If you鈥檙e drawn to working in the healthcare industry, but you鈥檙e not interested in a patient-facing position, you may be the right fit for a healthcare administration or healthcare management role.
Individuals in these types of roles work behind the scenes to help ensure that healthcare facilities and teams are running efficiently so they can deliver quality patient care while maximizing profitability for the organization.

But what鈥檚 the difference between healthcare administration and healthcare management? While there are big areas of overlap between these professional fields, they do have some key distinctions.

What Is Healthcare Management?

Healthcare management involves leading and overseeing the business activities of a healthcare facility or organization, such as a hospital, clinic, or healthcare system. While a healthcare management role may involve a certain level of administration of day-to-day operations, this type of professional is more heavily focused on the big-picture strategy and business operations.

Here are some examples of some of the more business-focused duties that are typical of
healthcare management jobs:

• Strategic planning and goal setting
• Budgeting and finance management
• Implementation of IT systems
• Purchasing of medical equipment and supplies
• Management of contracts and service agreements
• Oversight of relationships with business and community partners
• Quality assurance for the delivery of patient care
• Compliance review, helping to ensure the facility or organization is complying with laws and regulations

Healthcare managers may be in charge of a specific department or division within a healthcare organization or facility, or they may have a larger role, such as the role of an executive who oversees an entire facility or multiple facilities.

What Is Healthcare Administration?

While healthcare administration does require management skills and understanding of business strategy, this field tends to be more heavily focused on overseeing staff and the day-to-day operations of a healthcare unit or facility.

A few common healthcare administrator duties include:

• Recruiting, hiring, and onboarding new clinicians or staff members
• Creating and managing staff schedules
• Addressing staff-related needs and concerns
• Managing the delivery of patient care services and evaluating opportunities for improvement
• Overseeing technical processes such as billing and health informatics
• Addressing daily operational needs such as by ordering medical supplies

Some health administrators may also carry out some of the same business-focused duties that health managers perform, such as budgeting, financial oversight, and regulatory compliance review.

Common Job Titles Within Health Administration & Healthcare Management

Health administrators and managers can hold many different types of jobs which may vary in seniority level, depending on the role. Here are just a couple of potential job titles for people who work in these two fields.

Potential Healthcare Administration Job Titles:

• Clinical Director
• Healthcare Executive
• Hospital Administrator
• Practice Administrator
• Nursing home Administrator

Potential Healthcare Management Job Titles:

• Executive Director
• Hospital Manager
• Health Information Manager
• Health Services Manager

Educational Requirements for Healthcare Administrators and Manager

vary by employers. Some healthcare employers may require a minimum of a bachelor鈥檚 degree while others may require or prefer a minimum of a master鈥檚 degree. A couple of degrees that serve as natural a natural segue into healthcare administrator and healthcare manager roles include the following:

• Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (BSHA)
• Master of Health Administration (MHA)

While the degrees noted above have 鈥渉ealth administration鈥� in the name, they often include education on healthcare management practices. Additionally, prospective students especially interested in business strategy and management within the healthcare industry may also want to consider a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a specialization in health administration.

BSHA, MHA, and MBA – Health Administration programs often include courses on topics including but not limited to the following (as they pertain to healthcare settings):

• Financial management
• Project management
• Leadership models
• Legal and ethical issues
• Information systems
• Strategic planning
• Risk management
• Hospital administration and management

WCU Programs for Aspiring Healthcare Administrators & Managers

Below are some details about BSHA, MHA, and MBA programs offered at 国产主播:

Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (BSHA)

• Instruction Method: Online
• Duration:
  • 40 Months at the Accelerated Pace
  • 80 months at the Working Professional Pace
• Specializations:
  • Finance
  • Strategic Management

Master of Health Administration (MHA)

• Instruction Method: Online
• Duration:
  • 8 months at the Accelerated Plus Pace
  • 12 months at the Accelerated Pace
  • 20 months at the Working Professional Pace
• Specializations:
  • Informatics
  • Organizational Leadership
  • Project Management
  • Public Health

Master of Business Administration (MBA) – Health Administration & Leadership

• Instruction Method: Online
• Duration:
  • 12 months at the Accelerated Pace
  • 24 months at the Working Professional Pace
• Specializations:
  • Health Administration & Leadership

Healthcare managers and administrators play an important role in turning healthcare facilities in
teams into well-oiled machines so they can achieve organizational efficiency while providing positive experiences for patients.

Click on the links above to learn more about these WCU programs, or fill out the form on this page to get your questions about a program answered

The post Healthcare Administration vs. Healthcare Management: What鈥檚 the Difference? appeared first on 国产主播.

