There is a lot of overlap in terminology between roles in healthcare management vs. healthcare administration. However, they are unique career paths requiring distinct sets of skills:

• Healthcare management. Healthcare managers deal in the overall operation of an organization. Their primary role is in leadership and the business side of healthcare.  Healthcare managers interact with stakeholders and other board members for organizational direction and planning, usually involves managing more than one department—or an entire clinic.
• Healthcare administration. Healthcare administrators are more concerned with day-to-day operations. An administrator’s focus is on daily staff management and administrative procedures within a department. Healthcare administrators usually report to healthcare managers, and work within individual departments as supervisors or manager support. They may be found in smaller, rural areas as office managers or other similar job titles depending on area, experience and availability.

Smaller healthcare institutions may merge the roles into single positions and use each term interchangeably, but bigger facilities will often specialize into unique roles and differentiate them more clearly in terms of management or administration.

No, you will need more than an associate degree in healthcare administration to apply for certification.

To become eligible for certifications you will need to earn a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration. After obtaining your bachelor’s degree, these certifications include:

• Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt (LSSYB) from GoLeanSixSigma
• Certified Specialist in Managed Care (CSMC) through Healthcare Financial Mgmt Associations (HFMA)

Health administration covers a wide variety of different positions, from entry level roles to management-oriented roles, titles including “Hospital Administrator” or “Practice Administrator.” Because of this, pay can vary widely.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical secretaries/administrative assistants earn an average salary of $43,380 per year ($20.85 per hour). This estimate does not represent entry-level/starting pay. Average pay varies based on level of experience, education and state of employment.*

Yes, and it’s projected to rise. The BLS projects employment of medical secretaries/administrative assistants to rise 7% from 2022-2032.*

Now is a good time to get the education you need to start a career in healthcare administration & management.

Healthcare administrative work settings include hospitals, physician offices, nursing and residential care facilities, outpatient care centers, insurance companies and government agencies. Administrators typically work alongside medical personal in an office environment.

The benefits of working in health administration include:

• You can work in many different settings, including hospitals, healthcare clinic, long-term care facility, doctor’s offices, insurance companies and government agencies.
• Career mobility is high, as your versatile skillset is applicable in many different environments and gives you more choice in pursuing your career path.
• The field is growing, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimating a 28% increase in employment for medical and health services managers from 2022-2032.*
• You can help people get better, but you don’t necessarily need to be directly involved in patient care and treatment.

As a healthcare administrator, your day-to-day tasks may vary. They could include meetings, communications (either written or verbal), and working with medical personnel from your own or different departments.

Your role may also involve day-to-day operations that keep things running smoothly. This may include staffing, patient relations, scheduling and inventory control.