Are you someone who wants to help people and positively impact the healthcare system without working in direct patient care? If so, then a career in health administration may be a good match for you.

Health administrators are professionals who combine business acumen with knowledge of the healthcare industry to help healthcare organizations run smoothly and deliver quality care.
Health administrators must be adept in business and management best practices, understand how health systems work, be familiar with laws and policies that affect healthcare, and demonstrate strong leadership and people skills.

If you鈥檙e a strategic thinker who enjoys working with many different people/teams and you thrive in fast-paced environments, you might find a career in healthcare administration exciting and fulfilling.

Below are insights into the various types of health administration jobs that are available as well as the type of education that is typically needed for these roles. Continue reading to explore some health administration career opportunities!

What types of health administration jobs are available?

While all health administration jobs tend to include some level of business planning and management within a healthcare organization, the scope and seniority of the role can vary widely.

Someone in this field may serve as a who oversees a specific department, clinic, or a specialized area within health administration (such as health informatics), or they may be someone with a higher level of authority, such as an executive for a hospital or healthcare system. Executive roles can be obtained with a greater level of experience in the industry.

Here are just a few examples of common health administration roles:

Hospital Administrator

A plans, coordinates, and manages business activities within a hospital that allows operations to run efficiently and patients to receive optimal care. Some of their many duties typically include hospital budgeting and finance management, recruiting and training of new staff members, staff scheduling, review of hospital policies and practices to ensure legal compliance, review and improvement of patient care practices, and more.

Sometimes a hospital administrator will handle responsibilities that span far and wide, and other times they may specialize in a specific area such as finance management or health informatics.

Clinical Manager

A typically oversees clinical and business practices at a medical facility or in a clinical department of a medical facility. A clinical manager often has previous clinical experience, which provides them with valuable insights for managing patient care practices, reviewing treatment plans, and serving as a liaison for medical staff.

A clinical manager may also handle other common health administration duties such as budgeting, recruitment and training, and compliance oversight.

Health Information Manager

According to the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), involves collecting, analyzing, and safeguarding medical information (both digital and traditional) that is integral to the delivery of quality patient care.

Health information managers are familiar with the latest health information technology applications and they understand these systems鈥� workflows within different types of healthcare organizations, which makes them well-positioned for advising providers on best practices for collecting, organizing, analyzing, and securing patient and medical data.

Nursing Home Administrator

A is responsible for managing the operations of a nursing home. There are also similar roles for assisted living facilities and retirement communities. Similar to other health administration jobs, nursing home administrators may have a wide range of duties, including overseeing daily operations of the nursing home, delegating assignments to nurses and other staff, monitoring supply inventories, ensuring that the facility鈥檚 care meets state and federal standards, and more.

Licensure is available through the , though specific requirements vary by state.

Education Requirements: What Degree Is Best for Healthcare Administration?

The vary by role and organization. Most management positions within the field of healthcare require a bachelor鈥檚 degree at minimum, though some employers may require less or more education. Many hiring organizations also require a certain number of years of administrative or clinical experience within healthcare.

Individuals who are interested in a career in health administration may want to consider one of the following types of degrees:

• Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (BSHA)
• Master of Health Administration (MHA)
• Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a specialization in health administration

Health administration programs usually focus entirely on training students for administrative roles within the healthcare industry whereas business administration programs provide training for administrative duties within all types of businesses and organizations with a portion of the program focused specifically on health administration.

Health administration program students may be able to choose a specialization for their education, which can include areas such as:

• Financial management
• Strategic management
• Organizational leadership
• Project management
• Informatics

You can learn more about the differences in these educational paths in our post 鈥�Organizational Leadership Careers in Healthcare and Business.鈥�

Start Working Toward Your Health Administration Career

The first step in working toward your healthcare administration career goals is figuring out what type of degree you want to pursue and then researching programs available in your state. Make sure to choose a program that aligns well with your schedule and lifestyle.

国产主播 offers BSHA, MHA, and MBA programs that are 100% online, which can provide students with increased flexibility in their study schedules. WCU also provides multiple pace options, allowing full-time employees and/or parents to complete their degrees on a more manageable schedule.

Additionally, the business administration and health administration programs at WCU give students no-cost access to LinkedIn Learning so they can earn certificates in areas of study that interest them.

Learn more about the BSHA program, MHA program, or MBA program at 国产主播 and apply today!

The post Exploring Health Administration Career Opportunities appeared first on 国产主播.

