MBA in Healthcare Programme
You will make decisions about your career throughout your life. No matter what stage of the decision-making process you are in, we hope that this essay will give you a better understanding of the exciting profession of healthcare management. Healthcare is one of today’s most dynamic and growing fields, with a wide range of opportunities and challenges. Healthcare executives work in a variety of settings, including hospitals and integrated delivery systems, managed care organizations, long-term care facilities, home health agencies, and consulting firms, to name a few. The American College of Healthcare Executives wants to help you make a positive, informed decision about your career. You can count on us as a resource for career advice, resume consultation, continuing education, and other career services.
Healthcare is changing more rapidly than almost any other field. The field is changing in terms of how and where care is delivered, who is providing those services, and how that care is financed. These changes are being driven primarily by the growth of managed care. A number of other current trends are expected to continue, including:
- Integration of healthcare delivery organizations to create accessible, appropriate, and comprehensive care pathways for all people
- Continual advances in medical technology
- Collaboration among provider organizations, physicians, businesses, insurers, and others to improve community health status
- Increased emphasis on disease prevention and wellness promotion
- An elderly population that will grow exponentially with the "Baby Boomer" generation
- Better-informed patients demanding high-quality care
- Pressure from business, government, insurers, and patients to control costs and demonstrate the value of the services delivered
- Efforts to implement continuous quality improvement initiatives similar to those found in other fields
This is an exciting time for healthcare management. The field requires talented people to help introduce and manage the changes taking place. In their roles, healthcare executives have an opportunity to make a significant contribution to improving the health of the communities their organizations serve. As a result of the transformation taking place in the healthcare system, career options for healthcare executives are becoming more diverse. Today, an estimated 100,000 people occupy health management positions at numerous organizational levels, from department head to chief executive officer. Requirements for senior-level positions in healthcare organizations are demanding, but these jobs also offer opportunities to improve the system of care giving.
With the growing diversity in the healthcare system, many executives are needed in settings other than the traditional hospital. However, competition is intense at all job levels, and many positions that previously required only a bachelor’s degree now require a master’s degree. Each year, about 2,000 students receive graduate degrees in healthcare management. Salaries for beginning master’s degree graduates generally range from the high-30s to high-40s, depending on the type of organization and its location.