Welcome to HospitalAdministration.org – your complete guide to careers in healthcare administration. We offer information about your career options in this field as well as what degree programs are available to best prepare you for the job you seek. To help you find answers to commonly asked questions, we’ve created a helpful introduction below. You can also follow our blogger, Stefani Cox, for insight and experience in the healthcare management industry.

  1. What is Hospital Administration?
  2. Why Become a Hospital Administrator?
  3. Popular Degree Programs in Healthcare Management and Administration
  4. An Overview of Careers Fields in Healthcare Management

In order to work in hospital administration or related field, you’ll need the right credentials in place. The schools listed below offer the education you’ll need to work towards your career goals.

SchoolPrograms
Purdue University
Purdue University

Accreditation
  • HLC
  • NCA
Ashford University
Ashford University

Accreditation
  • WASC
Achieve Test Prep
Achieve Test Prep

Utica College
Utica College

Accreditation
  • MSA
American University
American University

Accreditation
  • MSA
Walden University
Walden University

Accreditation
  • HLC
  • NCA
Liberty University
Liberty University

Accreditation
  • SACS
Northcentral University
Northcentral University

Accreditation
  • WSCUC

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What is Hospital Administration?

Hospital administration is one the largest industries in the U.S. and is the most popular subfield of health administration and management. Hospital administrators are vital to ensuring that medical facilities run efficiently and deliver quality care. They manage the the business operations and are typically responsible for staffing, budgets, public relations, patient rights, finances, and other administrative tasks.

Why Become a Hospital Administrator?

Hospital administrators enjoy rewarding, challenging, and often high-paying positions in which they fill a broad range of leadership roles. A strong job market outlook across a wide range of industries, such as nursing care facilities, offices of physicians, and outpatient care centers, have led to an increase in need for qualified personnel.

Check out the statistics below from The Bureau of Labor Statistics for just a few of the many reasons why healthcare administration is field worth pursuing:

Job Outlook Employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow 23 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Salary Potential Mean wage estimates of medical and health services managers in May 2014 was $103,680.
Degree Options You can earn a bachelor’s, master’s, and even a PhD in health administration with the option to specialize in a number of different areas of healthcare such as informatics, public health, finance, human resources, and business.
Employment Opportunities

Medical and health services managers find employment in a number of different settings, some of which include:

  • Healthcare facilities
  • Hospitals
  • Group medical practices
  • Nursing homes and hospice care
  • Mental health organizations
  • Rehabilitation centers
  • Health insurance companies
  • Healthcare associations

To further illustrate the growth of jobs in this field, the graph below from the BLS shows the percent change in employment, projected from 2012-22:

Healthcare Management Growth Chart

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An Overview of Careers in Healthcare Management

If you’re unsure if working as a hospital administrator is right for you but are interested in working in healthcare leadership, you have options. The chart below outlines the three most popular career fields, possible job titles, and the degree requirements often required for employment:

Career Field Career Options Degree Options
Healthcare Management: The profession that provides leadership and direction to organizations that deliver health services and to departments or units within those organizations
  • Patient Engagement Officer
  • Clinical Transformation Officer
  • Clinical Program Director
  • Director of Patient Care Services
Health Administration: The management of the business aspects of healthcare organizations, such as aging services providers, allied health facilities, hospitals, surgical centers, and physician group practices
  • Hospital Administrator
  • Nursing Home Administrator
  • Human Resources Director
  • Healthcare Operations Manager
Public Health: The science and practice of promoting health and preventing disease within groups of people, from small communities to entire countries
  • Medical Officer
  • Program Officer
  • Health Education Specialist
  • Environmental Health Manager

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