7 Reasons you Should get a MHA Degree

We are living in an age where the importance of our healthcare workers is undeniable. Everyone knows that doctors and nurses are important and that our society relies heavily upon them. That has become painfully evident during the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus. But the truth of the matter is that our healthcare system is made of many occupations that are much more behind the scenes. The roles these individuals play is equally crucial in the medical field. For those looking to further their education and career in the healthcare industry, if being a hero isn’t enough of a reason, here are several more reasons you should consider getting a MHA degree.
- You want a needed and growing career
Atypical pandemics aside, America is facing an aging population. The healthcare industry is seeing a boom of patients not only in hospitals and doctors offices, as one would expect, but also in long-term care facilities and needing home care. Often the leaders and managers of the places that provide this sort of care come from a health administration background. The entire healthcare industry is growing, but health administration in particular is growing by 18% according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is much higher than other occupations.
- You excel at planning, organizing and managing
Healthcare administrators may not be on the frontlines, but they are the ones who make the healthcare world go around. This career will find you managing large groups of healthcare professionals and making wide reaching, important decisions. It is a job of high responsibility, and likewise, high reward. You can put your talents in strategic thinking and leadership of others to work for the betterment of society.
- You want to help improve the healthcare system
As a health administrator you will be at or near the top of the totem pole in your field. You may find yourself to be the CEO of a hospital, a job which will give you the power, and also the responsibility, to make a positive difference in your community. Even serving on the executive board of a hospital or as the manager of a small group practice will provide you with the ability to affect many lives beyond your own. In a time when our country is struggling with multiple ideas surrounding healthcare reform, you can be on the front lines of making progress.
- You kind of don’t want to deal with patients
No one ever said you have to be an extroverted, people person who battled their way through med school in order to have a positive effect on the lives of others in the medical field. This is typically our first idea when we think of a healthcare professional, but that is only scratching the surface of possibilities. Moving your way through the ranks of the health administration world may have you spending more time in your office than in the examination room, but fear not. You will be making waves on a more broad level to benefit many people at one time. You can have a passion for healthcare even if you are not overly excited about the idea of seeing patients all day, everyday.
- You want many types of job opportunities
A job in health administration offers you a surprisingly wide variety of job opportunities to choose from. If you don’t want to work in a hospital you can work at a nursing home, clinic, group practice or recovery facility. If you are more interested in the business and finance side of healthcare you can find a role in which you help build and maintain sustainable practices that keep down costs for patients. If you want to work closely with people but don’t want to go to med school you can find a position in a human resource role. The possibilities with a MHA degree are refreshingly varied.
- You want to combine two passions into one job
As we stated above, health admin workers find themselves in some pretty interesting roles in the healthcare industry. Getting accepted into a MHA degree program can be achieved with a bachelor’s degree in a related field. Some choose to couple a MHA with their business administration degree to get a job in the medical finance or business realm. Others will match their public relations degree with a MHA to follow a career as a lead spokesperson for a hospital. With hard work and a strong vision, you really can have it all.
- You want a lucrative career
After receiving your MHA degree, you will be walking into a career field that is very lucrative. With just a bachelor’s, the median salary available to you will be approximately $58,000. Once you have stepped up your level of education, that average salary raises to $100,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. With job security in a growing field and a strong salary to back it, a career in health administration is a great choice.