Healthcare management is one of the fastest growing fields in the nation. If you would like to work in an industry where growth is projected to continue for years to come, it is time to learn about the types of positions that you can pursue and what you need to do to become a qualified candidate. As a healthcare manager, you can enjoy the job security even in a slow economy where many other industries suffer and jobs are lost. Healthcare managers may not work face-to-face with patients, but their overall goal is to keep up with shifting trends so that they can help facilities deliver the best care possible.
Healthcare Management is a Changing Field
If you work as a health manager, you are in charge of administration and managing the changes that need to take place to improve the health of patients or communities as a whole. Since there is new legislation and there is also new technologies developed on a regular basis, it is the manager’s job to keep up with the changes. This is the primary reason why working in healthcare administration and management is always exciting and full of opportunity.
Settings Healthcare Managers Work In
One of the things that makes the healthcare arena so diverse is that there are so many different settings that you can work in once you are trained and knowledgeable. If you meet the hiring qualifications, you can work in one of these public or private healthcare settings:
- Healthcare clinics
- Research institutions
- Universities and colleges
- Health consulting firms
- Health insurance organizations
- Hospitals
- Skilled-care facilities
- Associations in healthcare
- Mental health clinics
- Rehabilitation centers
- Long-term care facilities
- Physicians practices
- Outpatient surgical centers
What are Different Roles in Health Management?
Now that you know where you could work, it is time to learn what types of roles you could plan as a manager. You do not manage every single aspect of a facility unless you are the Chief Executive Officer. You can, however, manager an entire department or an entire function within a facility. Here are some of the mid- and upper-level management positions you can pursue with the right level of education:
- Government relations
- Patient care
- Finance
- Information Systems and Informatics
- Human Resource Management
- Marketing
- Public affairs
- Nursing administration
- Planning
What is the Outlook for Health Managers?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a government agency in charge of creating and updating the Occupational Handbook in the United States. Every occupation can be found in this handbook. Based on the trends and the research performed by the BLS, it is believed that demand for health managers will grow by 17% by 2024 and 56,300 jobs will be created. This positive outlook has created a huge demand for health management degree programs.
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If you are interested in pursuing a career in health services, you will need to start to achieve your goals by entering into an accredited degree program. You can start your post-secondary student career by studying for a Bachelor in Health Administration or Health Services Management. Once you have your bachelor’s, you can move on to studying for your master’s degree in healthcare administration from a CAHME-accredited graduate school, according to the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education. Equipped with your degree and experience, you will be a great candidate for a career in healthcare management.
