What Can You Do with a Healthcare Administration Degree?

Published on: November 26, 2024

Animation showing different aspects of healthcare careers.

A degree in healthcare administration opens doors to a variety of impactful roles within the healthcare sector. This field plays a pivotal part in ensuring medical facilities, hospitals and healthcare systems operate efficiently and effectively. Those who hold degrees in healthcare administration may find themselves in leadership positions that influence patient care, manage healthcare services and shape policy within their organizations. Whether guiding operations in hospitals or overseeing public health initiatives, healthcare administrators are integral to the success of the entire industry.

Get Your Healthcare Administration Degree

Explore some of the diverse career paths available to graduates with a healthcare administration degree, and ultimately address the question: What can you do with a healthcare administration degree? From roles in hospital administration to positions within public health agencies, opportunities in this field can be found across many healthcare settings. Note, however, that this overview is not exhaustive as the healthcare industry offers a wide range of avenues for professionals in administration, depending on their interests, experience and organizational goals.

How Education Level Impacts Healthcare Administration Careers

The level of education attained can significantly shape the trajectory of healthcare administration careers. For those with a bachelor's degree, entry-level roles such as healthcare coordinators, medical office managers or administrative support positions are common and often focus on day-to-day operational tasks.

Advancing to mid- and senior-level roles (such as healthcare administrators or directors) typically requires a master's degree, like a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA), which equips professionals with leadership, policy and strategic management expertise. Higher education, including doctoral degrees, can lead to executive positions or specialized roles — such as hospital CEOs, health policy advisors or academic leaders.

Entry-Level Jobs in Healthcare Administration

Embarking on a career in healthcare administration offers a number of entry-level positions that serve as foundational steps toward more advanced roles. These entry-level jobs in healthcare administration provide practical experience and insights into the operational aspects of healthcare facilities.

Medical Office Administrator

Medical office administrators are responsible for overseeing the daily operations of healthcare facilities, ensuring that administrative tasks are completed efficiently. This role requires strong organizational skills and a comprehensive understanding of healthcare procedures and regulations. Their duties include:

Managing patient records

Scheduling appointments

Handling billing and insurance claims

Coordinating communication between medical staff and patients

Health Information Technician

Health information technicians specialize in managing and organizing health data, ensuring its accuracy, accessibility and security. They are proficient in coding patient information for insurance purposes, maintaining electronic health records (EHRs) and ensuring compliance with healthcare regulations. This position demands attention to detail and familiarity with medical terminology and coding systems.

Patient Services Representative

Patient services representatives serve as the primary point of contact for patients within healthcare facilities. They assist patients with scheduling appointments, processing admissions and addressing inquiries about services and policies. This role emphasizes strong interpersonal and communication skills, as representatives often handle sensitive information and work to enhance the patient experience.

Insurance Claims Processor

Insurance claims processors play a central role in the financial operations of healthcare providers by managing the submission and processing of insurance claims. Accuracy and knowledge of billing procedures are essential in this position to facilitate timely reimbursements and maintain financial stability for healthcare organizations. Their responsibilities include:

Reviewing patient records

Verifying insurance coverage

Coding medical procedures

Ensuring that claims comply with insurance policies and regulations

Mid-Level Career Opportunities for Healthcare Administrators

As professionals progress in the field of healthcare administration, they encounter a range of mid-level career opportunities that entail greater responsibilities and leadership roles. These positions require a blend of administrative expertise, strategic planning and a deep understanding of healthcare operations.

Healthcare Manager

Healthcare managers are responsible for overseeing the daily operations of healthcare facilities, such as hospitals, clinics or specialized departments. Effective healthcare managers possess strong leadership and organizational skills, enabling them to navigate the complexities of healthcare environments. Their duties include:

Coordinating medical and administrative staff

Managing budgets

Ensuring compliance with healthcare regulations

Implementing policies to improve patient care and operational efficiency

Nursing Home Administrator

Nursing home administrators manage the operations of long-term care facilities, focusing on providing quality care to residents. This role demands a comprehensive understanding of healthcare laws, excellent communication skills and the ability to address the unique challenges associated with elder care. Responsibilities encompass:

Supervising staff

Overseeing financial management

Ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations

Developing programs to enhance residents' quality of life

Clinical Operations Manager

Clinical operations managers oversee the administrative aspects of clinical services within healthcare facilities. This position requires a balance of clinical knowledge and administrative acumen to effectively manage the complexities of clinical operations. These professionals are tasked with:

Managing staff schedules

Developing and implementing policies and procedures

Ensuring compliance with healthcare laws and regulations

Coordinating with medical and administrative staff to deliver high-quality patient care

Compliance Officer in Healthcare

Healthcare compliance officers ensure that healthcare organizations adhere to all applicable laws, regulations and internal policies. This role is critical in maintaining the integrity of healthcare operations and requires a thorough understanding of healthcare laws, strong analytical skills and the ability to communicate effectively across all levels of an organization. Duties include:

Developing and implementing compliance programs

Conducting audits

Investigating potential violations

Providing training to staff on compliance issues

Advanced and Executive-Level Careers in Healthcare Administration

Advancing in healthcare administration opens pathways to senior and executive roles that significantly influence healthcare delivery and organizational strategy. These positions demand extensive experience, advanced education and a comprehensive understanding of healthcare systems.

