic expectations.
However, this profession requires individuals to work for long hours. Most healthcare facilities operate for 24 hours, thus, the administrator may be required to be in the facility at odd hours to handle some pressing issues. Administrators are expected to hire, motivate, or even fire professionals who earn more than them. The job requires a lot of traveling to attend seminars that teach on new hospital practices. An individual who is not interested in lifelong learning cannot choose a career in healthcare management (Buchbinder & Thompson, 2010, p. 11).
Demand for Healthcare Administrators
According to the US Bureau of Labor Services, the job outlook for medical and healthcare management is expected to expand in the future (Seltzer, 2011, p. 352). This means that the job demand will rise as more people continue to seek these kinds of jobs. Life expectancy in the US is rising, and as baby boomers head for retirement, opportunities for healthcare administration will rise. However, top management opportunities, such as CEOs, are exceedingly competitive and require only the most competent individuals, who have worked in this field for many years.
References
Buchbinder, S. B., & Thompson, J. M. (2010). Career opportunities in health care management: Perspectives from the field. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Healthcare Executives’ Responsibility to Their Communities. (2010). Healthcare Executive, 25(5), 106-107.
LaPierre, T. A., & Zimmerman, M. K. (2012). Career advancement and gender equity in healthcare management. Gender in Management, 27(2), 100-118. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17542411211214158
Seltzer, B. (2011). 101 careers in public health. New York: Springer Pub