There are 133,000 healthcare administration jobs opening in the next few years. The healthcare industry is growing rapidly, more of the population need or are becoming eligible for healthcare, the administrative needs are constantly changing, and technology is simplifying healthcare administration across the board. All this lends itself to an industry that requires staffing support.
While it seems as though only those with a degree in healthcare administration have an advantage, the truth is that jobs opening specifically for healthcare administration also open up multiple entry-level positions that can be filled with no prior experience and minimum educational requirements.
Even without experience, because it is such a broad department, it is completely possible to enter a healthcare administration field and advance in your career from there. Let’s get started!
What Is Healthcare Administration?
Generally, Healthcare Administration is anything that has to do with administrative work in a healthcare setting. This may be anything from healthcare management to general business administration and administrative support for healthcare providers.
This is why, even though having a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in healthcare administration may support your job application, the lack of it will not undermine your qualifications.
Healthcare administration can include the following positions:
- Health services managers
- Healthcare administrators
- Health care office management
- Health information management
- Healthcare administrative assistant
To qualify, even at the entry level, you may want to display, show competence in, or express the willingness to learn these qualities:
- Running day-to-day operations administratively
- General knowledge of public health
- General knowledge of state and federal regulations
- General knowledge of administrative technology
- General operations management skills
- General data management skills
- Leadership skills
- Strong analytical skills
You can find openings related to healthcare administration in the following medical centers or industries:
- Hospitals
- Clinics
- Nursing homes
- Rehabilitation centers
- Government agencies concerned with healthcare
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Health insurance providers
- Consulting firms that work with healthcare
- Medical and health item suppliers
The healthcare industry is a wide field, and there may be a place for you in it!
Healthcare Administration Education Requirements
Please discuss the education requirements needed to apply for entry-level Healthcare Administration jobs.
At the same time, there are some educational requirements that you will need to meet even at the entry-level for healthcare administration.
An undergraduate degree
At the every least, it is best to have an undergraduate degree that gives you the needed skills of administration, management, or policy understanding that will greatly support your career path, or shift, into healthcare administration.
The undergraduate degrees that might give you the most options include management and business administration, biology, psychology, sociology, public administration, policy, public health, social work, and other social studies or similar and related fields. Economics, statistics, data administration, and pre-law courses would also give you some advantages in the field.
A graduate degree
For an entry-level job, you may want to pursue a graduate degree in healthcare management and administration at the same time that you apply for related jobs, to open up the possibility of career advancement and encourage hiring at the entry-level.
To receive a graduate degree, you can enter on any of the undergraduate degrees mentioned above, depending on the requirements of the institution. You may need some additional coursework, but pursuing a degree, especially an MHA degree, would help you in your application.
Entry-Level Positions & Career Paths in Healthcare Administration
Now that you know some of the requirements and industries that help you enter the healthcare administration field, let’s take a look at some positions that you do not need experience for, as long as you meet the minimal education requirements.
Biotech Sales Associate
The biotechnology field has to do with technology related to developing and engineering techniques that lead to advancement in various medications and drugs that deal with old and new diseases. However, in sales, you do not need prior healthcare information.
What might be helpful to you is an undergraduate degree in business administration, or anything related to healthcare with some knowledge of sales or marketing. Other details can be learned on the job.
Chiropractic Office Manager
A chiropractic office is one that deals with bone health and alignment. As a chiropractic office manager, you are more likely to be client-facing, setting or canceling appointments, and overseeing the day-to-day operations of the office.
You will not need a healthcare administration degree to enter this job, but you can study or take certifications if you want to grow in the healthcare administration industry.
Clinical Data Manager
As a clinical data manager, you would be in charge of entering patient information into different systems crucial to the medical center or clinic you are currently working in. This gives you an opportunity to familiarize yourself with healthcare services, as well as the policies that dictate what data should be collected.
Front Office Administrator
The front office administrator is client-facing, and manages appointments and front office operations for a healthcare facility. It is an excellent way to get a foot in the door, and gives you a way to observe and learn the ropes of general healthcare administration from the bottom up. You can. also work on gaining whatever additional information you need to advance in. your career.
Home Health Administrative Assistant
Home health is a growing healthcare industry, and much of it is conducted remotely or from a central office. As an administrative assistant, you can learn the ropes directly from a healthcare administrator, and gain experience and knowledge to advance in a healthcare career. You will also get a better idea of the duties expected of you if you advance to healthcare administration.
Hospital Unit Clerk
As a clerk, you would be in charge of manning the front desk, overseeing operations, and regulating the workflow of the hospital unit. You would be responsible for making the office run smoothly and efficiently, especially for smaller units, a crucial skill in healthcare administration.
Manager of Volunteer Services
If you work with a non-profit healthcare organization, they may do outreach activities that volunteers are invited to join. As a manager of services, you would be in charge of reaching out to volunteers, scheduling them for different outreaches or activities, and assessing and evaluating any needs for volunteers in upcoming activities. You don’t need a healthcare administration degree for this, but it allows you to get involved in administrative tasks that will be helpful in this career.
Medical Insurance Claims Specialist
As a medical insurance claims specialist, you will need to become familiar with policies, claims, and forms of the company and the government. As an entry level position, this is a perfect way to familiarize yourself with various policies and guidelines that healthcare organizations need to deal with on a daily basis. As a healthcare administrator in the future, this would become part of what you need to oversee in the office.
Becoming a Healthcare Administrator
Most of the top results for the focus keywords are about how to become a healthcare administrator. This heading should discuss how becoming a healthcare administrator can only be possible with the necessary experience and education but the entry-level jobs in Healthcare Management mentioned can help work their way up into the position. Please discuss how to become a healthcare administrator and why experience is necessary for this position.
If you want to fully commit to becoming a healthcare administrator, you will need both experience and the required educational degrees to get there. Entry level positions only show small pieces of what that job fully entails.
Healthcare administrators are considered middle management, some of them going all the way up to COO and CEO positions. They oversee the operations of entire units or organizations, managing everything from facilities to staff to relationships with other organizations. To become a healthcare administrator, you will first need the educational background (either a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree), and then the experience.
To make sure you are in the right job for career advancement, choose an entry level position that gives you direct contact with a healthcare administrator (administrative assistant), or allows you to learn about healthcare policies. Jobs that allow you to liaise between different units, departments, or organizations will also give you an edge.
Internships in Healthcare Administration
If you want to go straight into healthcare administration, you may want to look for internships for that position instead. As long as you have an undergraduate degree that allows you to enter the internship, you can get the necessary experience and endorsements you need when applying to the position. However, it does mean you can go for higher than entry level jobs in healthcare administration.
Conclusion
You don’t need experience in healthcare administration to get a job in the industry. As long as you have the appropriate degree, experience, or endorsements, you can apply and be hired for various roles. As a higher-paying set of jobs it may feel intimidating, but entry level access can be easier than you think.!