The COVID-19 pandemic revolutionized the way many of us work along with how businesses across industries operate. This is especially true for healthcare workers and hospital administrators, many of whom were working on the front lines.

We sat down with 国产主播 MHA Professor and former hospital CEO Jake Redden for his insights on these post-pandemic shifts for healthcare administrators.

WCU: We all know COVID-19 was a huge game changer, especially in healthcare where workers were on the front lines. Can you just talk about what some of the biggest challenges were for hospitals and health administrators during this time?

JR: It was definitely the flexibility with staffing because we in healthcare are humans, too. We are vulnerable to catching the same diseases we’re running into, especially with things that are contagious, as we saw with COVID. And in addition to just keeping our staff healthy so they can care for the patients coming through the door, we were also dealing with the issue of staff鈥檚 children, the school closures, and the spouse issues. Patients are showing up at the door and they’re expecting a fully staffed unit, you’ve got 30% of your staff that are out sometimes. In that standpoint, it’s always tough figuring out who can deliver this care, who’s going to be there for the next shift.

At the same time, it magnified the burnout that we’ve already been starting to uncover in healthcare, because this has made it more front and center, especially when we’re trying to find that right work-life balance.

WCU: So, we’ve talked about the problems caused by COVID-19. What were some of the solutions? How did hospitals and health administrators respond to these problems?

JR: One thing that was well-recognized, especially in larger organizations, was the bureaucracy of operations. We write policies, and those policies can take three to six months to make their way through the approval funnel, and then we have to disseminate them. But during the pandemic, change was able to happen a lot more quickly. More staff stepped up, more staff gave solutions and input, and so we became very agile.

Now the question is, 鈥淗ow do we keep this agility now that COVID is starting to wind down?鈥� And that’s actually become the bigger issue.

How do we keep from regressing back to that real lethargic, bureaucratic type environment? Instead, let’s keep being agile and quick to pivot on policies and procedures and other ways that we run our hospital organizations.

WCU: Agility is definitely a major benefit that many industries have experienced as a result of the pandemic. Are there any other positive outcomes that have become a mainstay as a result of COVID, such as a new policy or a strategy?

JR: What was interesting was the pandemic buildup from a supply standpoint. We have regulatory requirements that dictate how many supplies we’re supposed to keep on hand in case of an unlikely event, including a pandemic of this stature. But what a lot of hospitals found was when they went to pull those supplies was they were expired by beyond 10 years. Supply chain limitations and other issues became a big detractor. So now we’re in the stage where we’re rebuilding those supplies and improving how we work with our regional partners to make sure our shared supplies are managed more effectively.

I think emergency management sometimes isn’t always top-of-mind with leaders and we do the bare minimum or forget those checkboxes. We don’t do the drills, we don’t do the walkthroughs, we don’t do the tabletop due diligence as we probably should. And I think this has given us all a wake-up call for not only how we manage our communication systems with our partners, but also with regional, state, and federal regulations… so when we do have to respond to the next event, we’re that much more effective.

WCU: It sounds like we’re still dealing with a lot of these issues that became magnified during the pandemic, but now we’re getting more of a handle on it. Where are we now compared to right when it happened? Are we still dealing with a lot of burnout and staffing shortages? Or are things improving?

JR: Unfortunately, we notice that there’s a severe lack of interest from youth going into health industries and jobs today. This has raised huge red flags for where our nursing force and our physician force is for 2026, because they’re not showing up. So we’ve actually seen quite a bit of shrinkage. That of course drives up stress and lowers morale.

And it’s driving salaries up. We saw a 10% increase in both supply and salary inflation, and we don’t expect that to go anywhere else. And that becomes an issue because healthcare has one of the most complicated reimbursement systems of any industry out there.

It would be nice to have this wind-down, this kind of honeymoon phase post-pandemic, but I think we went from the COVID pandemic situation to more of a workforce budgeting situation for hospitals across the nation. If you’ve been watching the headlines, about 75% of all hospitals this year are operating in the red because of this unexpected inflation jump and the delay in appropriate reimbursement from both our government payers as well as our professional payers.

WCU: What are hospitals doing right now to help with attracting more nurses and healthcare staff and retaining them while also avoiding burnout?

JR: It all boils down to just regular employee engagement. If you can crush employee engagement, you’ll absolutely crush your patient experience. That thought process has been around in healthcare for many years. The problem is that not a lot of leaders are walking in the walk that is required to drive employee engagement.

