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The Health Care Administration Degree – What You’ll Study
A healthcare administration degree is one of the most sought after professional diplomas by hospitals, medical clinics, Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), and insurance companies. The U.S. Department of Labor projects that between 2010 and 2020, medical and health services positions will increase by 22%. That’s remarkable news in an era where employment opportunities are shaky at best. If you’re considering a career in health care administration, or you’re currently employed but desire further educational and career training, you may be wondering what types of classes health care administration programs provide.
What will I Study to get my Healthcare Administration Degree?
Health Care Administration involves a wide variety of skill sets and knowledge bases. Not only do candidates need to have a passion for the field of healthcare, they must also have an inclination towards critical thinking, organization, strong leadership acumen, and the ability to think quickly and effectively in high pressure situations. These skill sets are taught and cultivated by the dedicated faculty at Bryant & Stratton College.
Specific study areas include:
Health/Medical Related Subjects. Because your degree will allow you to work in a diverse range of healthcare-related industries, it’s imperative that you have a basic knowledge of human science and medicine. Your courses will include:
- Introduction to Healthcare
- Medical Terminology
- Human Anatomy and Physiology
These classes will allow you to speak fluently with medical professionals across all aspects of healthcare, and will provide a deeper understanding of your observations as you move through various medical settings.
Management Classes. As a manager, you must be able to think critically, juggle scheduling constraints, understand legal policies and procedures, as well as how to lead your diverse team(s) of employees. Classes to help you hone those skills provide:
- Health Services Management instruction
- Legal Aspects of health services management
- Performance management
- Individualized internships and practicums, which will further hone these skill sets
Numbers. Creating and balancing budgets and managing financial constraints are areas in which managers are always held accountable. Hence, we stress the importance of:
- Health care finance and accounting courses
- Billing/reimbursement strategies
- Office procedures/electronic records systems
Technology: Technology will continue to evolve at a rapid pace which is why our healthcare administration degree emphasizes the importance of coding and classification software, as well as the latest developments in Electronic Health Systems (EHS).
Critical thinking. In addition to classes specifically geared towards excellence in health care administration, our program encourages students to think outside the box in terms of problem solving. Students will understand how to create and implement a disaster plan and understand the complexities of long-term healthcare.
The best healthcare administration degree doesn’t just teach students; it actively engages students to work in their field, encouraging them to bring their questions and experiences back to the classroom where they can learn and grow as well rounded health care administrators.
Tips for Developing Good Posture
If you’re like the average student, you probably end up sitting a bit more than nine hours a day. The average person spends 9.3 hours a day sitting and the average student spends 4-6 hours a day on the computer; which can be counterproductive to developing good posture.
We’re now learning that sitting is likely to have some damaging effects on your overall health. Sitting for long periods of time can increase your mortality rate exponentially. It also puts stress on your spine that restricts respiration and compresses organs that were designed to function best while you are upright and in motion; which is normally the correct body position for good posture.
Your body is highly plastic and molds to the activities that you do most often. Continuing to reach forward (at the computer, in the car, picking up kids) without reaching back in the opposite direction to exercise the muscles that hold them up, creates imbalances and faulty posture.
Sitting with poor posture stimulates a sympathetic, “fight-or-flight” state that creates an increase in daily C-reactive protein. C-reactive protein is produced in the liver and rises when there is inflammation throughout the body. This can significantly slow metabolism, negatively impact our cardiovascular health, immunity and digestion.
Here are some suggestions that can help develop good posture:
- Sit Less: Think creatively about how many ways you can “sit” throughout the day. In addition to getting up at least every half hour, think about using different types of “chairs” that may encourage you to move, such as a workout ball or even yoga furniture.
- The use of visual cues: Have someone take a picture of you in a good posture stance. Place that picture on your desk or even tape it to the computer monitor. It can help you create change through constant reinforcement.
- Improve workplace ergonomics: Sit up straight and align your ears, shoulders, and hips. Any single position for a prolonged period of time, even a good one, will be tiring. Avoid unbalanced postures such as crossing legs unevenly while you are sitting, leaning to one side, hunching the shoulders forward or tilting your head.
- Move better, more frequently: Try to avoid slouching or slumping. Exercises and therapy such as; chiropractic, pilates, tai-chi, yoga, and can help to improve movement, as well as strengthen your back and shoulder muscles.
- Limit Spinal Strain: Decrease the pressure placed on your spine while sitting by using footrests, portable lumbar back supports, a towel or small pillow which can be used while in an office chair or even when driving. Make sure you wear proper corrective eyewear, position your computer screen to your natural, resting eye position which can help to avoid leaning or straining your neck.
Developing good posture will require dedication, effort, and time. Learning to relax your muscles and correct your posture will be very beneficial to your overall health.
About the Author
Dr. Kristi Perillo-Okeke, has been teaching as an Allied Health Instructor for over two years at Bryant & Stratton College. She is a licensed chiropractor, has mentored several new instructors and loves teaching human anatomy & physiology.
Take a Step into the Healthcare Arena
Do you want to go back to school, but just can’t decide on a degree? Are you looking for a degree in a new and exciting field that also offers growth potential? Bryant & Stratton College Online is rolling out a new degree program for the fall 2010 semester. Starting in September, Bryant & Stratton College Online will be offering a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Health Services Administration.
This new degree offers students the opportunity to gain a wide range of health-related knowledge and skills in the management sector of health services and facilities. The program is designed to prepare graduates to be ready to enter the medical industries in entry-level and assistant management positions. Hospitals, clinics, nursing care facilities, doctors’ offices, and insurance companies are all medical settings where graduates would be able to enter the industry and be successful.
Often health services administrators are given various managerial tasks that include creating and implementing policy and procedures, hiring and supervising staff, controlling finances, and ordering supplies. The Health Services Administration degree is designed to give graduates decision-making skills, critical thinking skills, and small group communications skills that will guide the graduate to success in the industry. Students are also given the opportunity to have real-world experiences through research opportunities and the capstone experience. Graduates will be able to take the lessons learned in class and through experiences and successfully apply them in their health care administration or management career.
Of course various factors are considered during the decision making process of choosing a degree, but two of the most common are the average income and job availability upon graduation. As the health care system in our country grows so will the demand for educated health services administrators. The room for growth within the industry and average income are both substantial. The income within the health services industry can vary depending on the job, for example Account Executives(Home Care) can make anywhere from $51,938 – $62,219, Physicians Network Administrators have a salary range of $42,418-$53,482, and Clinical Administrator Supervisors salary range is $47,852 – $64,320. These are just a few examples of the types of jobs found within the industry and the average income. The employment opportunities for graduates are likely to continue to grow as the demand grows in the health care industry.
It is proven that a college education does pay. On average people with a college degree have a lower unemployment rate and earn more than those who have a high school diploma or less. Students who graduate with a Health Services Administration degree from Bryant & Stratton College Online will be able to apply the knowledge and skills obtained while working successfully in a managerial capacity. Students will be able to apply their learned legal and ethical principles in various health care organizations. Graduates can apply their group communication and leadership skills effectively throughout the industry. Lastly, graduates will be able to take real-world experience and life lessons learned and apply them to a variety of situations.
So if you are looking for a new career with room for growth and a respectable average income, I suggest you check out the Health Services Administration Degree at Bryant & Stratton College Online. As the health care industry expands at a rapid rate, the demand for well trained and educated graduates will only increase, and we don’t want you to be left on the outside looking in.
For more information on the Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Health Services Administration offered at Bryant & Stratton College Online, please visit http://online.bryantstratton.edu/bs-health-services-admin/.
*Jobs and salary statistics for this post were taken from salary.com
