6 Essential Health Care Administration Skills

Health care is an important industry that goes beyond mere service for profit — health care practitioners provide care to patients to maintain or improve their health. However, meeting this goal requires the industry to take a business-like approach to ensure that providing health care remains as effective and efficient. This is why health care administrators are so important. While the duties of different health care roles vary, they all share the goal of improving operational efficiency.

To succeed in these roles, health care professionals need a set of core competencies. These health care administration skills can be cultivated through an undergraduate program such as a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management, and refined through work in the field. For anyone interested in pursuing a career in health care administration, it is important to understand why these core skills are important.

What Is Health Care Administration?

Health care administration focuses on the day-to-day operations of health care facilities such as hospitals, clinics, private practices and long-term care facilities. Professionals in administrative roles oversee business functions to make sure facilities run smoothly.

Some core tasks associated with health care administration include the following:

Governance and leadership
Finance management
Human resources management
Patient safety and quality assurance
Health systems and information technology (IT)

While these tasks don’t involve direct interaction with patients, they can directly affect their care. When these areas run effectively, activities that involve patients can proceed with minimal delays or issues.

Ultimately, the work of health care administrators can improve a facility’s ability to deliver the best possible care to patients.

Core Health Care Administration Skills

Health care administration can only be effective when administrators have the right skills and experience. The following health care administration skills help individuals effectively oversee the complexities of a facility’s operations.

1. Business Administration

Coordinating the components of facility operation is fundamental to the success of health care administration. It’s a process that includes setting and achieving goals through planning, leadership and guidance. Having strong business administration skills in leadership, organization, communication, time management and economics allows people to approach health care as a business and make the decisions necessary to move the facility forward.

2. Finance and Budgeting

A facility’s economics go hand in hand with business administration. The ability to set budgets based on available resources can reduce waste and ensure profitability. This helps facilities maintain operations and plan for future growth.

3. Technical Competency

Technology and health care are always becoming more integrated. Because of this, health care administrators need to understand the various technological systems and programs used to streamline health care operations. This can include learning how to use specialized programs and systems unique to the health care industry, such as medical billing software or electronic health records (EHRs).

4. Data Analysis

Health care administrators must be adept at gathering, analyzing, interpreting and storing massive amounts of information. Because this data can be sensitive, it is important that those in the role understand how to handle data effectively. Even small errors can have big ramifications.

5. Quality Assurance

Delivering high-quality patient care is the primary goal of all health care facilities. Health care administrators must be able to assess a facility’s performance to ensure that employees meet established standards and provide the best possible care.

6. Soft Skills

Effective soft skills are key to a positive work environment, and they help administrators resolve issues, manage staff and navigate communication between different groups. Key soft skills include communication, organization, critical thinking and problem solving.

The Benefits of a Health Care Administration Degree

Earning a health care administration degree is typically the first step toward a career in health care management. The degree helps individuals develop the health care administration skills they need to succeed in administrative roles.

Beyond skill development, there are other advantages for earning the degree and pursuing a role in the field:

Competitive compensation: The median annual salary for individuals with a bachelor of science in health care administration was approximately $70,000 as of April 2024, according to Payscale.
Job opportunities: Health care administration includes a range of different health care management jobs to consider. Some allow specialization in a specific area, such as managing medical records or coordinating responses to issues like sudden increases in patient admissions during health care emergencies.
Career growth: The health care administration skills a health care administration degree teaches skills that support individuals throughout their careers. The field offers a variety of ways to advance — including to the level of a health care executive.

Take the First Step Toward a Fulfilling Career

Without competent, effective administrators, patient care can suffer. But with the right health care administration skills, professionals can support the clinical work of physicians and nurses which leads to healthy, satisfied patients.

App State Online’s Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management degree can prepare you for a role in this critical field. Our curriculum is designed to help you cultivate the knowledge that’s fundamental for effective health care administrative work, along with the skills necessary to put this knowledge to use. Find out how we can help you excel in a rewarding career.

Recommended Readings

Health Care Management vs. Health Care Administration

A Look at Health Care Management and Nutrition

Sources:

Cureus, “Improving Patient Outcomes Through Effective Hospital Administration: A Comprehensive Overview”

Indeed, Health Care Administration Skills (Plus How to Improve Them)

LinkedIn, “10 Soft Skills that Every Healthcare Professional Needs”

Payscale, Bachelor of Science (BS/BSc), Health Care Administration Degree

Teal, What Skills Does a Healthcare Administrator Need?

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical and Health Services Managers