The Profession
Who They Are
Healthcare managers ensure the business operations of healthcare organizations.
What They Do
Healthcare managers work in both clinical and nonclinical settings. They might specialize in managing a specific clinical area or department, a medical practice for a group of practitioners (e.g., physicians, dentists) or an entire facility. Many healthcare managers work in long-term care facilities, hospitals, clinics, government agencies, pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms, insurance providers, managed care organizations, and consulting firms.
Where They Work
Healthcare managers and administrators, direct, and coordinate medical and health services. They work on improving equity, quality and efficiency for increasing healthcare access, carrying out policies and procedures, controlling costs, implementing new technology, recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals, ensuring compliance with changing regulations, billing and reimbursement, and implementing innovative programs to improve the health of communities. Healthcare managers work in a variety of areas such as project management and consulting, health insurance benefits and enrollment, health information technology, healthcare marketing, pharmacy benefit management, provider network contracting, medical device and biomedical consulting or sales, and health policy and advocacy.
Outlook
Healthcare administration is growing much faster than average. Employment of healthcare managers is projected to grow 28 percent over the next decade, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 56,600 openings for medical and healthcare managers are projected each year, on average. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics