| A healthcare administration career via online | | | | or 11 years. |
| healthcare management training requires no | | | | Human Resource (HRM) |
| medical background. This is the field relating to the | | | | HR professionals specializing in healthcare are |
| leadership, management and administration of | | | | responsible to maintain a working, motivated staff |
| healthcare systems, hospitals and hospital | | | | for all departments. They are often responsible |
| networks. Healthcare administration covers a | | | | for the hiring of medical staff (doctors, nurses |
| broad area of activities and there is usually a set | | | | etc) and generally fulfilling HR duties as in any |
| of factors that determine the types of jobs that | | | | other organization. These professionals average a |
| need to be done to run any given facility; these | | | | salary of around $35,000 to $100,000 per year. |
| often include the size and scope of the facility in | | | | Medical information technology (MIT) |
| question and the kinds of medical/ healthcare | | | | With great advancements in information sharing |
| facilities they have. | | | | and technology, healthcare has changed drastically |
| Healthcare administrators are vital to the | | | | over the last few years. With the continued |
| successful operation of any healthcare system. | | | | application of new technology in healthcare, a |
| The day to day running and financial sides to | | | | team of professionals is required to operate and |
| healthcare require dedicated professionals to work | | | | maintain information systems (and networks), |
| on areas from clerical to administrative to financial. | | | | diagnostic machines, computer systems and |
| Healthcare professionals, also known as healthcare | | | | software. They are also responsible for upgrading |
| managers or health services managers are regular | | | | and problem solving. Professionals in this area earn |
| business managers who plan, direct, coordinate | | | | anywhere in the range of $40,000-$100,000; the |
| and supervise the delivery of health services. | | | | job description itself varying with the type of |
| These managers can be specialists in charge of a | | | | facility. |
| specific department or managing entire facilities. | | | | Public relations (marketing) |
| Healthcare education has recently found a new | | | | PR managers in healthcare are responsible for |
| home on the internet, with thousands of people | | | | improving the healthcare facilities' image in the |
| pursuing online healthcare education and online | | | | public eye and to keep the surrounding public |
| training in order to improve their professional skills | | | | informed about the facilities and services offered |
| and profiles or to take the opportunity to switch | | | | at the healthcare unit. PR managers are also |
| to this lucrative and satisfying career from | | | | responsible for providing coordination services and |
| another field. | | | | information in the event of an emergency or |
| The following is a brief description of some of the | | | | disaster. PR managers are also the spokespersons |
| major areas in healthcare administration for which | | | | for their respective facilities, representatives for |
| extensive online health care administration and | | | | the unit, and speak for the organization (for |
| management education and training is now | | | | instance in the event of a lawsuit etc). They fall |
| available. | | | | into the same pay grade as MIT or HRM |
| General Administration | | | | professionals. |
| Healthcare organizations, like all other types of | | | | Finance |
| businesses, are often profit based businesses | | | | Finance professionals hold a critical importance |
| requiring the highest quality of managerial | | | | today for healthcare at a par with doctors and |
| oversight. A healthcare unit requires a whole top | | | | nurses. The cost of healthcare is rising all the |
| and middle management team in order to | | | | time, it is important to keep not only the facility |
| function. Matters related to budgeting, profit and | | | | profitable, but also to make healthcare as |
| future expansion is also, likewise, a managerial | | | | affordable as possible. These professionals are |
| responsibility (especially in larger facilities like | | | | responsible for detailed financial aspects like |
| hospitals). | | | | budgeting, accounting, auditing and income & |
| Healthcare managers in administration positions | | | | expenditure; also finding ways for administrators |
| normally answer to the board of directors. The | | | | to cut costs and improve finding. Finance |
| workload is higher than for many other areas, | | | | managers in smaller facilities average the same |
| with administrators often required to work | | | | pay-scale as those for HRM and MIT; however |
| between 55-60 hours a week, however, | | | | those for larger facilities and with more |
| compensation and career benefits are attractive | | | | experience can make considerably more than that |
| and the work itself is stable to a great extent. | | | | ($80,000-$200,000 a year). |
| Growth opportunities are numerous and salaries | | | | References: |
| are also amongst the higher levels, with healthcare | | | | Bureau or labor statistics - Handbook for |
| administration staff making $40,000-50,000 for a | | | | occupational outlook - US dept. of Labor. |
| start and improving to $120,000-130,000 within 10 | | | | |