Five Popular Careers for Healthcare Administration

Healthcare Administration Careers

• Community Health Director
• Nursing Home Administrator
• Clinical Manager
• Health Information Manager
• Hospital CEO

A person who works in healthcare administration may have a high paying job such as running a department or an entire facility. They generally need to keep abreast of laws and regulations as well as technology and may work primarily with other medical professionals, with patients or with insurance companies.

Community Health Director

People who want to work in the area of healthcare administration and who are also interested in public health might want to become community health directors. This job usually involves raising public awareness about healthy living and working on policy. Areas that might concern a community health director range from immunization, water quality and smoking cessation to preparing for disasters or epidemics. A community health director may be responsible for writing grant proposals, training people, and creating programs and initiatives that encourage healthier behavior. This position usually requires a master's degree.

Nursing Home Administrator

A nursing home administrator is an excellent career in healthcare administration for people who want to improve the lives of older adults. They are responsible for overseeing all aspects of running a nursing home including budgeting, staff, building care and admissions. Nursing home administrators must be aware of state, local and federal regulations and ensure that the home remains compliant. They must serve the needs of patients and communicate effectively with patients' families. The job of a nursing home administrator may also require being able to react quickly to crises.

Administrative Clinical Manager

An administrative clinical manager works in a particular area of a health care facility. For example, departments such as surgery, physical therapy and nursing might each have a clinical manager. An administrative clinical manager supervises staff but has a number of other responsibilities as well. This may including managing budgets, overseeing training and writing reports. In some jobs, a clinical manager might also work with insurance companies.

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Health Information Manager

A health information manager works with both paper and electronic medical records. It is the responsibility of the manager to oversee the security of these records. Health information managers might also plan the systems for recording and storing medical information. They must remain current regarding regulations for patient privacy, and they may be involved in creating regulations at their own facility based on existing law. This job may also involve managing databases and creation and analysis of reports. A health information manager may become certified as a registered health information administrator.

Hospital CEO

The job of a hospital chief executive officer can be one of the highest-paying careers in healthcare administration. A person usually moves into this position after getting a number of years of experience in the healthcare field. This is a position that carries with it an enormous amount of responsibility. Above all, CEOs are responsible for patient safety and for putting structures in place that ensure this protection. They also work with the chief finance office on financial issues, work with other hospital executives on strategic planning and setting goals for the hospital, and help develop polices and procedures as well as ensuring the hospital is compliant with all federal, state and local laws.

Related Resource: The 25 Best Bachelor's in Health Care Administration Online

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, careers in this area are expected to experience more growth than average in the years ahead. There will be a number of opportunities for careers in healthcare administration both for new graduates and for people with a background working with patients who want to move into administration.