Healthcare Administrator: Career, Training, & Certification

Healthcare Administrator

Working alongside all of the doctors and nurses in the healthcare industry, there is a wide network of administrators that also play a vital role in making sure that everything runs as smoothly as possible, according to plan. These individuals can include healthcare administrators that perform a variety of tasks within the facilities, including personnel, financial paperwork, human resources or staffing needs, and other matters of facility operations. The most successful healthcare administrators tend to utilize critical thinking skills and be personable, detail-oriented people. They will need to work with the public as well as the staff of a hospital or clinic at all levels of seniority, and thus must be comfortable with this type of contact. There may be long or irregular working hours, as well as a high number of meetings at all levels, sometimes involving travel.
 
Salary Outlook
 
Salaries will depend not only on the location of the work, but the experience level and education that the employee brings to the table.
 
Average Annual Salary
$64,500
 
Salary Range
$50,000-$85,000
 
Work Environment
 
The work environment can vary widely, as any level of hospital or clinic is going to need some administrators to make sure that the business is able to operate at the height of its ability. This includes offices working directly under health practitioners or physicians, as well as the home-based healthcare system that is taking off. Staff clinics, school nursing facilities, and nursing homes are all other examples of possible locations that an administrator could expect to find employment.
 
Requirements
 
For entry level healthcare administrators, a bachelor’s degree is all that is required, although employers will also look at experience and other qualifications. Coursework in communications and administrative techniques are highly recommended, as is a background in healthcare on some level, in order to effectively manage nurses. There are also continuing education courses as well as Master’s level degrees in the field for those who want to advance on to a higher paying position such as a clinic director.
 
Career Outlook
 
This is one of the best possible times to join the healthcare industry, and the administrative side is a great place to enter. Of the 20 US occupations that have the highest projected growth rates in the next several years, half of them are in the health services area. A number predicted to be around 3.5 million new jobs are predicted in the next decade in this industry. Correspondingly, wages are expected to increase approximately 28% by the year 2012, while most other industries go down.
 
Professional Organizations
 
American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management
11240 Waples Mill Road, Suite 200
Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: (703) 281-4043
www.aaham.org
 
Health Care Administrators Association
c/o IntrinXec Management, Inc.
5353 Wayzata Blvd, Suite 207
Minneapolis, MN 55416
Phone: (888) 637-1605
Fax: (952) 252-8096
www.hcaa.org