If you鈥檙e thinking about launching a business venture within the healthcare sector, you鈥檙e definitely onto something.

From the rising healthcare needs of aging Baby Boomers to advances in technology to demands for premium experiences from healthcare consumers, there鈥檚 ample opportunity for entrepreneurs who are looking to disrupt the marketplace with new ideas and solutions.

There鈥檚 no questioning the opportunities that abound 鈥� but what does it take to be a successful healthcare entrepreneur? Here鈥檚 a list of the top five qualities that are essential for making it in the world of healthcare business venturing.

1. Passion-Driven Vision

The best healthcare entrepreneurs are focused on the big picture. They have a vision for not just starting a business or making money, but for solving real problems within the healthcare industry and subsequently creating better experiences and outcomes for patients, healthcare providers, and/or other parties within the system.

Creating and sustaining a healthcare business takes a lot of time, energy, and resources. Having a passion for what you鈥檙e doing can help keep you motivated through all the ups and downs you are bound to encounter in your entrepreneurial journey.

Whether you鈥檙e designing tech-based solutions to streamline health administration processes or you鈥檙e providing public health solutions that give the masses better access to care, you should always have a strong grasp of your 鈥渨hy鈥� and let that passion serve as the momentum that propels you.

2. Understanding of the Healthcare Industry

You can鈥檛 create business solutions for the healthcare space unless you have an in-depth understanding of how this industry works, including its current systems, challenges, and needs. Healthcare entrepreneurs should have knowledge in areas such as health administration best practices, payer-provider dynamics, healthcare laws and regulations, health system infrastructure, healthcare information management, health technologies, and more.

While healthcare entrepreneurs do not have to be licensed clinicians, they should be familiar with the world of clinical care, especially if they plan to open and operate a clinical practice or provide solutions that support clinicians.

3. A Business Mindset

Passion and understanding of the healthcare industry aren鈥檛 enough to help you build a thriving healthcare business or practice. You should also have a strong grasp of business and managerial best practices, as you will be securing capital, managing budgets, building teams, overseeing operations, and more.

As a healthcare entrepreneur, you will need to understand topics such as:

• Budgeting and finance
• Marketing
• Organizational leadership
• Business law and ethics
• Strategic planning
• Operations management

You can build a solid foundation for future entrepreneurship and business management in healthcare by earning a business degree, such as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a specialization in an area such as health administration or public health. You may even want to consider a Master of Health Administration (MHA) or a Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (BSHA).

4. An Eye for Innovation

With the rise of and applications in healthcare, there鈥檚 plenty of opportunity for innovation. From health-tracking mobile apps to integrated health information management systems to smart medical devices to unique healthcare service offerings, healthcare entrepreneurs have the chance to disrupt the current marketplace with new solutions that meet healthcare consumers鈥� or providers鈥� needs in a whole new way.

Healthcare entrepreneurs need to be able to think outside the box and also think long-term so they can come up with unique product and service offerings that stand out from the competition while sustaining strong positioning in the marketplace over the long run.

5. Resilience

There will be times that you will feel stretched thin (at least until you can grow your business to the point of hiring others for some of these roles), and you will undoubtedly come across challenges along the way.

Successful healthcare entrepreneurs don鈥檛 give up easily when faced with challenges, they use creative problem-solving to get through business setbacks, and use their passion-driven vision (see #1 on this list) as their motivation to keep moving forward.

Work Toward Your Goal with an MBA

国产主播 helps provide the foundational education that students need to become business leaders and entrepreneurs. Explore our online MBA program, which offers specializations in Health Administration and Leadership, Public Health, and Project Management.

WCU also offers a Master of Health Administration program, which offers specializations in
Informatics, Organizational Leadership, Project Management, and Public Health.

If you鈥檙e interested in a bachelor鈥檚 degree program, WCU offers a BS in Health Administration
program, which offers specializations in Finance and Strategic Management.

WCU is here to help equip you with the tools you need to make a difference in healthcare!

The post The Top 5 Qualities of Healthcare Entrepreneurs 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.

The post Q&A with WCU MHA Professor Jake Redden: Post-Pandemic Hospital Administration appeared first on 国产主播.

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.

The post Organizational Leadership Careers in Healthcare and Business appeared first on 国产主播.

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.

Paolo Linao鈥檚 professional and educational journey in healthcare began nearly 20 years ago when he arrived in the United States from the Philippines.

It actually began a bit before his arrival in the U.S. 鈥� he鈥檇 already completed three years of college in the Philippines 鈥� but when he arrived here, he began studying vocational nursing and then became an LVN (Licensed Vocational Nurse) working in home health and hospice care in 2006.

