What is Healthcare Management?
Oklahoma is a sparsely populated state in the middle of the country. Many may feel that it has little impact on the national economy, but that's far from the truth. Since Oklahoma is home to the nation's second largest industry for mining, quarrying, and oil & gas extraction, it has a huge impact on the national, and global, economy. In total, the industry for natural resources yields annual revenue in excess of $29 billion.
However, Oklahoma is more than mines and oil fields. The second strongest economic sector in the state is the real estate industry. Revenues from real estate, including rents and property sales, adds $19 billion to the state's annual balance sheet. Close behind is manufacturing, an economic powerhouse that brings in just under $19 billion in annual revenues and ranks 34th nationwide. Given the outsized importance of mining and oil to the state economy, it can be surmised that much of this manufacturing activity is dedicated to products related to the mines and oil fields.
A healthcare manager is a healthcare professional whose duties may look a lot like a business manager, but they naturally work in hospitals and other healthcare systems. Since many healthcare facilities operate with a very different business model than a for-profit companies, such as an oil company, its administrators need special academic training. Specifically, healthcare administrators need to understand a non-profit model, healthcare regulations, and the realities of healthcare delivery.
While we mainly think of healthcare managers as working for hospitals, they also work for clinics and private medical practices. They can work for a variety of healthcare and wellness practitioners such as psychologists and mental health therapists, chiropractors, and massage therapy practices. Healthcare administrators in these environments can be found working with information technology issues, accounting, medical equipment sales, pharmaceutical sales, human resources management, and healthcare marketing and public relations.
Featured Online Programs
Online Healthcare Management Education in Oklahoma
Coming in fourth statewide is the sector known as professional and business services. This economic class includes firms such as management consulting services, commercial laboratories, and waste management. This area ranks 32nd nationwide and generates $17 billion for Oklahoma every year. The fifth largest part of the Oklahoman economy is dedicated to social services including education, social assistance programs, and healthcare. This is a $15 billion industrial sector that is ranked 29th in the United States. Thus, health administration is a vital part of the Oklahoma economy.
To ensure that Oklahoma's healthcare sector is strong and well managed, the Oklahoman legislature is sure to keep its colleges and universities fully funded. They may even target the health administration degree programs to be certain that the sector continues its high level of quality care in Oklahoma. Oklahoma's healthcare administration degree departments use these funds wisely. They keep their materials and resources up to date and strive to recruit and maintain the best faculty members possible. These efforts extend from Oklahoma's community college system through the graduate degree programs in its universities.
Students interested in completing degree programs in health sciences or health care administration can find pertinent options all over the state from colleges and universities, as well as internships from health care organizations associated with a healthcare management education. These options include the University of Oklahoma health sciences center, Oklahoma State University, Northern Oklahoma College, etc. As you can see, Oklahoma City by itself has several options. These and other institutions offer degree programs aimed at preparing students to work in this field with programs focused on academic excellence and cutting edge management concepts. You could choose to complete a bachelor's and then move on to an MHA program or MSN program, depending on your interests and previous education. Graduates can work in nursing homes, managed care facilities, executive positions, and more. Working adults can complete their degrees in person or through a fully online format.
Online Associates (AS)
An associate healthcare management degree is a terrific way to enter the field of healthcare administration. Students in community colleges can attain a great deal of knowledge and skill that they apply to their work in healthcare systems. Associate degrees are available that cover healthcare informatics, healthcare accounting, and healthcare marketing. Many community colleges also have degree programs in allied health fields and nursing. Elective courses in these areas will help inform any health administration degree student's educational journey.
Students with an associate degree in health care administration can also start their careers in a healthy financial position. Community college credits are far more inexpensive than those from a four-year degree granting institution. They may also get started in an entry-level position and find that their employer's tuition reimbursement program will cover the remaining two years for their bachelor’s degree. After all, practically every associate degree holder has completed the core college curriculum required by four-year degree programs.
National Rankings - Best Healthcare Management AssociatesOnline Bachelors (BS)
A four-year health administration degree is probably the optimal starting point for anyone aspiring to a career in healthcare administration. Students who can buckle down for the four years often find that healthcare systems are eager to see their resumes, whether they earn a health sciences or healthcare management degree. Students in these programs are often able to focus their academic work with specialized courses in areas such as healthcare finance or public relations, among others.
Bachelor’s healthcare management degree students can further inform their work with a minor concentration in a related area. Healthcare informatics is a popular choice since medical records are increasingly found on databases. Students might also branch out into economics, public health, or even statistics to become more well-rounded and thus better, and more hirable, employees. Along the way, bachelor’s healthcare management degree students may also take courses in allied health topics that help provide more insight into the realities of medicine.
National Rankings - Best Healthcare Management BachelorsOnline Masters (MS)
These days, most professionals are considering a master’s degree and healthcare professionals are no exception. A master’s healthcare administration degree is a great way to boost a career to the next level. Students might consider the MHA, as it is similar to a Master of Business Administration (MBA). In fact, many MBA students concentrate in healthcare and then enter that industry upon graduation. There are many other options for healthcare workers seeking a master’s degree including healthcare informatics or health information systems, public relations, accounting, and more.
Much like an MBA program, MHA degree programs can be found in traditional campus, online, or hybrid formats. Online master’s degree programs may be optimal for Oklahoma's healthcare professionals who have fewer educational institutions available to them, at least in their immediate area. Further, an online MHA enables a student to continue working while they study.
