Healthcare Administration: Entry-Level Jobs for the Recent Graduate
When the term 'healthcare' comes up, many people think first of the strict medical professions like doctor, nurse, and surgeon, but the reality is that this industry encompasses a vast array of professions of every type of educational background. Backgrounds like those with a Bachelors in Healthcare Administration.
Healthcare administrators are commonly seen as the backbone of a healthcare organization. They are charged with assisting an organization draft daily, monthly, and annual goals and ensuring business strategies are properly implemented. To get a better idea of what that entails, look at the following list of a few of the entry-level jobs a recent healthcare administration graduate might apply for:
5 Entry-Level Jobs for the Recent Healthcare Administration Graduate
- Private Practice Office Manager. Also sometimes referred to as a medical office administrator, an office manager is the person responsible for all day-to-day operations in a doctor or dentist's office. Their primary goals will be ensuring daily activities operate smoothly, including management of all staff members, and that in the long-term costs are kept low with a steady clientele.
- Administrative Assistant at a Nursing Home or Assisted Living Facility. There is booming growth in the nursing home and assisted living industry as more and more baby boomers enter into their golden years. Assisted living facilities are in particular experiencing new growth and demands as these types of facilities meet the unique demands of those who no longer feel comfortable living on their own but who also don't need around the clock medical care. As an administrative assistant at either type of facility, you will get help plan and direct everything from resident programs to medical operations. Administrative assistants act as liaisons between residents, staff, family members, and medical professionals and ensure all services are done in compliance with state and federal guidelines.
- Healthcare Consultant. Graduates in the healthcare administration field who enjoy research and analyzing new data should consider pursuing an entry-level job as a healthcare consultant. Healthcare consultants give advice to businesses that provide medical services. Their job is to gather and analyze data to ensure the business is staying abreast of the best in things like care delivery, insurance compliance, and staff welfare. The most successful healthcare consultants have strong verbal and written communication skills and are adept at identifying and resolving issues. Yet, because this is primarily an advisory role, this is a good entry-level career choice for those who want to participate in the medical industry but do not want to work directly with patients.
- Medical or Program Reimbursement Specialist. There is a lot of money that changes hands in the healthcare industry. Patients pay insurance companies who bill hospitals who take partial payments from patients and refund some of those payments back. A medical and program reimbursement specialist is the person generally in charge of all the above transaction. This person works with other groups to assist patients in scheduling and negotiating their healthcare bill payments. They will also direct pharmaceutical reimbursements for insured patients. A person in this part of the healthcare administration field should be adept at managing financial and medical records as well as communicating those matters with patients.
- Human resource manager. Any healthcare organization is only as good as the people it hires. If you enjoy working with people and combing through talents to find the best of the best and ensure your team is well taken care of, then you should consider entering the healthcare administration field as a healthcare human resource manager. A healthcare human resource manager is not just any human resource manager, as they will need to know unique healthcare-oriented laws like the Medicare and Medicaid Patient Protection Act of 1987 to ensure success for their organization.
The healthcare industry is undergoing a vast among of changes. While there is certainly the aforementioned surge of the aging boomer generation towards assisted living and similar care facilities, that's just one of the many changes that are requiring trained, educated graduates of healthcare administration degrees.
Today's hospitals are larger, more complex with an incredible array of new technologies awaiting deployment. At the same time, the government has taken on a larger role in the delivery of healthcare and financing has moved from primarily private pay to a more complicated third-party reimbursement system. All of these are problems waiting for enthusiastic minds to tackle.
Take your First Step into the Healthcare Field with a Bachelor's Degree From ECPI University
Are you interested in a career in healthcare administration? If you want to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Science with a Concentration in Healthcare Administration, ECPI University offers this program at an accelerated rate of study. For more information, connect with a helpful admissions representative today.
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Gainful Employment Information – Healthcare Administration - Bachelor’s
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