How to Become a Health Administrator

Are you a natural problem solver and leader who wants to make the world of healthcare a better place for both patients and clinical staff? Then you may be cut out for the role of a health administrator (also called a healthcare administrator).

As a future health administrator, you can use your business acumen to build more effective care environments and help healthcare organizations grow.

But first, you need to know how to proceed on your journey to becoming a health administrator, from your education to your first job to your ongoing professional development. This guide provides the steps you need to follow.

Your BHSA or MHA degree program should train you in the business and leadership skills needed to manage healthcare staff, improve the flow of operations, and help the healthcare organization meet its goals. Health administration programs often allow you to choose an area of specialization to further develop your skills.

For example, in the BHSA program at WCU, students can choose between the Finance and Strategic Management specializations. For the MHA program, they can choose between Informatics, Organizational Leadership, Project Management, and Public Health.

Once you graduate, it will be time to look for an entry-level job in health administration. These roles are available in a wide variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, physician’s offices, nursing home facilities, and government healthcare environments, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Roles can vary from managing specific clinical departments to overseeing business operations for an entire facility to specializing in a certain area of healthcare business operations, such as informatics or revenue cycle management. After you build up your work experience in healthcare administration and obtain professional certifications that align with your career goals, you will be better-positioned to pursue more executive and specialized roles.

Keep in mind that you can also use internships to gain experience working in healthcare and health administration settings prior to graduation or early on in your career.

Earning professional certifications in addition to your degree can give you more specialized training while helping you stand out and advance your career.

Here are a few examples of professional credentials that may be of interest to health administrators:

• Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE)
• Certified Medical Manager (CMM) by the Professional Association of Health Care Office Management (PAHCOM)
• Certified Healthcare Administrative Professional (cHAP) by the Association for Healthcare Administrative Professionals (AHCAP)
• Certified Professional in Health Care Risk Management (CPHRM) by the American Hospital Association (AHA)
• Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CPHIMS) offered by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)
• Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CHFP) offered by the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA)

There are also other reputable credentials, with some focusing on specific specializations, so you should do your research to determine which one is right for your career.

Certification criteria vary by credential and can include requirements like degree of licensure criteria, a certain level of work experience in certain roles, continuing education credits in specified areas, passing of an exam, and association membership, among other requirements.