Health administration is a very diverse and varied field. Two individuals might both work in health administration and yet work completely different jobs. Because of this, many people who would otherwise want to work in the field don’t end up pursuing it because they don’t realise just how diverse the range of options of offer is.
Health Administration Career
The website Public Health Online conducted an interview with Bryan Ayars, who currently runs a community health program based in Massachusetts. The interview gives some excellent insight in to just one of the possible paths that you can take in order to rise up the ranks of health administration.
Starting Out
The first step on the road to a health administration career varies between individuals. For those who know reasonably early on that they want to work in the field of health administration, then they may well begin studying for a degree at the earliest opportunity, whether through an online course or through a traditional campus course. The online masters in health administration, such as that offered by Maryville University allows students to study for a fraction of the cost of a campus course. Studying an MHA online is an increasingly popular way to break in to the field.
However, many people begin working in other healthcare fields, such as paramedics, or nurses. Often it is only after working in healthcare for some time that people realize that they would enjoy working in one of the fields of health administration.
Day to Day Work
The exact nature of a health administrators work will depend on their precise job. The field offers a wide range of roles for graduates and there are therefore a number of ways that someone working in health administration might spend their day.
As an example, we take the case of Bryan Ayars, who’s role exemplifies what many would think of as a usual routine for a health administrator. As the CEO of Community Health Program, Bryan is responsible for overseeing the day to day operation of the groups as well as ensuring that, as an organization, the group balances the needs of its employees with the needs and goals of the organization itself.
He is also responsible for coordinating meetings with local public and private services, this includes meeting with local officials to discuss ways in which the organization can work with local government to increase the coverage of local health services.
Future Opportunities
For many reasons, not least of all an increasingly aging population, the United States health care system is under a greater demand and strain than ever before. This has presented new and unexpected challenges for both society and for the industry more broadly.
However, for health administrators, this means that demand is high and there are a correspondingly large number of opportunities for future progression within the industry.
Qualifying as a health administrator opens the door for graduates to take up work in a variety of industries and begin working in a range of different environments. While the core functions of a health administrator are overseeing the provision of health care and ensuring that the patients receive the highest standard of care possible, the different work environments and career paths on offer mean that health administration is one of the most varied career paths available.