National Rankings - Best Healthcare Management MastersOnline Doctorate (PhD)
Much like the traditional business community, the healthcare industry doesn't place a huge premium on a PhD or doctorate in healthcare administration. However, that may change given the dearth of MHA degrees now found in healthcare systems nationwide. Furthermore, a doctorate in healthcare informatics could be very useful given the increasing complexity and importance of technology solutions in healthcare. Hospitals are often targets of hackers who hold medical records hostage for millions of dollars, so an informatics professional with a doctorate in cryptography or another cyber security specialty could be highly valued.
Doctorate degree holders also find that they can launch a career in academia. While a master’s degree is sufficient to teach in a college, a PhD is necessary to teach at the graduate level. Further, a doctorate is necessary to land a full-time tenure track position. The degree is also terrific for finding work as a healthcare consultant. Hospitals and other medical systems like to hire academics to conduct in-depth studies of their systems.
Learn more about healthcare management resources and scholarships Read our financial aid guideBecome a Healthcare Management in Oklahoma
Healthcare is a huge part of the Oklahoman and national economies. It's a feature of modern society that nearly everyone encounters at some point in their life, if not regularly. Thus, it's an industry that is very attractive to many students. However, not every student is interested in joining the medical, or clinical, side of the healthcare industry. Rather, they are businesspeople who want to help patients achieve their best outcomes.
To become a healthcare manager, students can take many different roads. However, all roads start in high school. These days, students in more urban areas have a wider variety of schools they can attend. Some of these may even focus on STEM subjects, including business or medicine. If such a high school is available, students can begin their path to success in healthcare with focused high school coursework.
College is naturally where most healthcare management careers are born, but this can come in many different forms. Most will study healthcare management or administration in a dedicated degree program through their college or university. However, other students may start their path in a traditional business management degree program. This is a valid approach, but typical business courses won't cover the specific issues that impact health systems such as insurance billing, state healthcare regulations, and more. Other students may focus on a pre-med or nursing program.
Many students who start their healthcare careers on the clinical side find that they eventually shift over to administration. This is often a natural progression from, say, work as a registered nurse that becomes a supervisory position and then a managerial one. At this point, it's a good idea to either complete a bachelor’s degree with a healthcare administration major or to jump into a Master of Healthcare Administration degree (MHA).
In any case, all healthcare management students and workers should place an MHA as a top priority. With an MHA, they can expand their career horizons as well as their paychecks. Thus, many undergraduate students start evaluating the best MHA programs during their third year of college. This approach will save time and trouble down the road since they will always be able to their evergreen academic credentials.
Potential Careers for Healthcare Management Graduates
- Administrative Support Specialist
Every organization needs administrative support. Support specialists help keep operations humming with a variety of tasks including fielding email, photocopying documents, and collating materials. Depending on the specific industry, administrative support specialists may answer phones and organize meetings. This is an entry-level position for most workers. - Medical Secretary
These specialized support workers may have focused knowledge of the medical field including being able to do medical transcription, code medical records, and work with insurers when it comes time to bill for service. Medical secretaries are a vital part of healthcare administration. - Patient Service Representative
Healthcare is complex and often overwhelming. Patient service representatives help patients understand their options and the system in general. They can help translate medical jargon into understandable language or even into a different language, if needed. PSRs may come from a social work background. - Healthcare Finance Manager
These healthcare management professionals govern the lifeblood of any healthcare system: the money. They determine whether purchasing expensive medical equipment is a fiscally sound decision and how the health system should invest its money. Finance professionals should be knowledgeable of non-profit tax status and regulations. - Chief Executive Officer
Every CEOs desk should have a plaque saying, "the buck stops here". That's because they bear ultimate responsibility for everything that happens in their company. CEOs typically have an MBA or, if they work in healthcare, an MHA. They may have started as entry-level management personnel, but some were clinical providers prior to making the transition to administration. - Physician Practice Manager
Even small clinics and physician practices need administrative support. A physician practice manager can keep the clinic or practice humming like a well-oiled machine. They keep the office stocked with the hypodermic needles, gauze, and sterile tongue depressors the doctors need while also overseeing billing, scheduling, and more. - Hospice Administrator
Hospice facilities are an increasingly important part of the healthcare system. Hospice administrators oversee the hospice doctors and nurses in their facility. Administrators may also help welcome families and their loved ones into the hospice facility. Hospice administrators need to ensure that every clinical worker is adhering to regulations so they can keep the facility out of legal jeopardy. - Chief Compliance Officer
Compliance is a vital part of any business or healthcare system. Chief compliance officers oversee the entire organization to ensure that all rules and regulations are followed. They also keep tabs on new and upcoming regulations so that their organization can make the necessary adjustments. - Healthcare Consultant
These professionals tend to have a Master of Healthcare Administration or an MBA degree. Healthcare consultants tend to focus on one part of the healthcare picture such as healthcare informatics, clinical procedure, accounting, or corporate finance. A healthcare consultant can specialize in any area that a typical business consultant can, but under the rubric of healthcare. - Assisted Living Administrator or Nursing Home Administrator
These healthcare workers oversee end of life care for many of their patients. Assisted living facilities can come in many different forms and may cater to all levels of elder care. They also fall under the purview of certain laws, so administrators need to be cognizant of the relevant legal issues for the purposes of compliance.
Search All Programs