Staff want to be part of something important, something bigger than themselves, and you can’t get much bigger than everyday miracles. But sometimes even when you’re on that floor and you’re caring for those folks, you’ve got to be reminded to step back and take a look at that big picture. And that’s where those middle managers really have to take the ownership of driving employee engagement, making their staff feel appreciated, and recognizing when their staff wants to learn something new or try a different occupation or develop a better skill set.

So if you can crush engagement, retention won’t be an issue, and your outcomes and everything else will follow. If you’re working toward being that best healthcare employer, that reputation gets out there and when you do have openings, it’s easy to recruit, easy to get referrals.

WCU: Looking ahead at the next few years, what are you expecting as we are going to recovery mode? How do you see this all playing out across hospitals?

JR: Economic forces are definitely top of mind. It’s interesting because at the last hospital association meeting I went to, there was very little chatter about strategic plans, patient safety, and different initiatives that are going on. It’s all reverted back to how are we going make these payroll expectations when we have such inflation that’s occurring across the economy. There’s a lot of that. And then where’s our workforce at? So, I think stronger partnerships need to occur between the schools and the healthcare organizations. We鈥檝e got to do a better job with internships. We’ve got to do a better job with on-the-job training and a more journeyman/apprentice-type way to get these folks the advanced training they’re looking for. Otherwise you’re not going to have the staff that you’re looking for.

I see more investments at the high school level, and the hospitals have to be part of that. They have to send their role-model staff out there and get the enthusiasm of being a nurse leader and being a physician going again in this industry. And then for the federal government and our state agencies and commercials, we have to figure out how to fix this health insurance situation.

WCU: What additional advice do you have for health administrators to be successful going forward?

JR: Do legislative outreach, both at the state level and the federal level. You’ve got to be a partner with your representatives. We elect great people, but not everyone’s an expert in health systems. Not everyone’s an expert in healthcare reimbursement and staffing and the pipelines to find these workforces. So, they need local folks who can

meet with them and help them understand these problems so they can be better informed and make the right solutions for us in a more timely manner. We’ve got to really drive the sense of urgency amongst our elected legislative folks.

WCU: That’s great advice. Any other things that are on the job and within the hospital floor?

JR: I have to reiterate, within the hospital, it boils down to being really good at taking care of your people. We are the leaders who take care of the people who take care of the people, as they say. So it鈥檚 important to be a servant leader鈥攇et out there, understand, be a face that they recognize, get to know your staff, thank them every single day for coming in and doing these everyday miracles that you need to take care of the patients. Take care of your people and they’ll take care of you.

WCU: Now let鈥檚 focus on students. What advice would you give to current health administration students for the future?

JR: One is you have to network. They always say that out there aren’t posted on any job boards so you have to use your professional networks. There’s the American College healthcare executives, there’s a lot of different resources. As a leader, I know that I have all these problems that I need to solve. I need someone who I can bring on my team that will be the right person鈥攖hat will figure out this issue and put the right solutions in place. So when I see a new student or a future graduate at these events, I talk to them and I start to imagine: Where would this person fit on my team?

There have been many times where I’ve created positions based on the talents that someone brings to me. So, if you’re not out there networking yourself and building your LinkedIn connections as well as your in-person connections, you鈥檝e got to come in and make those moves. Or instead, you’ll have to chug through job postings and try to do it a longer way versus someone seeing the spark that you bring to the table鈥擺the spark] that’s made you successful through your MHA program and now you’re ready to hit that workforce running.

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Considering an advanced degree in healthcare or business? Becoming a leader in these industries requires discipline and the right education. You鈥檒l add to your undergraduate degree, amp up your resume bona fides, and do a deep dive into how organizations work and function, whether in the public sector, the corporate world, or your own personal entrepreneurial ambitions.

But first it鈥檚 important to find the right learning environment. Nowadays it鈥檚 possible to earn a master鈥檚 degree either in person or online. Do your diligence in researching the right school, make the big decisions about the degree you want to achieve, and consider how you鈥檇 like to focus your education even further. Start here with an overview of a few popular graduate degrees:

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Businesses of all types and sizes need proficient, passionate administrators to keep things running smoothly and efficiently. As of 2020, 96% or Fortune 100 companies and 77% of startups were for near-term hiring. And because this is such a diverse degree, your options for employment after graduation are extensive and varied. An MBA degree will prepare you with advanced knowledge in all key aspects of established corporate and startup enterprises. You鈥檒l graduate with a solid foundation in the essentials of business leadership and administration:

• Finance
• Management
• Organizational models

Within each of these disciplines you鈥檒l learn the settled knowledge as well as evolving principles and practices in business administration. The right MBA will outfit you with a cutting-edge, forward-thinking education so you’ll be as future-proof as possible when you enter the workforce. Equipped with these skills, you’ll be able to work in technology-driven industries and bring your acumen to businesses looking to modernize.

