Earning a public health degree will open up a wide variety of medical careers, including healthcare administrator. Whether a B.S. in Public Health or MPH, these programs shape critical skills healthcare organizations seek in their administrators. Healthcare administrators are powerful clinical supervisors who pull the right strings to keep patient care running smoothly. In 2017, hospital administrators had the eighth best job in America according to CNN Money. The 352,200 health services administrators nationwide received median pay of $120,000 for running efficient medical facilities. Setting the strategic policy for healthcare networks allows administrators to better treatment outcomes and community well-being. Given that, healthcare administrators often have public health backgrounds. This article will outline how individuals can use a degree in public health to become a healthcare administrator.
What B.S. and Master of Public Health Degrees Teach
The Bachelor of Science in Public Health is a 120-credit, four-year degree that introduces the foundational knowledge for educating people about healthy lifestyle choices. The Master of Public Health is a two-year, post-grad degree that generally requires 36-51 credits of advanced professional courses to lead successful disease prevention initiatives. Remember public health emphasizes large populations and communities rather than individual patients. Each program accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health needs to cover five major disciplines. These core areas are biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health, social/behavioral science, and health services administration. At least one healthcare administration course will be required to graduate. Therefore, CEPH-accredited public health majors do equip students for managing organizations, especially non-profit ones.
How to Specialize for Healthcare Administration Careers
It’s common for MPH curricula to offer a healthcare administration concentration to focus free electives on the business of medicine. Picking this formal emphasis will add management coursework that reflects the latest leadership strategies. Sometimes, public health schools offer a Dual MPH/MBA that solidifies the administrative career track. Joint degrees let post-grads achieve two credentials simultaneously for less credits than separately. If extra courses aren’t desired, specialize the B.S. or MPH through fieldwork. Consider practicum placements that involve shadowing administrators and overseeing staff. Great organizations hiring administrative interns include the Cleveland Clinic, NYU Langone Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital, National Institutes of Health, and VHA. Students can also network by joining associations like the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Other Degrees to Become a Healthcare Administrator
Public health degrees certainly aren’t the only path for healthcare administrators though. The most popular program for hospital CEOs is the Master of Health Administration. This terminal master’s provides a greater depth of knowledge needed in medical departments’ upper echelon. Available on-campus or online, the MHA typically requires an internship and capstone research. Executive MHA programs are helpful for working clinicians with at least five years of experience. Several institutions, such as Excelsior College, Colorado State University, Touro University, and Liberty University, have created B.S. in Health Administration degrees. Aspiring administrators can benefit from MBA in Healthcare Management concentrations. Business schools often build on a broad-based leadership core with medical electives. Some nurses even jump into C-Suite roles after an MSN in Nursing Administration.
Related Resource: 10 Most Affordable MPH Degrees Online
Overall, there are many ways hard-working people can become healthcare administrators. Now’s an excellent time to do so because market demand is high. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that hiring of health services administrators will rise 20 percent through 2026. This equates to 72,100 new jobs at hospitals, clinics, physician offices, pharmaceutical companies, public health departments, and more. Apply a degree in public health to become a healthcare administrator and start leading profitable, patient-centered businesses.