Florida is known as a state where health industry jobs are always in high demand; if you follow local news stations, you are probably familiar with headlines related to the growth of health services careers as well as the shortage of nurses, radiology technicians and other licensed health care practitioners. The reason these occupations are often discussed by the Miami Herald, the Sun Sentinel and Channel 7 is that they are highly visible jobs, which is not usually the case with health services administration professionals.
Despite Florida Governor Rick Scott’s early career in health care financing and administration, many details about this professional field are not widely known by the general public. Here are four interesting facts about health services management that are certainly worth knowing:
1.The Sheer Expansion of the American Health Care Industry
In the Sunshine State and across the UnitedStates, health services administrators ensure that one of the most important drivers of the American economy runs smoothly. At a national level, the healthcare sector represents a $3.6 trillion market that is expected to grow to $5.6 trillion by 2025.
Health care in the U.S. is not showing any signs of contraction. According to a 2018 study published in the American Health and Drug Benefits journal, just about every legislative or business attempt at streamlining the healthcare sector brings about opposite results. In the current decade alone, theAffordable Care Act, a.k.a. “Obamacare,” has expanded the sector, and the same happened with the various attempts by the Trump administration to modify the ACA.
To jump into the growing Health Care Administration career, check out FNU’s Associate’s, Bachelor’s and Master’s programs.
2. The Health Sector is a Fountain of Jobs in Florida
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, more than 790,000 Florida workers were employed in the health services industry as of May 2017; the only other states where more health workers are employed areNew York, California and Texas. Naturally, thousands of these employees are health administration professionals who manage facilities and programs from behind the scenes. Some examples of jobs in this field include:
- Health Services Manager
- Clinical Office Manager
- Nursing Home Coordinator
- Government positions
- Hospital/Clinic Director
As can be expected, the South Florida region presents a high concentration of health services employees because elderly residents from across the U.S. and Latin America choose to retire here; none the less, and expansion is underway. The Latitude Margaritaville retirement communities, inspired by South Florida’s very own Jimmy Buffett, are being developed near Daytona Beach and Panama City; this reflects a trend of active seniors choosing to retire in other parts of the Sunshine State, and these are areas where more health services will be needed in the near future.
3.The Professional Diversity of Health Services Administration
The general public tends to be more familiar with health services administrators at the hospital level. There is a good chance that you may have seen Carlos Migoya, CEO of the Jackson Memorial HealthSystem, on the news, but you may not be aware that hundreds of health services administration professionals report to him on a daily basis.
The work of health managers is not limited to hospital or even clinical facilities; some work in a wide variety of fields, such as:
- biotechnology startups
- law firms insurance companies
- public health management organizations
- non-profits
4.The Occupational Outlook of Health Services Administration Employees
This career field is similar to that of data science in the sense that it often flies under the radar despite strong demand and positive outlook. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand in this field is expected to grow by 20% between now and 2026, and theBaby Boomer Generation can be credited with this future trend. If you are not familiar with this field, contact one of our career counselors; in the meantime, take a look at the following BLS facts:
- In 2016, employment of medical and health services managers was 352,200. By 2026, the BLS expects this figure to grow to 424,300. This particular statistic is for professionals in this field; it does not include generalists and technicians who intend to occupy professional spots.
- The median annual salary for health services managers in 2017 was $98,350. The most handsome salaries were earned by professionals such as hospital administrators at $107,230, followed by their peers at federal, state and county positions at $106,230. Managers of large and lucrative practices, such as high-end cosmetic surgery clinics in Miami, can earn around $90,000 per year while nursing home administrators can expect more than $80,000.
Becoming a Health Services Administration professional requires a combination of communication, analytical and managerial skills. Quite a few Americans see this career as a stepping stone into public service, politics or entrepreneurship, just like Governor Scott.
As you can see from the four facts presented, embarking on a career in the health services administration field is something worth exploring.
How FNU Can Help You Enter the Health Services Administration Career
Florida National University is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges to award health services administration degrees at the Associate, Bachelor and Master levels. An Associate’s degree is always a fast-track way of getting yourself situated in a new career and gaining an edge so you start just above entry-level. It also gives you the knowledge and confidence when starting a new position. At FNU you will learn about office procedures, principles of accounting, medical terminology and, importantly medical insurance.
Coding & Billing
In a Bachelor’s program you’ll take classes on Health Care Law, Long-Term Care, Cultural Diversity in Healthcare and more. You’ll also have choices in electives for a total of 39 credits, generally a 4-year program overall. Most of the Associate-level classes form the base of the B.A. at FNU’s Healthcare Administration program, so the transition from an A.S. to a Bachelor’s is smooth.
FNU’s Master’s program in Healthcare Admin steps up the ante and puts you squarely in the running for top director and CEO positions with upper-level classes such as HealthCare Risk Management, Law &Legislation, Managerial Epidemiology and a class helping you understand the changing face of the U.S. Health Care System.
Financial Aid at FNU
We offer financial assistance opportunities, including scholarships and tuition incentives for military, government workers and more.
Online Distance Learning Courses
At FNU we cater to our community, and early on we saw that they need flexible online courses. Many of our students are currently working and wish to further their career horizons.
Speak to someone directly at our main Hialeah campus at (305) 821-3333, or visit our website for more contact options.
