What Is Health Administration?
Within health sciences, the field of health administration offers many career opportunities. Combining elements from business, public policy, and health care, your work may take place in hospitals, clinics, public health agencies, or insurance companies. Managing health care organizations and creating efficient operations in medical settings is partly about well-run organizations but is ultimately about improving patient care.
You may choose a path that leads to health care leadership, managing hospitals and health care operations, using and improving health informatics, serving within public health administration, or conducting policy analysis work. Roles range from behind-the-scenes positions in the areas of finance and operations to work at the forefront of enhancing outcomes for patients.
What Does a Health Administrator Do?
Health administration roles focus on the everyday operations of health care facilities. You’ll be managing staff, juggling budgets, looking for ways to improve patient services, and maintaining health care compliance. The difference between health care management and administration is about focus. Health care management is the broader field, concerned with health care leadership, strategy, and financial planning versus the administrator’s focus on day-to-day health care operations and managing a facility.
The specifics of what you will do in a health care admin role include:
- Hiring, training, and managing staff
- Assigning budgets, managing costs, and leading financial planning
- Maintaining regulatory compliance laws, regulations, and the rules of accrediting bodies
- Developing approaches and policies that improve patient satisfaction and outcomes
- Coordinating departments and teams across functions
- Implementing technologies such as electronic health records, scheduling programs, management tools, and more
What Are Some Jobs in Health Administration?
Your work in health care operations can be for hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities; public health offices and organizations; or insurance companies and other payers. Here is a sampling of career roles.
Records and Information Technician
Health records play a vital role in patient care, helping each member of the team gather a comprehensive view of the patient and their condition. You will work to ensure that these records are complete and accurate. You’ll also need to make sure that they comply with regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, and that they stay secure. Gone are the days of paper files. Now, most health care operations use electronic health records to make it easy for all care givers and the patient, too, to have access to up-to-date information.
Medical Billing Managers
Billing has become a complex function, yet it’s vital to the health of an institution. You will code medical procedures, secure prior authorization from payers when possible, process insurance claims, and track payment for services rendered. You’ll also work with patients to ensure that the care needed is covered, and you will resolve any billing issues that arise. A background in accounting is helpful in this career path.
Nursing Home Administrator
Your work in a long-term health care operations role involves recruiting, training, and managing staff. You will coordinate patient care and emotional well-being. Staying in compliance with various levels of regulation is also vital. Managing budgets and ensuring that the facility operates safely and efficiently rounds out the role.
Clinical Supervisor
Clinical supervisors can be found in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, and other specialized health care settings. You will manage the clinical services your organization provides, playing a key role in quality assurance. You’ll also oversee professional teams providing health care services and will guide medical staff. And you’ll ensure that your institution stays in compliance with clinical protocols and will monitor and improve patient care processes.
Start Your Career in Health Administration with Excelsior
If you’re interested in a career in health administration, earning a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences from Excelsior University will set you up to successfully enter the field. Job opportunities in health administration are among the many potential applications of a health sciences degree. If you’re interested in focusing on the business side of health care, the Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management provides a foundation for a health care leadership track. To take your career even further, the Master of Science in Health Care Administration can help you step into roles as a transformational leader capable of taking on greater responsibility. And all three degree programs are fully online to make it easier to blend your day-to-day responsibilities with your education.
If you want a career in health care but don’t want to be a nurse, doctor, or direct health care provider, roles in health care administration are a rewarding alternative. You’ll blend health care with business and can make a meaningful contribution to helping patients.
