Health care facilities, such as hospitals, need good management to keep them running smoothly, especially during times of change. Health care facility administrators plan, direct, coordinate, and supervise the delivery of health care, managing an entire facility or system.

The structure and financing of health care is changing rapidly. Future health services administrators must be prepared to deal with integrated health care delivery systems, restructuring of work, technological innovations, and an increased need for preventive care.

Employment of all health services managers is expected to have average growth as health services continue to expand and diversify.

However, the number of jobs in hospitals will grow slowly compared to other areas. As hospitals continue to consolidate, competition will increase at all job levels.

Employment will grow the fastest in home health agencies, residential care facilities, and practitioners’ offices and clinics. Many services previously provided in hospitals will be shifted to these sectors, especially as medical technologies improve.

Health care facility managers need strong leadership abilities in order to motivate staff. Tact, diplomacy, flexibility, and communication skills are essential because they spend most of their time interacting with others.

Health services managers are often responsible for millions of dollars of facilities and equipment and hundreds of employees. To make effective decisions, they need to be open to different opinions and good at analyzing contradictory information. They must understand finance and information systems, and be able to interpret data.

Administrators are ultimately responsible for the entire facility, including both clinical areas such as nursing, surgery, therapy, medical records or health information, and non-health areas such as finance, housekeeping, human resources, and information management.

Health care facility managers must be familiar with management principles and practices. A master’s degree in health services administration, long-term care administration, health sciences, public health, public administration, or business administration is the standard credential for most generalist positions in this field.

They usually begin their career as administrative assistants or assistant department heads in larger hospitals, or as department heads or assistant administrators in small hospitals or nursing homes.

Most health care facility managers work long hours but have comfortable, clean surroundings.

Facilities such as nursing homes and hospitals operate around the clock, and administrators and managers may be called at all hours to deal with problems. They may also travel to attend meetings or inspect satellite facilities.