Some aspects of health care management overlap with health care administration, and the terms are often used synonymously. Health care administration involves more direct daily management in health care facilities, such as a head nurse who is responsible for scheduling nurses on a certain floor of the hospital. Health care management would refer to an individual who is in charge of directing an entire health care facility.
Health care management and health care administration have only subtle differences, and not every master’s or doctorate program will label the course of study in the same fashion. Sometimes health administration will involve policy making decisions, and sometimes health care management will involve that.
There is an MBA offered at the University of Phoenix Online that specializes in health care management. This course of study prepares students for administrative decisions related to health care finance, database management, health care infrastructure, and health care organization maintenance.
At American InterContinental University, there is an MBA offering that has a health care management focus. There is also a similar program of the same name at Jones International University. They offer accelerated programs with classes lasting eight weeks. At Colorado Technical University, there is a bachelor’s program in health care management.
There are other schools that offer certificate programs and degrees in health care management information. There are increasing numbers of electronic files that need to be protected due to person health information of patients, and that is why such a degree program is needed.
Still a number of master’s programs in health care management are geared towards public health. Online courses may lead to A Master’s in Public Health/Community Health, or an MBA in Health Services. With one of these degrees, an individual might work at the city, country or state level Department of Health. Such individuals might be involved in health care policy-making. There are also PhD programs available is such a field.
Communications, information technology, and finance are all a part of the health care industry. Many of these related issues are covered in a course of study towards a master’s degree in health care management or health care administration. The goal of the positions attained as a result of one of these degrees is to maintain healthy organizations.