By Jackie Roberson

Administrators in healthcare facilities obviously need training in the skills and knowledge that keep those facilities up and running: experience working with EHRs, managing teams of doctors and nurses, understanding medical law, and solving various administrative problems that many facilities face. However, the ultimate goal of anyone working within the healthcare industry is to get people well, and administration alone often does not provide the understanding of medicine to accomplish this task.

Public health education is a necessary qualification for healthcare administrators who want to do good in their communities. Here are the benefits of earning an advanced degree in the public health field.

More understanding of staff needs

Doctors and nurses may get the credit for improving the health of their patients and the community, but health administrators are always one step behind the scenes ensuring that hospitals and other care facilities run smoothly. However, as critical as administrators are to healthcare facilities, most still require the guidance of medical staff to inform their administrative decisions. 

No organization runs without administrative guidance, and facilities within the healthcare industry are no exception. However, unlike many other businesses, hospitals, medical practices, and other health-related centers are incredibly specific regarding its staff’s needs. To a large degree, that is why healthcare administration requires its own advanced degree program. However, many health administrators still lack the medical experience to truly anticipate the facility’s problems and imagine functional solutions without the help of a medical professional ― unless administrators study public health. A public health program (like this one available online) instills much of the same knowledge about health and the human body as medical degrees with additional training in health patterns over populations. Armed with this educational background, administrators can confidently make decisions regarding facility administration without consulting a doctor or nurse.

More flexibility in the field

Administration itself is a relatively flexible career within the healthcare industry ― at least, it offers more diverse job opportunities than most doctors have, especially after they specialize. However, earning a public health background opens even more doors to interesting and constructive careers within the administration field.

Rather than being cooped up with documents and files all day, public health administrators usually are responsible for interacting directly with the public. For example, positions such as “health communication specialist” and “health outreach organizer” allow administrators to talk about health care to the greater public, fostering a healthier community through their works. 

Additionally, public health administrators can find jobs in more places than hospitals and private practices. Non-profits and governmental organizations often hire those with public health backgrounds to promote health and disease prevention. Public health offers a number of challenging and absorbing careers, so administrators will rarely get bored.

More control over community projects

While private practices and care facilities may only attend to their patients, many hospitals, health-related non-profits, and other medical organizations frequently endeavor to improve the well-being of the surrounding community through various outreach programs. Armed with a degree in public health, administrators can supervise these projects, which can provide a greater sense of accomplishment in their day-to-day responsibilities. 

Every community suffers from some health-related problem, and public health administrators have the experience to analyze those problems and develop appropriate outreach to address them. With their authority, they can assemble teams of public health professionals, including doctors and other administrators, collaborate with local institutions, like schools and businesses, participate in local events, and much more in the name of bettering the health of the community.

More opportunities to make a global impact

It is undeniable that healthcare administrators make significant impacts on their communities. Without their careful management of health facilities, it is doubtful that any patients would receive treatment. Yet, cooped up in their offices, administrators can only affect the lives of those who visit their particular facilities. 

Meanwhile, administrators with public health backgrounds can improve the world at large. Hundreds of non-profit organizations (like these) specifically target underserved communities around the world, and most are in desperate need of experienced administrators with an interest in public health. 

Assisting medical professionals is an honorable career, but many administrators long to do more. Earning a degree in public health equips an administrator with the knowledge and skill to go farther in healthcare, actually contributing to the well-being of his or her community, local or global. The healthcare industry is supposed to do good, so it makes sense that an administrator should want to do more good by entering the field of public health.

Jackie Roberson is a content coordinator with Seek Visibility.