The difference between a good organization and a great organization is the ability of the leader to intuit, manage, and motivate. This is especially true of many healthcare facilities, where the pace is fast, crises are an everyday event, and high-impact decisions often need to be made quickly. If you have substantial work experience in healthcare and strong business and management skills, you may be ready to take your healthcare services career to the next level with a Health Administration degree. Healthcare is a big business in the U.S., and its need for the talents and skill of good management is no different from any other business. Most healthcare facilities will want an administrator with a master’s degree in health administration. Very large facilities may give you the opportunity to use your bachelor’s degree in health administration to start on a low rung of their administrative ladder. Relevant degrees include Master of Health Administration (MHA), MBA in Health Administration, Master of Science in Health Care Administration, Master of Public Administration, and Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration or Healthcare Management.

In a health administration degree program, you’ll learn the principles of effective business administration and best practices for running a patient care facility or any other organization that delivers healthcare services. Topics covered in health administration degree programs include policy development, planning, leadership, management, communication, team facilitation, and how to direct, coordinate, and supervise the delivery of the healthcare services your organization provides. A health administration degree may also boost both your career opportunities and your pay.

Health Administration Degree Related Careers

The jobs open to holders of a health administration degree are diverse. Executives with a health administration degree work in a variety of settings, from large to small, simple to complex, geriatric to teen. Health administration executives may manage entire hospital facility or system or one hospital unit, one clinical department, one diagnostic laboratory, or a government-funded social services organization. Hospitals usually require a hierarchy of health administrators. Smaller medical practices, clinics, nursing homes, assisted living, and other residential care facilities may hire a single administrator to manage the business.

What’s the Job Outlook?

The number of jobs for healthcare administrators is expected to increase 16% between 2006 and 2016. Due to the perks of the job, competition for top executive positions may be keen, but otherwise, this career has good prospects in the future.

How much does it pay?

As of May 2006, salaries for healthcare administrators ranged from $45,000 to more than $120,000, with a median salary of $73,340.

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