Projected growth potential varies among industries, but healthcare is one of the fastest growing options. Successfully completing a healthcare management program offers career opportunities in a variety of settings and specializations. As a new graduate, healthcare management jobs can offer advancement potential, with positions ranging from department head to chief executive officer.
What Skills Do You Need in Healthcare Management?
Most management positions require leadership skills, clear communication and financial know-how. The healthcare industry also requires specialized knowledge of compliance with federal regulations, medical billing, healthcare management software and more. Many management skills apply across industries, but the changing environment in healthcare requires a greater depth of knowledge than previously expected. Due to the increasing complexity of the care environment and regulations, management jobs can cover several niches within a healthcare organization.
What Types of Specialties are there for Healthcare Management Jobs?
An associate degree gives you a solid grounding in all basic aspects of healthcare management, but you may want to have an increased area of focus in finance, human resources, nursing administration, patient care services or any other healthcare-focused area of interest. An associate degree in healthcare management opens the door for entry-level positions, and allows you to gain experience in your career as you work toward your final educational goal.
Possible Job Settings for New Grads
Healthcare management jobs exist in many settings. Managed care and more streamlined patient services have broadened the scope of the traditional healthcare management professional. Now, healthcare managers work in hospitals, clinics, health insurance companies, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, hospices, long term care facilities and public health departments, to name a few distinct examples.
As a healthcare management professional, you may help protect the financial health of an organization, work to improve patient services or implement better organizational processes. An Associate of Science in Healthcare Management enables you to take the first steps on your path toward a career in healthcare management.