Medical and Health Services Managers: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more

Education Required
Medical and health services managers typically need at least a bachelors degree to enter the occupation. However, masters degrees are common and sometimes preferred by employers. Graduate programs often last between 2 and 3 years and may include up to 1 year of supervised administrative experience in a hospital or healthcare consulting setting.
Job Outlook
The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: 20% (Much faster than average)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.)
Advancement
Medical and health services managers advance by moving into higher paying positions with more responsibility. Some health information managers, for example, can advance to become responsible for the entire hospitals information systems. Other managers may advance to top executive positions within the organization. Advancement to top level executive positions usually requires a masters degree.
Licenses/Certifications
All states require licensure for nursing home administrators; requirements vary by state. In most states, these administrators must have a bachelors degree, complete a state-approved training program, and pass a national licensing exam. Some states also require applicants to pass a state-specific exam; others may require applicants to have previous work experience in a healthcare facility. Some states also require licensure for administrators in assisted-living facilities. For information on specific state-by-state licensure requirements, visit the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards.
Median pay: How much do Medical and Health Services Managers make?
$96,540 Annual Salary
$46.41 per hour

Medical and health services managers, also called healthcare executives or healthcare administrators, plan, direct, and coordinate medical and health services. They may manage an entire facility, a specific clinical area or department, or a medical practice for a group of physicians. Medical and health services managers must adapt to changes in healthcare laws, regulations, and technology.

What do Medical and Health Services Managers do?

Medical and health services managers typically do the following:

  • Improve efficiency and quality in delivering healthcare services
  • Develop departmental goals and objectives
  • Ensure that the facility in which they work is up to date on and compliant with laws and regulations
  • Recruit, train, and supervise staff members
  • Manage the finances of the facility, such as patient fees and billing
  • Create work schedules
  • Prepare and monitor budgets and spending to ensure departments operate within funding limits
  • Represent the facility at investor meetings or on governing boards
  • Keep and organize records of the facilitys services, such as the number of inpatient beds used
  • Communicate with members of the medical staff and department heads

Medical and health services managers work closely with physicians and surgeons, registered nurses, medical and clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, and other healthcare workers. Others may interact with patients or insurance agents.

Medical and health services managers titles depend on the facility or area of expertise in which they work.

The following are examples of types of medical and health services managers:

Careers for Medical and Health Services Managers

  • Clinic directors
  • Clinical managers
  • Clinical services directors
  • Emergency medical service coordinators
  • Health information managers
  • Health services administrators
  • Health services directors
  • Health services managers
  • Healthcare administrators
  • Healthcare executives
  • Healthcare managers
  • Hospice directors
  • Hospice plan administrators
  • Hospital administrators
  • Hospital directors
  • Medical and health information managers
  • Medical directors
  • Medical records administrators
  • Medical services managers
  • Mental health program managers
  • Nursing home administrators
  • Nursing home managers
  • Nursing service directors
  • Occupational therapy directors
  • Public health administrators
  • Respiratory therapy directors
  • Speech and hearing therapy directors
  • Wellness directors
  • Wellness managers

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