Healthcare administration
Encyclopedia
Health administration or healthcare administration is the field relating to leadership, management, and administration of hospital
s, hospital network
s, health care systems, and public health systems. Health care administrators are considered health care professionals.
The discipline is known by many names, including health management, healthcare management, health systems management, health care systems management, and medical and health services management.
In the United States, the first modern health systems management program was established in 1934 at the University of Chicago
. At the time, programs were completed in two years – one year of formal graduate study and one year of internship. In 1958, the Sloan program at Cornell University began offering a program requiring two years of formal study, which remains the dominant structure in the United States and Canada today (see also "Academic Preparation"). In 1978, as part of an effort to establish healthcare management as an autonomous profession, the first modern practitioner-teacher model
graduate program was established at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
Health systems management has been described as a “hidden” health profession because of the relatively low-profile role managers take in health systems, in comparison to direct-care professions such as nursing and medicine. However the visibility of the management profession within healthcare has been rising in recent years, due largely to the widespread problems developed countries are having in balancing cost, access, and quality in their hospitals and health systems.
is considered the "standard credential" for most health administrators in the United States. There are multiple recognized degree types that are considered equivalent from the perspective of professional preparation.
The Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
(CAHME) is the accrediting body
overseeing master's-level programs in the United States
and Canada
on behalf of the United States Department of Education
. It accredits several degree program types, including Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA), Master of Business Administration in Hospital Management (MBA-HM) in Haryana Technical Institute, Rohtak, Master of Health Administration
(MHA), Master of Public Health
(MPH, MSPH, MSHPM), Master of Science
(MS-HSM, MS-HA), and Master of Public Administration
(MPA). Master of Health Care Management (MHCM) is the accredited 2 year master programs of Pokhara University in Nepal. In India universities including Devi Ahilya University also offer postgraduate degrees in health administration.
While respectable grades and test scores have always played a major role in the health administration world, more and more medical schools are implementing the "multiple mini interview" test into their curriculum. The school's are finding it necessary to have well rounded students who not only have good grades but also good communication skills. The multiple mini interview (MMI) test helps to weed out the students who just look good on paper and identifies the most well rounded students.
packages, called practice management software (PMS), that deal with the day-to-day operations of health administration. Such software frequently allows users to capture patient demographics, schedule appointments, maintain lists of insurance payers, perform billing tasks, and generate reports.
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s, hospital network
Hospital network
A hospital network is a network or group of hospitals that work together to coordinate and deliver a broad spectrum of services to their community. A hospital system or health care system is 2 or more hospitals owned, sponsored, or contract managed by a central organization...
s, health care systems, and public health systems. Health care administrators are considered health care professionals.
The discipline is known by many names, including health management, healthcare management, health systems management, health care systems management, and medical and health services management.
Background
In the United States, the first modern health systems management program was established in 1934 at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. At the time, programs were completed in two years – one year of formal graduate study and one year of internship. In 1958, the Sloan program at Cornell University began offering a program requiring two years of formal study, which remains the dominant structure in the United States and Canada today (see also "Academic Preparation"). In 1978, as part of an effort to establish healthcare management as an autonomous profession, the first modern practitioner-teacher model
Practitioner-teacher model
-Creation:The modern history of the practitioner-teacher model dates back to 1972, when Rush-Presbyterian-St.-Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, established Rush University, a health sciences university that was designed to be a fully integrated subsidiary of the medical center...
graduate program was established at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
Health systems management has been described as a “hidden” health profession because of the relatively low-profile role managers take in health systems, in comparison to direct-care professions such as nursing and medicine. However the visibility of the management profession within healthcare has been rising in recent years, due largely to the widespread problems developed countries are having in balancing cost, access, and quality in their hospitals and health systems.
Education and training
A master's degreeMaster's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
is considered the "standard credential" for most health administrators in the United States. There are multiple recognized degree types that are considered equivalent from the perspective of professional preparation.
The Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
The Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education is the accrediting body for graduate degree programs related to healthcare management in the United States and Canada....
(CAHME) is the accrediting body
Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
overseeing master's-level programs in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on behalf of the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
. It accredits several degree program types, including Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA), Master of Business Administration in Hospital Management (MBA-HM) in Haryana Technical Institute, Rohtak, Master of Health Administration
Master of Health Administration
The Master of Health Administration is a master's-level professional degree granted to students who complete a course of study in the knowledge and competencies needed for careers in health administration, involving the management of hospitals and other health services organizations, as well as...
(MHA), Master of Public Health
Master of Public Health
The Master of Public Health and the Doctor of Public Health are multi-disciplinary professional degrees awarded for studies in areas related to public health....
(MPH, MSPH, MSHPM), Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
(MS-HSM, MS-HA), and Master of Public Administration
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
(MPA). Master of Health Care Management (MHCM) is the accredited 2 year master programs of Pokhara University in Nepal. In India universities including Devi Ahilya University also offer postgraduate degrees in health administration.
While respectable grades and test scores have always played a major role in the health administration world, more and more medical schools are implementing the "multiple mini interview" test into their curriculum. The school's are finding it necessary to have well rounded students who not only have good grades but also good communication skills. The multiple mini interview (MMI) test helps to weed out the students who just look good on paper and identifies the most well rounded students.
Professional Organizations
There are numerous professional associations related to health systems management, which can be subcategorized as either personal or institutional membership groups. Personal membership groups are joined by individuals, and typically have individual skill and career development as their focus. Larger personal membership groups include the American College of Healthcare Executives, the Healthcare Financial Management Association, and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. Institutional membership groups are joined by organizations; they typically focus on organizational effectiveness, and may also include data-sharing agreements and other best-practice sharing vehicles for member organizations. Prominent examples include the American Hospital Association and the University Healthsystems Consortium.Software
There are computer softwareComputer software
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
packages, called practice management software (PMS), that deal with the day-to-day operations of health administration. Such software frequently allows users to capture patient demographics, schedule appointments, maintain lists of insurance payers, perform billing tasks, and generate reports.
See also
- Master of Health AdministrationMaster of Health AdministrationThe Master of Health Administration is a master's-level professional degree granted to students who complete a course of study in the knowledge and competencies needed for careers in health administration, involving the management of hospitals and other health services organizations, as well as...
- Upsilon Phi DeltaUpsilon Phi DeltaUpsilon Phi Delta is the national academic honor society for students in healthcare administration in the United States. The organization was formed in 1965 to further the profession of health administration and the professional competence and dedication of its members...
- American College of Healthcare ExecutivesAmerican College of Healthcare ExecutivesThe American College of Healthcare Executives is an international professional association of healthcare executives Its central offices are located at 1 N. Franklin Street in Chicago, Illinois, USA. ACHE is one of the healthcare industry's top professional associations...
External links
- American College of Healthcare Executives
- Association of University Programs in Health Administration
- Healthcare Financial Management Association
- Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
- Healthcare Leadership Alliance
- Home Economics Archive: Tradition, Research, History (HEARTH)
An e-book collection of over 1,000 books spanning 1850 to 1950, created by Cornell University's Mann Library. Includes several hundred works on hospital administration--particularly hospital nutrition--in this period, itemized in a specific bibliography. - Journal of Health Administration Education
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development - Reviews of health systems
- World Health Organization - 'Making Health Systems Work' series