Healthcare is a fast-growing industry and demand isn't projected to slow down anytime soon ‐ definitely an attractive career choice.
There will always be a lot of need for doctors and nurses, making those excellent career paths for anyone who's interested.
If you find yourself leaning more toward the business side of healthcare though, you might choose health administration.
A bachelor's degree in healthcare administration opens up a lot of different doors, with plenty of job titles and career paths to choose.
Healthcare Administrator
Healthcare administrators work in a variety of different healthcare facilities, where they're responsible for day-to-day operations.
They plan and supervise all of the services each day, including scheduling staff and maintaining supplies.
They're also in charge of ensuring that medical records are kept updated and confidential.
Healthcare administrators typically write and deliver regular departmental or institutional reports to boards of directors.
They might also assist in creating the institution's budget or overseeing the allotment of funds to different departments.
Healthcare Consultant
A healthcare consultant works independently, consulting with businesses, insurance companies, and healthcare facilities.
The consultant provides legal or regulatory advice to their clients and helps them ensure that their policies are up to date.
They'll also make recommendations for how to manage their policies and procedures more efficiently.
In addition to a bachelor's degree in health administration, many consultants have MBAs or law degrees.
If you have a law degree, you typically have to be licensed to practice law in your jurisdiction to be a healthcare consultant.
Insurance Specialist
As an insurance specialist, you'll work with a health insurance company to review and analyze claims submitted by clients.
You'll also work with administrative professionals in hospitals and other healthcare facilities to coordinate payment of services.
Some insurance specialists focus solely on specific types of claims, while others have a more generalist focus.
For example, you could be an insurance specialist who focuses solely on claims for cancer treatment.
The benefit of this specialization is that you grow to know the treatment options available inside and out.
Health Information Manager
A health information manager evaluates patient records and meets with patients and their families to discuss their treatment options.
You'll constantly be analyzing test results, progress statements, and treatment records to determine the right treatment methods.
Health information managers might also meet with patients and their families to prepare them for upcoming treatment.
In hospitals, health information managers are also responsible for a lot of the paperwork required when the hospital releases a patient.
Some health information managers also work in schools, detention facilities, halfway houses, and other nonprofit organizations.
Medical Records Manager
As a medical records manager, you're responsible for ensuring that patient records are up to date and kept confidential.
You'll review requests for those records and make sure they comply with privacy regulations and restrictions.
You'll also compile records to be sent to the patient's insurance company or to a specialist after referral.
Medical records managers often deal directly with patients in person or over the phone when they request copies of their medical records.
This career requires you to be meticulous and extremely organized so that you can keep track of all the records in your care.
Hospital Administrator
Hospital administrators help with the business of running a hospital. This is a managerial role that might entail managing multiple departments.
A hospital administrator typically has multiple people working under them and reporting directly to them, so managerial skills are important.
Hospital administrators also do a lot of business work, including budgeting and creating hospital policies.
Some hospital administrators also have an MBA in addition to a bachelor's degree in healthcare administration.
Many business schools even offer an MBA with a healthcare concentration if you want to go that route.
Nursing Director
Some health administrators are directly responsible for the nursing staff of a hospital, creating schedules and patient rotations.
Nursing directors often have human resources responsibilities, including the hiring and firing of nurses on staff.
These health administrators also often advise the nurses on their staff about employment-related or work-related issues as they arise.
Generally, a nursing director oversees all the nurses in a facility and evaluates their work performance.
Nursing directors might also provide weekly, monthly, or quarterly reports to the institution's board of directors.
Medical Office Administrator
Medical office administrators tend to work in smaller practice offices, including doctor's and dentist's offices.
They're typically responsible for running the business side of the office, maintaining patient records, and scheduling patients.
Medical office administrators often have a lot of human resources duties since they typically oversee staff placement and scheduling.
Larger offices may have a separate accounting and billing department but in smaller offices, they oversee this aspect of operations as well.
Since this job is very fast-paced and every day is different, medical office administrators must be flexible, nimble, and capable of multitasking.
Lab Testing Facility Manager
In a separate medical lab facility, someone with a health administration degree might serve in this management role.
They're responsible for much of the same things a medical office administrator is, as well as maintaining safety and health protocols.
In a lab facility setting, a lab testing facility manager makes sure all lab equipment meets industry standards and staff follow correct procedures.
The facility manager might also create facility policies regarding testing procedures, documentation, and records handling.
Some technical expertise is often required and these managers may also have degrees in biotechnology or medical technology.
Learn More About Health Administration Degrees
A health administration degree opens up a lot of different possible career paths in the healthcare industry.
