Healthcare administrator

Healthcare administrator

Duties and responsibilities: Health care administrators have wide-ranging influence within the world of medicine. The leadership that these professionals provide sets the future course not only for the facilities they manage but also for the health care system as a whole. In addition to the internal leadership they provide, health care administrators are leaders within the greater community as well. They partner with other health care organizations, comply with government regulations, advocate and testify on behalf of health care policies, and maintain campuses that are significant to communities.

Salary: health care administrators were $84,270.

Education: A bachelor’s degree (four years) is the typical entry-level preparation needed for health care administration jobs. Some employers, however, will promote from within or hire other professionals with related experience (such as nurses) who are ideal for an administrative role because of their direct health care knowledge. For high-level executive positions, a graduate education (two to three years) is usually the starting point. This means attaining a MBA, or a different type of master’s degree, or a doctorate in health administration. Subspecialties are often available, especially in graduate programs. These include long-term care administration, health care services, or health information management. Prospective health care administrators should look for educational programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education. An accredited program has successfully gone through a process that ensures accountability and a commitment to quality improvement.