Trends In Healthcare Administration Employment
According to the Unites States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for administrators, managers and supervisors in the healthcare industry is expected to increase at an above average rate for the next several years. This is largely due to an increase in the number of patients and staff, an increase in healthcare facilities, and an increase in currently retiring healthcare administrators. These trends in healthcare administration employment mean that those individuals seeking work within this field should have good job prospects in the near and distant future for finding just the job that they are looking for.
There are several key factors when looking at healthcare administration employment opportunities. One such factor is education. While it is not always important to have the highest possible level of education, it is critical to have at least some structured coursework that is directly related to the unique needs and management requirements within the healthcare field. Healthcare administration employment opportunities are for both clinical and non-clinical staff, so first understanding if a clinical background is needed for the management job you are seeking is important. For example, a department or unit manager in hospital will typically have both clinical background and experience as well as specific training in management, structure and organization as well as budgeting, human resource management and even basic inventory control. On the other hand a specialists working in the area of healthcare administration employment through the Human Resources Department may have little personal clinical experience but will have a working knowledge of employment issues, policies and law.
Typically most healthcare administration employment vacancies will now require a Bachelor level business or management degree. Some of the more advanced or senior management positions may require a specialized Master in Business Administration in a related field such as long term healthcare management, allied health, public administration or health services administration. There are also some very high level positions that will require doctoral level qualifications for healthcare administration employment.
A growing field in the area of healthcare administration employment is health informatics. This is the management of electronic records and information throughout and between hospitals and other systems. Typically in addition to basic business management or healthcare management degrees these positions will also require the candidate to be a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA). This certification can be earned through the American Health Information Management Association.
Understanding the different trends and educational requirements is key in finding healthcare administration employment. Talking to a recruiter in the healthcare field or speaking with the human resources department of a hospital or healthcare facility or at a college or university can help job seekers decide which educational option is best for their career goals.