What Is Hospital Management Training?
Hospital management training varies widely, depending on areas of specialty, amount of experience and levels of responsibility. Healthcare is the largest industry in the U.S., and well-trained healthcare administrators help ensure efficiency and compliance in such increasingly challenging and complex areas as insurance, government regulation, technology, cost control and patient services. Schools offering Health Care Administration degrees can also be found in these popular choices.
Hospital Management Defined
A hospital's managers plan, maintain, organize and administer the delivery of its healthcare services internally and in coordination with its networks and other related systems. Training begins at the certificate or undergraduate level and prepares you for individual or team responsibilities in a smaller hospital or specialty area. Graduate and postgraduate studies may qualify you for the responsibilities of a larger facility or a particular managerial or clinical specialty.
Training and Education
According to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), most healthcare providers require a degree or certificate training for administrative positions (www.bls.gov). A hospital management training degree or certificate program should be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education. Examples of such programs of study follow.
Bachelor's Degree
The Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management is a 4-year undergraduate degree that would provide a more extensive background in general studies, critical thinking and the function and structure of healthcare administration. Your training in hospital management would include more comprehensive study in areas such as the legal, financial, regulatory and policy aspects of the business. You could also participate in internships.
Certificate Programs
Non-degree hospital management-related certificate programs are designed for experienced healthcare professionals as well as those new to the field. These typically require applicants to hold at least a bachelor's degree. Examples are:
- The Public Health Certificate in Performance Improvement
- The Public Health Certificate in Core Concepts
- Certificate in Health Systems Administration
Graduate Degrees
On the graduate level, master's and dual-degree programs allow you to further train in hospital management. In such programs, you can increase your general business administration knowledge or focus on specialized study in a particular area such as public health, patient rights, industry issues or information systems. Examples of master's degrees are:
- Master of Science (MS)
- Master of Public Administration (MPA)
- Master of Health Administration (MHA)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
A Ph.D. program, such as a Doctor of Philosophy in Healthcare Management program, would prepare you for a higher administrative level, such as the directorship of a hospital, system or network.
To continue researching, browse degree options below for course curriculum, prerequisites and financial aid information. Or, learn more about the subject by reading the related articles below:
Subscribe to RSS feed for
Healthcare Administration FAQs