Earning a master鈥檚 in business administration is more accessible than before, with accredited online MBA programs available that offer convenience and flexibility for working professionals. If you鈥檙e curious about achieving this advanced degree, consider also how you鈥檇 like to focus your education further. Many MBA programs offer tracks with a particular emphasis, such as health administration and leadership, project management, and public health, to name a few.

Master of Health Administration (MHA)

Health administrators are crucial to the planning, organization, and supervision of care. Pursuing a Master of Health Administration degree requires excellence in communication and cooperation, and an affinity for leadership. The right MHA school can help prepare you to administrate in a variety of settings, including:

• Hospitals and clinics
• Consulting firms
• The insurance industry
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Colleges and universities
• Public health agencies

As an MHA student, you鈥檒l learn diverse skills that will help prepare you to enter into鈥揳nd adapt readily within鈥揳 field that continuously evolves with technology, infrastructural demands, and more. Aspiring MHAs can choose a specialty area and focus on a particular branch of health administration, such as organizational leadership, public health, or project management.

Master of Public Health (MPH)

Public health experts and leaders are more essential than ever. at a rate more than double the average across industries. Leaders in this field develop, implement, and oversee the methodologies and processes that ensure the best possible communication and care to serve the public.

This means creating the protocols and plans ahead of the next major public health crisis, crafting response readiness for when those needs arise, and maintaining the health of specific populations on an ongoing and evolving basis. As an MPH student, you鈥檒l learn several core disciplines within public health such as:

• Legal and ethical issues in healthcare management
• Managerial epidemiology
• Health research methods
• Biostatistics
• Social and behavioral health sciences
• Development and evaluation of health education programs
• Environmental and occupational health

These disciplines prepare you for a critical role both for health emergencies and for preserving and enhancing the health of the public generally. With your MPH degree, you鈥檙e positioned to make a difference in a field designed to safeguard lives.

Once you鈥檙e committed to a course of study and school, get ready for a rewarding path to a new or advanced career, and the respect that a master鈥檚 degree in business or healthcare administration commands.

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When you鈥檙e the Chief Executive Officer of any company, but especially one that operates 24-7-365 like a hospital, it鈥檚 safe to say you don鈥檛 have a lot of free time.

Such is certainly the case for Dr. Jake Redden, the CEO of Madelia Health, a regional independent hospital in southern Minnesota, and yet the busy hospital administrator has for many years found the time to fit teaching a university-level course into his schedule.

Dr. Redden has taught at the University of Maryland and Rutgers University, and currently he鈥檚 a part of the Master of Health Administration faculty at 国产主播 where he teaches the Entrepreneurship Opportunities in Healthcare course (HA560) online.

So, with so much of a commitment with his 鈥渄ay job,鈥� why does he also choose to teach?

鈥淭he reason I like [teaching] the most is it keeps the tip of my spear sharp,鈥� Dr. Redden said.

He noted that what keeps him sharp specifically is all the current and future thinking relative to his industry that he鈥檚 privy to from his students鈥� discussions and presentations, as well as the peer feedback and interactions he has with fellow faculty members such as Tarinder Khatkar, the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer at San Gabriel Valley Medical Center.

Faculty-Student Learning Is a Two-Way Street

To be sure, that exchange is anything but one-way.

Dr. Redden brings his students a wealth of experience and knowledge that spans nearly two decades, beginning with his early days as a Medical Department Assistant Leader and Clinical Care Provider aboard a nuclear-powered U.S. Navy naval combat vessel and progressing on to senior-level hospital administrative positions overseeing areas including healthcare operations, strategic management, and medical staff management.

In addition to his practical experience, Dr. Redden has amassed an impressive academic 鈥淐V,鈥� having earned master鈥檚 degrees in both health administration and public health as well as a Doctorate of Health Science.

It鈥檚 an extensive 鈥渉ard drive鈥� of information that the students have access to, but it鈥檚 his current position as a hospital CEO that Dr. Redden finds especially relevant to the class he鈥檚 currently teaching.

Entrepreneurship Skills Critical for Senior Healthcare Executives

Entrepreneurship to many means starting your own business, but as Dr. Redden pointed out, the concepts taught in the class, from building out financial and marketing plans to understanding how to package and present your idea, are so much more applicable beyond an end goal of starting your own business.

