Career in Health Service Administration

There should be plenty of opportunities with the health care administration field.

Health service administration, also known as medical and health service management, is essentially the marriage of health care and business management. This field holds promise for people with the necessary education, health care sector experience and management skills.

Education/Training

Before you undertake the responsibility of managing and delivering health care services, assess your educational needs. Industry standards require at least a master's degree in health services administration. Degrees in health sciences, public health, public administration and/or business administration might also suffice. In addition to educational requirements, some states and institutions require specific licenses to manage health care services.

Work Duties

Health care of any discipline is a business that requires management to run without incident. By entering the health services administration field, expect to do a lot of planning, supervising, coordinating and delegating the delivery of health care services. You will also be conceptualizing and working with colleagues from assorted professions, so communication is also important. Whether you seek general management, such as overseeing a hospital, or a more specific clinical assignment, expect to work long hours and operate under specific legal and financial constraints.

Advancement Opportunity

Health service managers with experience or training in direct patient care may be in the best positions to advance careers, especially after appropriate graduate study. Specific opportunities for advancement involve greater responsibility and higher earnings. Department heads, chief executives or larger faculty management positions are examples of advanced careers. You may also seek opportunities to consult other professionals in health service management or teach courses in health care management.

Compensation

Among other perks, health service administration is a financially rewarding career. As of May 2008, the median annual salary for medical and health services managers was about $80,240, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS. Though salaries are dictated by regional, economical and political variables, you'll likely earn between $48,300 and more than $137,000 annually. Managers at general medical and surgical hospitals commanded the highest salaries.

Employment Outlook

With the right experience and necessary education, health service administration presents substantial career opportunities. In fact, the BLS reports, employment is expected to grow faster than average for this discipline, up to 16 percent above typical job growth in other professions. This is because of aging populations, increased demand for medical care and a necessity to control costs, the BLS says .

Related Careers

Comparable professions include management positions where efficiency and effectiveness are major considerations. Other areas of career-related expertise include insurance underwriters and community service managers

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Medical and Health Service Managers
• Health care administration careers