After establishing himself professionally, like many LVN鈥檚, he always thought about getting his BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) and knew he wanted to go back to school, but over time his focus shifted from nursing to administration and compliance and so he began researching schools with Health Administration degrees.

Another influence on his decision to return to school was the change in Medicare regulations that, beginning in 2017, required Home Health Administrators to have an undergraduate degree.

鈥淚 was researching schools and when I got to 国产主播, I spoke to admissions and Dr. (Justin) Ako (Dean of the Online BSHA and MHA programs) and got a real sense of the culture of the university. I felt like Dr. Ako was really genuine 鈥� as was everyone,鈥� Linao said. 鈥淔rom the beginning, I felt like they wanted me to succeed.鈥�

And succeed he certainly did. He completed his BSHA in May 2021 with a 4.0, earning Summa Cum Laude recognition.

鈥淢y intuition (about the culture at 国产主播) was validated, everyone made sure that I succeeded,鈥� Linao said. 鈥淓ven when COVID hit, everyone was there for me. Even though they were going through the same scary event, they asked if I was okay, if I needed anything.

鈥淥nce you begin, they will give you all the assistance because once you succeed, they will feel like they鈥檙e successful as well,鈥� he said.

The ink had barely dried on his BSHA diploma before Linao began thinking about what was next, and with a head start on an MHA degree 鈥� thanks to the alignment of WCU鈥檚 BSHA and MHA programs that allows for some BSHA classes to be counted toward your MHA degree 鈥� he jumped right back in and began an accelerated one-year Online MHA Public Health track at WCU.

鈥淪ome of my classes carried over so that was a big plus in my decision-making process in addition to saving money (through the Alumni Pathway Grant),鈥� Linao said.

He recently graduated with his MHA degree and will be going through the full ceremony with fellow 国产主播 graduates in Anaheim, Ca. on July 9th. In the meantime, he鈥檒l be busy performing his duties as the Chief Operating Officer at a Certified Home Health Facility in Koreatown, in downtown Los Angeles.

Having completed three years of college in a classroom and three and a half years online, Linao has as good a perspective as anyone in terms of what the similarities and differences are, and what it takes to be successful when enrolling in an exclusively online program.

鈥淚f I was going to give one piece of advice to new online students, it鈥檇 be to establish a routine and stick to it. That routine will make or break you,鈥� he said.

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Please feel free to tour our site to learn more about the Online BSHA and MHA programs, or any of our other Online Programs.

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 WCU Alumni Profile: MHA Grad Paolo Linao 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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The post WCU Online MHA Student Explores Interest in Mental Health Services during Red Cross Internship appeared first on 国产主播.

With his colleague鈥檚 formulas and Ziad鈥檚 aptitude for business, B.H. Skin Products took off. 听However, Ziad always knew skin care wasn鈥檛 his passion. 鈥淚 felt that this must be just a bridge for me to do some work听bigger听than this.鈥�

Ziad went on to pursue his master鈥檚 of health administration through 国产主播鈥檚 online program 鈥� and it was during this time that a new idea began to form.

鈥湽鞑� helped me to understand my career and how to direct my passion towards what I have a strength in. So basically, it was the link between my passion, the strength of its education, and the market opportunities,鈥� Ziad said. He shared his vision with his professors and the dean of the Master of Health Administration program and got the support he needed to make his idea a reality.

Now, Ziad is the co-founder of a non-profit organization that focuses on medical research and development. Most notably, the company has applied for a patent for a device to help treat blood cancers. Ziad has helped the project go from a simple concept to product development to working with a lab to turn it into reality.

Where do you see your organization growing to next?听

There鈥檚 a vision for the company, which is to develop the blood cancer device and then update new versions, and at the same time do a telemedicine or mobile clinic app. Because everything is going to be remote from now onward, I am looking to do more in telemedicine.

I鈥檓 going slow in this because at this time I still have so many things on my plate 鈥� and the most important thing right now is to finish my doctorate.

You completed your MHA online. Do you have any advice for students beginning or considering an online program?听

The most important thing is preparation. Before going into the homework and assignments, you have to prepare yourself. You have to read the chapters given by instructors on the syllabus, and then you have to do your own research.

Do you think it鈥檚 obtainable for people at any point of their lives to go back for a master鈥檚 degree?听

Yes. All you need is you need to have the passion. Second, you have to follow up. Always open your laptop, see what you have for your weekly assignments. And then learn 鈥� if you like learning, yes, it鈥檚 manageable.

The healthcare profession is something that鈥檚 about caring for others and helping them to heal and if somebody has the passion, they are going to succeed.

The post WCU MHA Alumni Ziad George Finds His Calling in Healthcare Research and Development appeared first on 国产主播.