Importance Of Healthcare Management

May it be a hospital or a nursing home; we owe its smooth functioning to healthcare managers who meticulously manage the quality of service and care. They are responsible for a broad range of activities ranging from budgeting to quality control within the healthcare set up. The way the quality managers plan and run everyday activities have a direct impact on a huge number of people who receive services from the hospitals. Besides, healthcare administrators bring about positive changes in the health policies to increase the reach of quality healthcare among the poor, implement prophylactic strategies to high-risk populations and improve healthcare delivery to various segments of communities and the populations at large.   

Healthcare management: Scope & Future

Healthcare management is one of the enriching and fast-evolving fields. According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS), the average rate of growth of healthcare jobs is estimated to be 30-40% over the next few years. A degree in healthcare management helps you start your career in an entry or mid-level management position. The position may be in any of the following specific areas:

1. Government relations
2. Finance
3. Human resources
4. Nursing administration
5. Medical staff relations
6. Patient care services

Career options in healthcare management

With a healthcare management degree, the most probable jobs you are likely to obtain are:

Health administrator:

 This is an associate-level job and the key roles include ordering supplies, organizing schedules, computerizing patient bills, accessing patient records and other management functions.

Assistant health manager/administrator:

With experience, the health administrator can step up the ladder to be an assistant health manager/administrator. Their responsibilities include maintaining and managing the budget of each department, managing group practices with various locations and reviewing projects. This is a higher-paying position with existence in MNCs, non-profit organizations, local health agencies, state and national health agencies.

Clinical research manager:

Financial management and budget planning are perquisites for this job as a clinical research manager monitors government funds allocated for clinical trials and reports discrepancies.

Social media directors:

Nowadays, social media campaigns and public relations reign any business and healthcare businesses are no exception to this. To become a social media director, public relations specialist or health facility marketing manager, one needs to take up an add-on course in health marketing or health communications besides healthcare management.

Nursing home administrators:

As the name indicates, nursing home administrators oversee the entire facility while the specific departments such as finance, marketing and policy analysis are managed by respective specialists. This job provides an insight into the requirements of patients within the unit.

Clinical manager:

Clinical manager or clinical leader is a person who has an end-to-end knowledge about a specific clinical area, for instance, neonatal care, gynaecology and radiology. Many pharmaceutical companies now hire a clinical manager for clinical trials. 

Health information managers:

They are responsible for maintaining and securing patients’ electronic health records. They work in collaboration with medical coding experts and IT professionals to ensure the accuracy, compliance and accessibility of the records.

Online programs in healthcare management at James Lind Institute

James Lind Institute is a pioneer in the field of online training programs in various fields such as clinical development, public health and tropical medicine, pharmaceutical medicine, medical communication and journalism and social and environmental sciences. The globally accredited and industry-specific programs fine-tune your skills to match the needs of the ever-growing market. It offers various certificate courses, professional diplomas, advanced post-graduate diplomas and masters’ degrees in healthcare management.

For more details on available programs, course structure, mode of assessment, eligibility criteria, internships and placements please visit our official website www.jliedu.ch