If you are interested in a career that blends the medical and business world, a health services administration degree is a great choice. You can choose from an associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree.
Healthcare administration degrees allow you to develop skills in areas such as finance, research, human resources and management law. They also offer a variety of employment opportunities and can help you advance your career in the field.
1. Health Care Administrator
A health services administration degree is an excellent way to start a career in healthcare. This growing field offers a wide range of leadership roles that can help you build a successful career in this highly rewarding industry.
A bachelor’s degree is typically required for entry-level positions in this field, but a master’s degree can open doors to higher-level roles. You can also pursue a doctorate degree in this field to prepare for research and teaching careers.
Health care administrators are responsible for the operation of medical facilities like hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics. They ensure that the facilities are operating smoothly and efficiently so that patients can receive quality care.
2. Health Services Manager
If you’re interested in pursuing a career as a health services manager, you can start by earning a bachelor’s degree. However, a master’s degree is often necessary to secure management-level administration positions.
Medical and health services managers work in a variety of healthcare facilities, including hospitals and nursing homes, as well as group medical practices. These professionals typically earn a higher-than-average salary and see faster job growth than other occupations.
Health services managers specializing in quality care are dedicated to the patient and employee experience. These professionals collect data about employees and patients, analyze it, and then write reports that illustrate their findings to senior-level management.
3. Health Information Manager
Health information managers work in a wide variety of healthcare settings. They can be found in hospitals, doctors' offices, insurance companies, and health technology firms.
The job of a health information manager involves collecting, organizing, and analyzing patient data to improve healthcare processes. This requires a solid understanding of medicine, medical law, and information technology, as well as business management skills.
A bachelor's degree in health information management is the most common entry point into this field, but pursuing a master's can increase your career prospects and earn you higher pay. Students who pursue a graduate degree can also qualify to become certified by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
4. Medical Billing and Coding Manager
As a medical billing and coding manager, you oversee a team of healthcare professionals who manage patient information, including insurance, medical records, billing and coding. You also help ensure that patient and hospital data is secure, accurate and available to authorized personnel.
Your duties include reviewing a patient's insurance information, verifying that it covers the services provided and submitting claims to insurers for payment. You may also work with a patient's personal health care record, which includes their medical history and current medications.
Medical coders translate physician's notes, lab reports and X-rays into alphanumeric codes that are used to send medical claims for reimbursement to insurance companies and other payers. This job requires a thorough understanding of standard medical terminology and classifier systems, such as CPT, ICD-10-CM and HCPS Level II.
5. Medical Office Manager
Medical office managers work in a variety of healthcare settings, including doctor’s offices, hospitals, and clinics. They oversee operations and administrative processes to ensure patients receive quality care.
They also solve problems as they arise, such as addressing a patient’s complaint or solving a staff dispute. In this fast-paced environment, medical office managers need to be flexible and ready to think quickly when issues arise.
They need to have strong communication skills and a good understanding of healthcare regulations, medical codes, medical terminology, and diagnoses. Their analytical thinking skills are critical, as they regularly review and adapt to new legislation.