Careers: Associate of Applied Business in Healthcare Management Technology

What can you do with an associate in Healthcare Management?

Join a rapidly growing industry and have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others daily. A healthcare management technology (HCMT) professional ensures a healthcare facility is running as it should in terms of budget and the goals of the facility’s practitioners. Essentially, an HCMT professional oversees the day-to-day business operations of a healthcare facility.

Healthcare Management Careers

Program Director Dr. Karen Lankisch talks about the types of careers our Healthcare Management graduates hold:

Professionals with an associate degree in healthcare management can find great opportunities in a variety of healthcare settings, in roles like these:

• Healthcare office receptionist – is responsible for answering, handling and screening incoming telephone calls; greeting and registering patients, filing and preparing charts.
• Patient service representative – serves as the first point of contact when patients enter a medical facility. The responsibilities of someone in this role is to greet and check-in patients, collect payments, assist with paperwork, and fulfill other customer service or administrative duties.
• Medical office administrator – is responsible for the day-to-day operations of a practice – including managing patient files, billing and insurance, scheduling appointments, and handling communications with doctors and patients.
• Medical assistant – responsibilities may include scheduling appointments, maintaining patient records, arranging for hospital admissions and laboratory services and handling correspondence, billing, and bookkeeping.
• Medical secretary – duties include scheduling appointments, billing patients, and compiling and recording medical charts, reports, and correspondence.
• Medical records and health information technician – organize computerized healthcare systems and analyze clinical data. Responsibilities for this role include:  performing routine clerical duties, maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers.

Outlook for Graduates

Healthcare management professionals may have long, rewarding careers that allows them to combine their business acumen with their empathy for others. This degree provides students with a starting path to transition into leadership positions healthcare administration or hospital administration careers, which often require bachelor’s or master’s degrees.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

• 133,200 new jobs will be created in medical and health service management between 2019 and 2029
• Employment for medical and health services managers will grow 28 percent from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations.
• The median annual wage for graduates of an associate degree in Healthcare Management and entering this career field was $63,941 in 2018.
• As baby boomers reach retirement age and average life expectancy increases, there will be an increased need for health care organizations and the people who manage them. 

Professionals within this field may work at organizations such as:

• • • Clinics
    • Health insurance organizations
    • Healthcare associations
    • Hospitals
    • Nursing homes
    • Physician practices
    • Mental health organizations
    • Public health departments
    • Rehabilitation centers
    • Skilled nursing facilities
    • Universities and research institutions

Interested in physician practice management?

You may want to consider the Physician Practice Management Certificate.  The Physician Practice Management (PPM) Certificate is a 1+1 program. You may enroll in the certificate program and then choose to move on and earn your associate degree in Healthcare Management. Our PPM Certificate will prepare you for the CPPM exam.

What is Next After My Graduation with an Associate in Healthcare Management?

Students can continue to pursue a Bachelor’s in Technical and Applied Studies (BTAS) while working. Starting in Fall 2023, student may also choose to purpose the Bachelor’s in Health Information Management.

Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Outlook – Healthcare Management

Below you’ll find data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which reports job outlook and salaries based on national data. The careers listed below are examples of employment and wages within healthcare management. Salaries and job titles will vary depending on previous career experience, place of employment, and the state you reside in.