Dr. Redden explained that in his role as CEO, he frequently has division heads coming to him with proposals for new business opportunities, and their presentations are effectively the same as an investor presentation, complete with financial analyses demonstrating not just the potential value of the idea, but the value compared against alternatives.

And so, for the students in his class, who better to learn those concepts from than from someone who is already reviewing and assessing these kinds of proposals?

鈥淲hen I give feedback [to students], I tell them, 鈥榃hen you鈥檙e done with school, I鈥檓 the person who鈥檚 going to be interviewing you, who鈥檚 going to be listening to your pitch,鈥� and I think that carries a little more weight with them,鈥� Dr. Redden said.

An Environment of Communication & Collaboration

Dr. Redden taught his first class at WCU in January 2020 and when asked what differentiates his faculty experience at WCU versus his previous stops at Rutgers and Maryland, he didn鈥檛 hesitate.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the level of engagement,鈥� he said.

Dr. Redden explained that whereas he was largely left alone at Maryland and Rutgers, at 国产主播, he has constant contact with Dr. Justin Ako, Dean of WCU鈥檚 Health Administration program. He added that he also has quarterly connections with peer faculty.

鈥淚 feel like [WCU] is a little more current with the regular feedback and interactions we have,鈥� he said.

WCU鈥檚 Master of Health Administration Program Offers Flexibility

If a Master of Health Administration is something you鈥檝e been considering, the MHA program at 国产主播 has start dates throughout the year and is 100% online with flexible scheduling. You can choose between three program paces 鈥� Accelerated Plus (8 months), Accelerated (12 months), or Working Professional (20 months) 鈥� depending on the demands of your schedules.

As an MHA student at WCU, you will learn from faculty members like Dr. Redden who have extensive industry experience and who are passionate about preparing future healthcare managers and leaders.

Learn more about the online MHA degree program at WCU.

The post WCU Online MHA Faculty Member Teaches Students How to Be a CEO appeared first on 国产主播.

If you鈥檝e got a passion for healthcare and were born to lead, consider earning a Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree. At the top tiers of management in hospitals, government health agencies, and large rehabilitation and specialty care facilities (to name but a few), you鈥檒l find seasoned healthcare leaders leveraging this advanced degree.

Healthcare administration requires attention to both detail and the big picture, and confident decision-making grounded in expertise acquired through education and experience. MHAs work at all levels of healthcare, from C-suite hospital positions to educators and consultants. As an MHA graduate, you may find yourself in any of more than 50 job titles.

An MHA synthesizes expertise in medicine, technology, and business with a wide range of possible placements and robust demand.

MHA Degree Concentrations

Healthcare administration is a broad label encompassing many sectors, so choosing a discipline within the MHA umbrella allows you to sharpen your expertise around a point of emphasis to better prepare you for a position of authority in a particular field or environment. At 国产主播, there are three core tracks within the Master of Health Administration program:

• Organizational Leadership

This track is a good choice for aspiring hospital CEOs and CFOs, among other executive titles. If you鈥檙e hoping to take the helm of a large hospital or organization, an MHA concentrated in organizational leadership can help you become an exceptional communicator, adept at coordinating cross-functional teams, and fluent in the essentials of healthcare administration, from budgets and regulations to technology and macro strategy.

• Project Management

MHA candidates specializing in project management have the opportunity to graduate into an indispensable administrative role that facilitates teams and projects to accomplish initiatives. A competent project manager is an exceptional communicator who choreographs resources with timelines. PMs are the connective tissue between top-level organizational mandates and the many teams that must coordinate to execute them. Coupled with all the expertise learned through an MHA education, health administrators in project management are leaders in realizing critical healthcare outcomes.

• Public Health

The Master of Healthcare Administration – Public Health track includes the advanced skills of an MHA degree enhanced with knowledge and practical skill-building in maintaining and improving population wellness. Environmental and occupational health are included in this course of study so that graduates can provide administrative leadership in public health for a variety of populations and needs. MHAs direct initiatives on local, regional, governmental, and global scales.

How to Become a Health Administrator

An MHA is an advanced degree, so you鈥檒l need to have a bachelor-level education or above to apply to a master鈥檚 program in health administration. You can usually complete this degree in about two years, and many programs are available online.

At WCU, our online MHA program allows students to complete their degree in as little as 8 months at the Accelerated Plus pace. You can also choose to complete your program in as little as 12 months at the Accelerated pace or 20 months at the Working Professional pace.

