For a healthcare system to work, a lot of professionals have to come together, before things can run smoothly. These professionals range from medical doctors to nurses, to hospital administrators and so on. The combined everyday effort of these people makes the hospital run without hitches. This is why it’s important to have an entire academic field that is dedicated to healthcare administration. The primary aim of healthcare administration is to organize and see to the improvement of the health industry. There are many ways of studying this course. In fact, it’s now possible to study this course online. There are a number of free online healthcare administration courses that students can go for, even from the comfort of their house.
What Does A Healthcare Administrator Do?
- A healthcare administrator sees the day to day running of the hospital.
- Their job is to think of ways of improving the healthcare industry.
- They are to make decisions, especially business strategies. This might involve short and long-term investment plans.
- Some healthcare administrators are also tasked with the job of making policies, and policy decisions.
- They are responsible for human resources.
- They handle everything that pertains to administration in the hospital.
- They sometimes handle the finances of a department in the hospital.
- They take care of resident doctors.
Generally, the bigger the hospital, the more responsibilities a healthcare administrator is tasked to handle.
Healthcare Administration Degree
A healthcare administration degree prepares graduates for the challenges posed by the dynamic, complex and ever-growing healthcare industry. Although doctors and nurses are the faces of the healthcare system, there are some people behind the scene, making everything work smoothly. Just like the saying goes “behind every working operating medical facility, is a team of health administration professionals committed to making sure that patients get the optimum and effective care possible”. As the population of a society grows, there would always be an increasing need for knowledgeable and well-qualified healthcare administrators. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is an estimated growth of 22 percent, in the employment growth rate in this sector, as compared to other occupations. This program literally opens graduates up to taking advantage of the numerous career opportunities in the field. Some of the things learned during the course of this program include the principles of management, accounting, and strategic planning. Also, some classes focus on the healthcare industry such as health policy, legal principles, and ethics. Individuals interested in taking up leadership roles, especially in the modern healthcare system, would need this kind of program to prepare them for the challenges ahead.
Accredited Health Care Administration Associates Degree
Healthcare administration is one of the fastest growing fields in America. So it’s important to ensure that course is accredited in the institution you’d be attending. One reason for the growing need for healthcare administrators is because of the increasing number of the aging population. These set of people require constant care, especially preventive care. According to the latest release by the Bureau of Labor, healthcare administration has a growth rate that is 17% more than other professions. This is also one of the reasons why many people are going into this field. Below are some of the accredited online healthcare administration associate degrees;
- Community care college: This school is in Oklahoma. They offer a lot of career-centered programs, an example of which is healthcare Some of the training students studying this course gets include learning how to use a computer in solving critical problems, especially ones pertaining to a hospital, developing students’ technological skills, the basics of diagnostic coding, management roles in cases, such as assisted living residences. Lectures are also available online for students who prefer to take their lectures from home. The cost of studying this course is charged per credit hour. However, there are several financial aids to help students who might need some assistance. The program runs for 8 months.
- Keiser University–Ft Lauderdale: They have accredited programs in healthcare administration degree. The program is online and runs for 2 years. The tuition fee is about $18,000 for 2 years. The name of this program is Associate of Arts in Health services administration.
- Ultimate Medical Academy-Clearwater: This school was founded in 1994, and it’s a non-profit school, dedicated to the development of comprehensive healthcare education. The name of the program offered is the Healthcare Management associate degree online. It runs for 17 months
- Minnesota West Community And Technical College: The name of the program is AS In Management And Supervision In Healthcare. It cost $200 per credit to study this course. It can either be run as a part-time or a full-time It runs for 2 years.
- Hodges University: This school is situated in Florida. The name of the program is Associate In Science In Healthcare Office Administration. The tuition is $560 per credit. This program can only be taken online.
Healthcare Business Administration Degrees Online Prerequisites
The prerequisites for this degree can be classified into different categories;
- Business focus: Prerequisites in business, administration, and management– A healthcare manager must be able to manage without any problems. This is why it’s necessary for students to take up management courses, related to healthcare. The prerequisites by the majority of the programs are as following;
- Accounting I and Accounting II
- Microeconomic
- Macroeconomics
- Principles of Management
- Principles of Marketing
- Financial Management
- Business Writing
Students are made to take up courses that are rooted in both business and healthcare.
- Health-related prerequisites for healthcare management student: This is a must for students that want to become healthcare administrators. Below are the prerequisites;
Seminar on Current Health Challenges
–Healthcare Organization
– American Healthcare
– Healthcare Administration and Management
– Healthcare Finance
– Laws and Ethics of Health Services
In addition, most schools would require a one-year work experience or internship before prior to graduation.
References
Anthony, M. (2016). Handbook of Home Healthcare Administration. Home Healthcare Now, 34(2), pp.57-58.
Application of Modern Management Techniques in Healthcare. (2011). The Internet Journal of Healthcare Administration, 7(1).
Bestvalueschools.com. (2018). What are the Prerequisites for a Master’s in Health Administration?. [online] Available at https://www.bestvalueschools.com/faq/what-are-the-prerequisites-for-a-masters-in-health-administration/ [Accessed 6 Jul. 2018].
