The Changing Jobs in Healthcare Administration

You can't read an online jobs report without coming across a headline announcing prospected job increases in medical professions. As millions of baby boomers retire over the next decade, medical professionals are being lost as the medical system itself becomes more burdened. Try typing "Baby Boomers" and "Medical Professions" into your favorite search engine and take your pick of the thousands of articles that pop up. Take this Washington Post article for example, "Retirements by baby-boomer doctors, nurses could strain overhaul."

With the explosion of jobs in medical professions comes a concurrent need for qualified heath care professionals to fill changing jobs in healthcare administration. However, as Health Information Systems become ever more complex, it is more challenging to find qualified personnel who fit the bill. The laundry list of desirable skills for healthcare administrators is longer than ever. A series of interview questions for jobs in healthcare administration could read something like this:

• Do you have strong leadership capabilities?
• Tell me about your people skills.
• Give an example of when you used exceptional multi-tasking.
• Describe your quick analysis and problem solving skills.
• Do you feel you are a highly organized person on the job?
• Do you have super-ultra-savvy abilities to keep up with 21st century technology?
• Do you understand informatics?

Interested in Jobs in Healthcare Administration: Got Health Informatics?

Health informatics, also referred to as Health Information Systems, is the arena where medical information and records, computer science, and healthcare come together to form a (hopefully) efficient union. The term refers to the new, improved, and ever evolving realm of the digital information- and don't forget social media - expertise that is required to accurately track and facilitate all aspects of medical records operations.

If your career planning includes the possibility of jobs in healthcare administration, or any other medical professions, it's imperative that you include forward thinking technology training in your educational plan. For example, up to the present, a decade of exemplary RN service in a variety of departments, combined with your ability to work well with both your superiors and RN’s in training was enough to potentially land you the healthcare administration job of your dreams. That is not the case anymore.

Career Planning is Involved When Pursuing Jobs in Healthcare AdministrationHealthcare administration jobs can be extremely rewarding. You have the ability to put your hard-earned career experience and expertise into action.  Not only do you mentor your staff, but you serve as the liaison between department heads and your department's employees.  Your talents keep your facility running at or under budget, allow you to respect the scheduling needs of your staff as you make the monthly schedules, and you oversee quality assurance programs to ensure your facility is up to date on codes, regulations, and new legal mandates. Whew! For all of that, you will earn an average of almost $85,000 per year, as well as the respect and admiration of hundreds, if not thousands, of people throughout the course of your career.

However it takes career planning to make it to that point. In addition to your bachelor's degree, your medical experience, and the skill set outlined in the potential hiring questions listed above, you should consider some serious healthcare-oriented technical training. According to a survey in 2005, two-thirds of Chief Information Officers and Information Systems directors claimed that "increasing patient safety and reducing medical errors" was one of their top concerns. They expect consistent implementation of Health Informatics to become a part of that solution.

If you are currently in school to pursue a job in medical professions, your university's career counselor will have access to the information you need regarding classes and training seminars offered by your university or through a university affiliated program. Consider pursing a specialized advanced degree that combines both Healthcare and Informatics if you are truly dedicated to the field of healthcare administration.

If you are currently employed in a healthcare related profession, and are interested in upcoming healthcare administration jobs, speak with a supervisor regarding Health Informatics-oriented training opportunities.  Many facilities will pay for you to receive training, which is a major bonus.  If neither of these is an option, there are accredited online certification programs, which will add major bonus points to your CV when applying for future administration positions.

Don't let technological advancements keep you out of your own career advancement loop.  The healthcare industry is ready and waiting for experienced, trained, and tech-savvy people just like you to help them update their Quality Assurance and Safety Practices for the 21st century.