Steps to achieving an MHA include:

• Complete a bachelor鈥檚 degree (preferably in a related field)
• Research reputable and accredited programs that fit your needs
• Complete your MHA application (you can begin the here)
• After acceptance, enroll in your chosen program
• Complete coursework and requirements ()
• Opt to earn any of a long list of elective certifications to demonstrate specific competencies and commitment to continued education (certification is at-will and can be taken at any time during your career):
  • Compliance (CHC)
  • Risk Management (CPHRM)
  • Finance (CFHP)
  • Revenue (CRCE)
  • Informatics (RHIT)
  • Information and Management (CPHIMS)
  • Medical Management (CMM)
  • Quality Assurance (CPHQ)
  • Healthcare Access (CHAM)
• Secure employment in your specialization of choice

Earning an MHA degree requires hard work and passion, and the drive to take on a high-stakes, demanding, and rewarding position in healthcare leadership. Exceptional MHAs command the respect of the organizations they help run, and they enjoy the satisfaction of ensuring optimal outcomes for facilities, populations, and individuals.

The post Exploring a Master of Health Administration Degree and Its Concentrations appeared first on 国产主播.

Earning an MBA will help open the door to a wide range of careers in upper management. MBA students typically choose a sector of focus and enter a particular industry upon graduation. As of 2020, 96% or Fortune 100 companies and 77% of startups were for near-term hiring.

All MBA programs include the foundations of business to build on a bachelor-level degree, often 鈥� but not always 鈥� a BA or a BS from an undergraduate university or college. A Master of Business Administration (MBA) will offer :

• Finance
• Management
• Accounting
• Leadership
• Operations
• Economics
• Data analytics
• Business communication
• Business ethics
• Marketing
• Business strategy

This range of core disciplines will be complemented by coursework in your area of interest, so you鈥檒l not only receive a comprehensive education in business fundamentals and trends, but you鈥檒l also receive focused instruction through a curriculum designed to prepare you for your intended field. Profiled here are a few available online MBA programs with concentrations in project management and healthcare:

Featured Online MBA Degrees

The list of is long, so consider your preferred focus as you research schools and programs. Most MBAs require a two-year commitment for study, though there are some accelerated programs available for MBA candidates who want to achieve a degree quickly. We鈥檝e outlined three concentrations:

Health Administration and Leadership

This MBA is designed for students eager to lead as upper-level managers and executives who possess both business and healthcare acumen. MBA-Healthcare Administration and Leadership professionals oversee both healthcare delivery to patients and the working environments of providers. They take steps to boost both the health of the business and the health of consumers. Many Master of Business Administration programs are now available as online study with flexible schedules for working professionals. Learn about WCU鈥檚 MBA – Health Administration and Leadership track.

Project Management

Project management is a vital organ of any business; without it, a company ceases to function. As a project manager at any level, your job is to marshal an initiative from ideation to deployment, effectively coordinating resources, deadlines, and teams to move a business undertaking forward. MBAs with a concentration in project management are qualified for a range of professional pursuits, including in-house management, portfolio management, and consulting. Earning an MBA with a project management focus prepares you for the demands of this leadership role. And this advanced degree is a path to the highest tiers of management, including C-suite positions. Learn about WCU鈥檚 MBA – Project Management track.

Public Health

This degree is designed for students who want to work at a high level supporting the business side of public health. You receive all the training included in a Master of Business Administration with a concentration on the public health sector, its principles, and its policies. MBA-Public Health graduates are employed in a variety of leadership roles, from within hospitals to nonprofits to government. Pursuing an MBA in public health can prepare you to work in healthcare consulting, jobs for large healthcare-focused corporations like pharmaceutical companies, jobs for hospital systems, and more. In a public health MBA program, you鈥檒l study topics such as healthcare marketing and finance, technology, and additional healthcare-focused curricula to complement your MBA foundation. Learn about WCU鈥檚 MBA 鈥� Public Health track.

The post Exploring an MBA Degree in Healthcare or Project Management appeared first on 国产主播.

By Dr. Justin Ako
Dean, Online BSHA and MHA programs

When I think back on the things that made me the person and leader I am today, at or near the top of the list would have to be my upbringing in Hawai鈥檌, where the influence and importance of 鈥淥hana,鈥� family, are so intrinsically a part of the island culture.

I moved to the mainland in 2011 and to Texas in 2021, but the desire to treat those closest to me like family remains as strong as ever and is really the cornerstone of the culture I’ve tried to create and model as the Dean of the Online Bachelor and Masters of Health Administration programs at 国产主播.

