Originally posted on https://www.hospitalcareers.com/blog/entry-growing-level-jobs-in-healthcare-administration/

 

Are you considering starting down the path to a career in healthcare administration in the near future? While the field is expected to continually grow over the next 15 years, you probably want to know exactly what options you have with a degree in healthcare administration.

 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth between now and 2024 for Medical and Health Services Managers is expected to explode at 17%, 10% above the national job growth average of 7%! With those kinds of numbers, you can be sure that the investment in your education will pay off in the long run.

But how do you get your foot in the door and work your way up? You wouldn’t be the first who didn’t know where to begin, so we’ve put together a list of the healthcare administration jobs that you can start looking for now and start your career off right!

5 Growing Entry Level Jobs in Healthcare Administration:

1. Administrative Medical Assistant

Administrative medical assistants are primarily responsible for managing patients and their information directly. They spend the majority of their time making appointments, doing medical coding, and managing medical and billing records.

In order to meet the educational requirements, aspiring administrative medical assistants must complete a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).

2. Patient Services Administrator

Patient services administrators work to improve the overall health of their communities through overseeing the tasks necessary for services to remain available. This can include ensuring that patients are covered by health insurance, managing the duties of office team members to achieve goals and meet deadlines, booking appointments, and managing strategies to improve the facility’s efficiency.

Patient services administrators average a salary of roughly $50,000 per year, and applicants typically must have at least an associate’s degree in a related subject area in order to qualify.

3. Medical Office Administrator

Similar to patient services administrators, medical office administrators operate on a smaller scale, usually in clinics or individual physician’s offices. They’re main responsibility is to ensure the efficiency of the office and that all administrative tasks are completed to keep it going. Processing insurance forms, preparing documents, and providing exceptional customer service for patients are commonplace with this career.

Also, similarly to others on this list, medical office administrators can expect to earn roughly $50,000 per year, and must at least have an associate’s degree, preferably in healthcare administration.

4. Health Information Technician

Health information technicians are responsible for maintaining medical records of the facility’s patients consistent with the medical, legal, and administrative requirements put in place.  Their time is spent assigning patients to diagnosis-related groups, transcribing medical reports, entering patient data, maintaining health record indices, posting medical insurance bills, and other tasks relating to patient information.

These HIT professionals typically earn between $24,978 and $52,919, and must have at least earned an associate’s degree in health information technology. Additionally, registered health information technicians must also maintain an AHIMA certification.

5. Medical Executive Assistant

Medical executive assistants perform the more detailed administrative tasks for physicians and other high-ranking medical professionals. They are responsible for reviewing and maintaining documents and reports, transcribing dictation, scheduling appointments, and billing arrangements.

They’re full-time employees who often work in a clinical or medical office environment, paying close attention to the smaller details and ensuring that all administrative tasks for individual physicians and other medical professionals are completed.

Also referred to as “Certified Medical Administrative Assistants,” they can expect to earn between $35,000 – $45,000 per year.

Summary

Careers in healthcare administration are growing by the day, alongside the rest of the industry, and as people live longer lives and the demand for healthcare steadily increases, so will the demand for more administrators to handle it.

If you’re currently at a crossroads regarding your future, and are considering this career path, you can rest assured knowing that pursing a career in this field is very practical and has a solid foundation for growth throughout your working life.