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Health Information Administrator |
Career OverviewHealth information administrators are expected to enjoy rapid employment growth and increased job opportunities in offices of health practitioners, general medical and surgical hospitals, home health care services and outpatient care centers.
Health care is a business and, as such, it needs good managers and administrators for optimum performance. Health informatin administrators, also known as health service managers, plan, direct, coordinate, and supervise the delivery of health care in all of the settings in which it is delivered. With specialist training, health service administrators oversee the running of specialist clinical departments; generalist managers help to manage entire facilities.
At present, the health care system is changing dramatically. The structure and financing of the industry is changing rapidly and there is an increased need for dynamic approaches to the problems of inefficiency and high cost.
Large medical facilities generally work with several administrators; several administrators assist the chief administrator to handle general managerial decisions that need to be made on a daily basis. For the most part, administrators direct activities in nursing, surgery, therapy, medical records, and health information. They are also responsible for the maintenance and security of patient records and the general organization of databases for the health care facility.
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Career RequirementsHealth information administrators must be familiar with management principles and practices to do their job. A prerequisite for this career is at least a bachelor’s degree, but generally a master’s degree, in health service administration, long-term care, health sciences, public health, public administration, or business administration.
Undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral level programs in health administration are offered by colleges, universities, and schools of public health, medicine, allied health, public administration, and business administration. As of 2005, seventy schools in the United States were accredited to offer master’s degrees in health services administration according to the Commission on Accredited Health Care Management.
In some instances, licensing is required, but this varies from state-to-state and depends on the nature of the position.
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Job OutlookHealth information administrators held about 248,000 jobs in 2004. Approximately 30% of these worked in private hospitals and another 16% worked in physicians’ offices or nursing care facilities.
Employment for health information administrators is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through 2014. The health care industry is expected to expand and diversify through this period, creating this expansion of job opportunities for health information administrators.
In general practices, medical and general hospitals, employment opportunities are expected to be particularly good. Applicants with work experience in the health care field and strong business and management skills should have the best opportunities.
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Career TrackMost health information administrators work long hours but work in comfortable, private offices, often with assistant staff members to help them in their work load. They mostly work in facilities that are in operation around the clock, so there may be instances in which they are required to work overtime to deal with problems.
Health information administrators are supervisors and promotion, if it is possible, comes in the form of salary increases or transfers to larger faculties.
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CompensationMost health information administrators earn between $55,000 and $90,000 per year. Salaries are expected to remain competitive. The highest ten percent in this professional group will earn more than $100,000 pear year.
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