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Exploring Health Professions
Health Administration (Management)
General Description and Careers
Health administration, also designated "health
management," is a well-established professional field
devoted primarily to the direct management of the health
care delivery system, including medical group practices,
hospitals, nursing homes and other providers, as well as
health insurance, some governmental settings and trade
associations. Health administration has a great deal in
common with business administration, except that health
care services require specific management talents and
knowledge.
Graduate Programs
The graduate school path toward health administration is
typically narrower than general study of health policy
or public health (see separate descriptions). High
quality programs require courses in financing of health
organizations, labor relations, and organizational
behavior among other areas. Also required may be a
residency component during graduate school in which the
student serves in an administrative capacity in, for
example, a hospital or nursing home.
Master in Health Administration (MHA) is the most
commonly conferred degree for those interested in this
profession. Other schools house their programs in
business schools so that the degree received is an MBA.
Accreditation by the Association of University Programs
in Health Administration (AUPHA) is a good yardstick for
determining whether the program is sufficiently geared
toward health care management.
College Preparation
Most graduate schools in this discipline have
prerequisites to entry, such as accounting, etc. These
foundation requirements vary so students should compare
admissions criteria of several programs. Also, some
schools require prior experience in a health care
setting, so a placement during undergraduate years may
be advisable. In general, a broad exposure to
health-related courses as part of the college curriculum
is recommended for two reasons: (1) to verify that the
field may be of interest to you professionally, and (2)
to indicate to graduate schools that you have a
familiarity with health and health care.
For more information, contact the AUPHA, 730 11th Street
NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20001-4510, (202)
638-1448, www.aupha.org.
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