ONE PROGRAM, ONE FAMILY

I treat the BSHA and MHA faculty like family, and collectively we treat our students like they are our own. 听Beyond being a reflection of my own values, I think it is also an especially vital driver of success for distance learners who don鈥檛 have all the natural support resources that come with being on a physical campus.

I鈥檓 with the students every step of the way along their journey, whether that鈥檚 an email or a zoom call, whether it鈥檚 to talk about a class or their career, whatever. And while some students may need more of a frequent touch, others may flourish with more space, and that鈥檚 something I鈥檝e learned to pick up along the way, but the common thread is that you are never alone at WCU, and that extends beyond graduation.

STUDENT SERVICES

Our career services team helps look for specific openings based on a student鈥檚 desired path, and then it shares those opportunities with the students. Of course, I will also be available for as much 鈥� or as little 鈥� assistance as a student may want with letters of recommendation, career advice, or just to lend an ear.

One student who knew my 鈥渙ffice hours鈥� better than most was Paolo Linao, and that鈥檚 what I鈥檓 here for; whether it鈥檚 a question about classwork or a program or a career, that鈥檚 the thing that gives me the greatest satisfaction, helping a student to achieve their goals 鈥� Paolo earned his BSHA in May 2021 and his MHA in May 2022.

In addition to being treated like family, students in our programs will experience a rich learning environment with instruction that will take them beyond theory to provide real-time, real-world examples to help to bridge the gap between the classroom and work in risk management, quality control, project management, leadership, creating and managing financial statements and creating policy.

We have been able to achieve that because our curriculum is taught by industry professionals 鈥� they鈥檝e worked on the floor, they鈥檝e worked in the field 鈥� and so they can give our students real-world examples as these events are happening.

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS

We鈥檝e also incorporated a number of technological advancements to enhance online learning:

• We have a 鈥渟treaming series鈥� that鈥檚 part of the first class (FYS002) in our BSHA program;
• We have added an app that allows for easy flow of communication between students and faculty; and
• We have created a partnership with LinkedIn that allows our students access to LinkedIn Learning where, among other things, they can earn certificates and obtain skills necessary to be competitive in the marketplace.

What鈥檚 more, students in the Online BSHA and MHA programs at 国产主播 can move at an accelerated pace if life allows for that or, if you鈥檙e one of the many people who feel like there aren鈥檛 ever enough hours in the day, you can move at a little slower pace.

To learn more about the BSHA or MHA programs, follow the links provided or feel free to reach out directly to me any time.

Mahalo,

Dr. Justin Ako
Dean, Online BSHA and MHA Programs, WCU

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The opinion is the individual鈥檚 sole opinion and not necessarily representative of that of the school, any instructor or any other student.

WCU provides career guidance and assistance but cannot guarantee employment.

WCU Distance education programs are delivered out of the California and Texas campuses and may not be available to residents in all states.

The post You鈥檙e Never Alone at WCU appeared first on 国产主播.

鈥淚f I had a crystal ball鈥�,鈥� is a phrase I have heard (and used!) many times in my professional career, especially over the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The reality is no one has a crystal ball to see into the future. Each of us holds our own crystal ball to the future of work, healthcare, and technology. The best steps we can take as professionals to prepare for the future are to commit to training, adaptability, and resilience 鈥� and understand that the future we are forging towards is very much a product of the work we put in today.

Training, adaptability, and resilience – I鈥檒l take some time to reflect on each of those themes with hindsight as 20-20 lens from my own career. I鈥檓 thankful for the opportunity to serve on WCU鈥檚 Program Advisory Committee to share my own experiences to serve the next generation of healthcare and business leaders.

Training

Training and professional development take many forms throughout one鈥檚 career and can be both formal and informal. Having the mindset of being a lifelong learner and choosing to seek out learning opportunities are important when deciding to further enhance one鈥檚 skillset, knowledge, and expertise. Identifying development opportunities that set your future self for success might seem challenging, but you can ask yourself if you are getting both practical knowledge and developmental depth out of the experience.

More than a decade ago, when technology and digital tools were only a small part of education and work, I committed to pursuing a healthcare administration MBA that was both in-person and online 鈥� this experience led me to opportunities within the professional side of healthcare and eventually inspired me to create a company first 鈥渞emote鈥� team. Being a part of a novel program dramatically shifted my mindset of how work could be done. When I made the decision to pursue the degree, I didn鈥檛 know that the skills I learned in my educational pursuit would so directly impact the skills I needed in my professional career 鈥� but looking back I can now see that the professional growth was a result of expanding my educational horizon.

