Rising to the top of the healthcare industry doesn't always require an M.D. 真正的, physicians and surgeons are the top decision makers when it comes to patients' health, but other healthcare workers also have vital roles to play. Professionals throughout the medical industry ensure the well-being of patients and lead the industry in their own right.
介绍医疗保健管理人员
而 医疗管理 and administrators don't get the same star treatment as physicians — after all, how many television shows are there about hospital managers? — their work does make a major impact on patient health and safety.
医疗保健是一个复杂的行业, 高风险和许多竞争的优先事项, and 医疗管理 and administrators must juggle them effectively. Though they work behind the scenes at medical facilities, the decisions they make are critical to patients' experiences. 的y're typically responsible for establishing policies, 监测护理质量, 制定工作时间表, 负责招聘, 理财, and complying with the latest laws and regulations.
整体, 医疗管理 and administrators are responsible for making healthcare facilities run smoothly. 的y work in a wide variety of settings, including 养老院, doctors' offices and hospitals. Large hospitals might have several levels of administrators, with higher-ups responsible for major decisions, and assistants in charge of day-to-day management or particular departments.
Today, healthcare increasingly relies on technology. 结果是, some 医疗管理 and administrators have begun specializing in health information management. 的 Obama administration announced this summer that more than half of the nation's 健康记录现在是电脑化的 under a program funded by the 2009 stimulus bill. This trend is likely to continue as more doctors and healthcare facilities follow suit.
必要的教育
不像医生, who typically graduate from a four-year college, medical school and a residency before their education is officially complete, 医疗管理 and administrators are often required to have a bachelor's degree, 通常在卫生管理部门. 公共卫生研究生学位, health administration or a similar field are helpful, especially for those who want to run large or especially complex institutions.
就业前景
美国.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a sunny job outlook for medical and health services managers (the agency's term for 医疗管理 and administrators). 的 BLS projects that the occupation will add about 68,在2010年至2020年期间，创造1万个就业岗位, 以…的速度增长 22%. That's faster than the roughly 14-percent projected growth for all occupations combined.
Job prospects are excellent throughout healthcare. 的 BLS has identified healthcare and social assistance as the nation's fastest-growing sector, 它应该加5.2010年至2020年期间新增600万个就业岗位. 为什么增长这么快?? 的 婴儿潮一代正在老龄化: 的 oldest boomers turned 65 in 2011, and all of them will have reached that milestone by 2030. This huge segment of the population (26 percent) is expected to consume health services at unprecedented rates.
Advances in medical technology are also contributing to the industry's growth, with doctors and patients eager to use new technology to diagnose and treat illnesses. 在2008年的一份题为“Technological Change and the Growth of Health Care Spending,国会预算办公室注意到了这一点, 虽然很难得到一个精确的测量, “about half of all growth in health care spending in the past several decades was associated with changes in medical care made possible by advances in technology.”
的se factors will create demand for 医疗管理 and administrators in both existing healthcare facilities and the new ones likely to open. 增长的可能性尤其大 养老院 and other facilities that care for the elderly, according to the BLS. 除了, 医疗管理 and administrators will be needed in doctors' offices and group practices as patient care evolves to new facilities as the population ages.
If you want to be part of an industry that helps people and is expected to continue to grow at a healthy rate, you might be a good fit for the healthcare industry. Administrators and managers are important in influencing the care and experience of patients, even if the patient and the administrator never meet.
