What is Health Services Administration (HSA)?
Health Services Administration is a burgeoning field in which many career opportunities abound. As the largest industry in the United States, the attraction to obtaining a degree in the health care field is continually on the rise as students realize the potential for advancement.
Health Care Administration is a broad discipline that is also referred to variously as health management, healthcare management, health systems management, health care systems management, and medical and health services management. In a general sense, the field relates to leadership, management, and administration of hospitals, hospital networks, health care systems, and public health systems. Health care administrators are considered health care professionals.
Within the Health Services Administration fields, there are two types of administrators – generalists and specialists. Generalists are usually responsible for managing or helping to manage an entire health care facility. Specialists are usually responsible for coordinating the operations of a specific department within a health care facility or company related to health care, such as policy analysis, finance, accounting, budgeting, human resources, or marketing.
Earning Potential and Flexibility
If you are a person who is motivated by a strong social mission to help improve life for people every single day, there are enormous benefits to obtaining your degree in Health Services Administration, not the least of which is strong earning potential. Additionally, a career in Health Services Administration offers enormous flexibility, with a wide range of areas to enter and the possibility to explore a diverse career as you climb the ladder through gained experience and expertise.
Possessing the Right Skills
Possessing leadership and management potential is an excellent barometer of how you can fit into this challenging profession. With a Bachelors of Science degree in Healthcare Administration you can enter the field with a variety of venue choices. As the standard credential for a more expanded avocation, obtaining your Masters Degree is the way to find even more opportunity in the workforce.
Impacting the Healthcare Sector
At Florida National University (FNU), we believe that a career in Health Services Administration provides the individual with an enormous opportunity to impact the healthcare sector through a solid education that provides a base for work in hospitals and other healthcare systems, as well as in other related areas. As you move forward in your career, you can work in two broad areas: as a general health services administrator, in which you will work on the management an entire facility, or as specialist health services administrator, in which you will gain and utilize in-depth knowledge of managing operations for specific departments.
FNU’s Top Five Jobs Waiting for You in the Health Service Administration Fields
There are many jobs available that are open to graduates with degrees in Health Service Administration. Our top five jobs for HSA graduates include the following:
- Hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities
- Health insurance companies
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Management consulting
- State health departments
Within these varied settings, there are countless opportunities for interesting and challenging roles that you can qualify for by earning your degree in Health Service Administration. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “employment of medical and health services managers is expected to grow by 22 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. As the large baby-boom population ages and people remain active later in life, the healthcare industry as a whole will see an increase in the demand for medical services.” Furthermore, the potential is huge across the industry: “Managers will be needed to organize and manage medical information and healthcare staffs in all areas of the industry.”
The Benefits of a HSA degree
As students progress through our Bachelors of Science degree program, they realize that the benefits of a HSA Degree are vast. The skills gained from our in-depth program also allow for a transfer of your skill set across a range of positions that exist in non-health sector areas where health science knowledge is applicable and necessary. This includes banks, law firms, and other like agencies.
Advancing Your Career
The opportunity to advance your career, taking on different roles as you progress in experience is also available, including the chance to become a specialist in your area of choice. With consistent training available for learning new skills, be it through going on with your schooling to earn a Masters Degree, or through the possibility of on-site training from the organization you work with after your FNU graduation, you can travel a road of never-ending self-improvement and professional development.
Serving Your Community
A healthcare executive is an extremely respected member of the community. In this regard, your position brings a value that cannot be measured by income as you serve your local population.
Obtaining the Appropriate Tools
Receiving your Bachelors of Science Degree through Florida National University’s program will give you the tools you need to become a valued contributor to the quality of life here in the United States. Our preparatory courses include:
- English Composition
- Fundamentals of Oral Communication
- Humanities
- Behavioral/Social Science
- Natural Science courses
- Mathematics courses, including Algebra and an introduction to Statistics
- Computers
- Principles of Business Management
- Accounting
- Medical Terminology
- Medical Office Management
- Medical Office Procedures
- Medical Insurance Coding and Billing
- Managerial Accounting
Once you have accomplished these basic courses, you will then move on to the upper program, which is comprised of:
- Introduction to Health Services Administration
- Introduction to Medical Informatics
- Financial Issues in Health Care
- Ethics in Health Care
- Community Health and Epidemiology
- Health Care Marketing
- Business Communication
- Cultural Diversity in Health Care
- Risk Management
- Organizational Behavior
- Human Resources Management
- Health Care Law
- Long Term Care Administration
- Health Services Administration Capstone
Choosing Your Electives
From here you have the exciting chance to study electives that relate to where your interest in HSA lies. These can include Health Information Systems, Ethics of Caring for the Elderly, Supervisory Skills, Entrepreneurship, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, and Legal Aspects and Legislation in Health Care.
An education in Health Services Administration offers you a wealth of opportunities in a variety of fields. Contact our advisors at FNU today to explore your future in this exciting and lucrative career!