Adaptability

I like to think of adaptability as evolution, but at a higher rate of speed. In today鈥檚 healthcare world, adaptability is of utmost importance 鈥� especially as we think about the rapidly changing landscape over the past several years.听 Technology has expanded to impact patient care in ways that will be a part of the future of healthcare including application of Artificial Intelligence, deep data integrations, streamlining clinical processes, and many other technological innovations developed through years of practice and research. The steps and care we take today with patient experience and outcomes in mind will set a higher bar of expectations in the future.

When I first began my career in healthcare, I couldn鈥檛 have imagined that there would be a Primary Care Physician I could access on-demand, 24/7 through a text-based app. 听But, because of innovation and adaptability within healthcare, coupled with advances in technology, I am a part of an organization (98point6脪) whose vision is to expand access to primary care by putting technology in the hands of providers.

Resilience

Resilience builds on adaptability; resiliency is being amenable to adaptability, sustained over time. Building resilience is not a singular moment or act but is a commitment to progress and persistence. Rather than shying away from resilience, we should seek out opportunities to become more resilient 鈥� embrace the unknowns, become comfortable with being uncomfortable, and remember that our journeys are not always linear.

Linking my present resiliency to the path it took to get here, it鈥檚 much easier to see a complete picture of my professional journey, starting my career in a new field of healthcare navigation at the forefront of the concept, to health plan leadership positions, to now developing virtual care strategies with health plans and other industry leading organizations. Resilience varies for each of us 鈥� for me, resilience is something I put into practice each day in a different way. Some days, resilience is a grind 鈥� other days, resilience is taking a deep breath and reflecting on the journey of what led us to the now.听 Without persistence and resilience, there is no progress.

The future is always unknown, but the day-to-day journey to get there is a strong indicator of what we will be prepared for in the future. Don鈥檛 be afraid to take the risks and challenge yourself and others 鈥� you just might find yourself leading others (crystal ball or not!) to a better future.

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About the Author

Mallory Sumner has more than a decade of healthcare leadership experience. Her healthcare career journey has included development and consulting work during the early days of healthcare navigation, leading large healthcare delivery teams for health plans, to her current role at 98point6 where she is responsible for virtual care strategy and growth. 98point6 is a healthcare technology company that provides on-demand virtual primary care and integrated behavioral health. Mallory holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of North Texas, a Master of Business Administration in Health Services Management from the University of North Texas Health Sciences Center School of Public Health. In December of 2022, Mallory will complete a Master of Legal Studies in Healthcare Law and Policy at Texas A&M University School of Law. Mallory is in the University of North Texas Athletics Hall of Fame (Class of 2018) for her athletic and academic accomplishments as a D-1 softball student athlete. Mallory resides in the Central Texas area with her husband, Andrew, and their three young children. She spends her free time coaching t-ball, reading, and enjoying extended family.

The post Work, Healthcare, and Technology 鈥� Who needs a Crystal Ball? appeared first on 国产主播.

If there鈥檚 a common thread among online or distance learning students, it鈥檚 being self-motivated and great with time management, and that is certainly the case with 国产主播 online MHA student Sarah Minici.

While working as an instructor at American Career College, Minici decided she wanted to return to healthcare and enrolled in the online Master of Health Administration program at 国产主播 in August 2020.

Even with an already busy schedule, between juggling her own coursework and her children鈥檚 school and sports activities, Minici continued to push herself. In late 2021, an opportunity was presented to her to do an online internship with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and she jumped at the chance. She always wanted to do something that could make a broad impact.

For Minici, who has an interest in mental health, that meant creating a series of mental health toolkits on topics like post-COVID and post-partum depression that were distributed to global health organizations connected to individuals living in parts of the world with expressed need.

鈥淢y overall takeaway from this internship was the massive amount of mental health services there are on a global level. I feel as a society there is a certain stigma attached to needing mental health resources,鈥� Minici said.

Minici said going through the MHA program, she now sees the impact administrators can make in a variety of settings, including mental health departments.

Minici has completed her internship and was scheduled to graduate in August 2022, but she requested to take her final two courses concurrently and is on track to graduate a few months early in May.

鈥淲ith work, school, family, I鈥檝e got a million things going on,鈥� Minici said. 鈥淥nline learning is for anyone who has organizational and time-management skills. It鈥檚 100 percent on you. I鈥檓 proof it can work.鈥�

听WCU Distance education programs are delivered out of the California and Texas campuses and may not be available to residents in all states.

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