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At Careers in Healthcare Administration, we aim to provide you with useful information about career options in the healthcare field including ways to help you advance your career or further your education. We research and present topics such as healthcare management job opportunities, areas of employment, degree programs, accredited schools and articles on current practices and advancements in the healthcare industry.
Healthcare Field
What is Healthcare Administration?
Healthcare administration is a career field of healthcare professionals that are involved in the leadership and management of hospitals, hospital networks, healthcare institutions and medical centers.
What are some fields in healthcare?
Some areas of employment in healthcare administration are hospitals and hospital networks, nursing homes, diagnostic labs, physician and dental offices, public health offices, health insurance, health information systems and electronic health records, rehabilitation centers and healthcare consulting firms. Roles in healthcare administration could be related to functions such as finance and accounting, human resources, marketing, supply chain management and patient management.
Are there any government healthcare administration roles I could get as a recent graduate?
Yes, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) offers a Recent Graduates Program to give recent graduates developmental experiences in the federal government.
How might upcoming changes in technology play a role in healthcare administration?
As technology continues advancing, healthcare systems will adapt to make necessary accommodations. Depending on your job description, accommodations might include learning how to use new technology and training fellow employees, hiring or managing more cybersecurity experts and data scientists, and budgetary changes to finance new technology and implement new training.
What are job functions or healthcare administrators?
From overseeing staff members to hiring, training, and performing evaluations and reviews, healthcare administrators do many different things. Some may conduct market analysis to better understand growth and revenue drivers. Others might manage finances and budgets. And some act as liaisons between clinical and business professionals to help explain needs and improve clinical quality.
Education
What if I don’t have a background in healthcare?
A background in healthcare is definitely valuable, however the lack of one is not a reason to prevent you from entering this growing and dynamic field. Healthcare Administration encompasses a myriad of functions such as policies, finance, operations, health information systems and more. A degree in healthcare administration will help you gain insight into how systems work and provide you with the knowledge to stand out in your career
What are the advantages of online programs compared to on campus degrees?
Online programs allow students who are working or have scheduling conflicts to study when they are free. Online learning requires discipline and in some programs, there are even more rigorous participation elements than on-campus programs. Online class discussions make sessions interactive and students have to submit assignments and learning status reports online.
How can I communicate with other students and faculty?
There are discussion boards and private communities specific to online programs. It is easy for students to find and communicate with others via email, discussion board posts or private online communities
Is accreditation important?
Accreditation is incredibly important when you choose and online program. Accreditation means that the quality of education of a school meets certain standards and the school maintains those standards to keep the accreditation. In addition, only accredited schools have the right to apply for federal grants.
Resources
Are there any organizations for healthcare administration professionals?
Yes. As an industry professional, you could become a member of organizations such as the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM), the Association for Healthcare Administrative Professionals (AHCAP), the National Association of Healthcare Access Management (NAHAM) and the Health Care Administrators Association (HCAA).
What is the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM)?
Founded in 1968 as the American Guild of Patient Account Management, the AAHAM has evolved to become the only national organization dedicated to the revenue cycle of both the front line and management staff. Being a member means access to training and education, the opportunity for nationally recognized certification and networking with fellow professionals.
What is the Health Care Administrators Association?
The HCAA was originally formed in 1980 as the Independent Administrators Association, which acted as a regulatory and legislative advisory group for third-party administrators and related services providers. Since rebranding in 1998, the HCAA has remained on its mission to support third-party administrators, as well as the self-funded industry, “by promoting education, information, resources and the exchange of ideas.”
What is HIPPA?
HIPPA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, is a U.S. legislation passed in 1996 to provide data privacy and security provisions to safeguard medical information and protect patients.10 It is important for healthcare administration professionals to understand HIPPA so they can properly enforce it in their organizations. You might learn some HIPPA provisions on your own or from employee training at work, and you might even be expected to train fellow employees on HIPPA rules. If a healthcare organization violates HIPPA, it might be charged large fines or even involve jail time for certain employees
Learn More
If you feel a career in healthcare administration is of interest to you, learn more about degree opportunities in the healthcare administration field.