Hospital Administrator

Hospital administrators oversee the overall operations of hospitals, ensuring that all departments function cohesively to provide quality patient care. They work closely with medical staff, department heads and governing boards to implement policies and procedures that elevate efficiency and patient satisfaction. This role requires strong leadership skills and the ability to navigate complex healthcare environments. These administrators’ responsibilities and competencies include:

Strategic planning

Financial management

Policy development

Compliance with healthcare regulations

Health Services Manager

Health services managers plan, direct and coordinate medical and health services in numerous of settings — such as hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations and public health agencies. They may manage an entire facility, a specific clinical area or department or a medical practice for a group of physicians. This position requires analytical skills, attention to detail and the ability to adapt to the evolving healthcare landscape. These managers’ duties involve:

Improving healthcare services efficiency and quality

Ensuring compliance with laws and regulations

Managing budgets and staff

Director of Health Informatics

The director of health informatics leads the development and implementation of health information systems that support clinical and administrative decision-making. They oversee the management of electronic health records, data analytics and information governance. Their role is crucial in ensuring that health information systems are secure, efficient and compliant with healthcare standards and regulations. This position requires a blend of healthcare knowledge and information technology expertise.

Chief Operations Officer (COO) of a Healthcare Facility

The COO of a healthcare facility is responsible for managing the overall system operations in accordance with plans and budgets. This is the second-highest executive-level job in a health system. The COO coordinates the efforts of all system executives to ensure the system's goals and objectives are achieved.

The primary duty of employees in this classification is managing a customarily recognized department or subdivision, including the supervision of three or more full-time equivalent employees every week. Direction is over permanent-status personnel, not a collection of employees assigned to complete a project.

Non-Traditional Healthcare Administration Career Paths

Beyond traditional roles, healthcare administration offers career paths that intersect with consulting, policy analysis, marketing and sales. These positions leverage administrative expertise in various sectors and ultimately contribute to the healthcare industry's evolution.

Healthcare Consultant

Healthcare consultants advise organizations on improving efficiency, profitability and patient care quality. They analyze current operations, identify areas for improvement and develop strategies to enhance performance. Their work often involves collaborating with healthcare providers to implement best practices and ensure compliance with industry regulations. Consultants may specialize in areas such as:

Healthcare management

Operations

Human resources

Finance

Billing

Coding

Transactions

Marketing

Healthcare Policy Analyst

Healthcare policy analysts research and evaluate healthcare policies, regulations and laws to assess their impact on public health and healthcare systems. They collect and analyze data, prepare reports and provide recommendations to policymakers, healthcare organizations or advocacy groups. Their insights help shape policies that improve healthcare delivery and access. This role requires strong analytical skills and a deep understanding of healthcare systems and policy-making processes.

Healthcare Marketing Manager

Healthcare marketing managers develop and implement marketing strategies to promote healthcare services or products. They analyze market trends, coordinate advertising campaigns and collaborate with other departments to align company messages. Their responsibilities include creating promotional materials, managing digital marketing efforts and organizing events to enhance brand awareness. This role demands a blend of marketing expertise and knowledge of healthcare services to effectively reach target audiences.

Medical Sales Representative

Medical sales representatives are responsible for selling medical products or services to healthcare professionals and facilities. They build relationships with clients, provide product information and demonstrate how products can meet the needs of healthcare providers. The goal of a medical sales representative is to drive sales and expand the market presence of their company's offerings. This position requires strong communication skills, a thorough understanding of medical products and the ability to effectively convey product benefits to potential clients.

Take the Next Step Toward a Rewarding Healthcare Administration Career at Husson

No matter if you aspire to lead healthcare teams, influence policy or streamline operations, a degree in healthcare administration can pave the way to a diverse range of career opportunities. From entry-level roles to executive leadership positions, this field offers dynamic ways to make a meaningful impact on healthcare systems and patient care.

At Husson University, our online healthcare administration and public health degree program equips students with the skills, knowledge and flexibility to excel in today’s healthcare industry and even offers a specialized track to a master’s degree in business administration. Start building your business career with a healthcare focus, and take charge of your future: Request more information or apply today!