Healthcare refers to the entire care of the healthcare delivery system that includes diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of medical conditions in individuals. Healthcare is provided by healthcare professionals and associated healthcare fields. They can be social workers, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, chiropractors, audiology and Occupational therapy specialists, and psychiatrists. The objective of healthcare is to meet the needs and provide assistance to individuals with disabilities that affect their ability to function normally in daily activities. Healthcare delivery comprises of primary health care such as general care, acute care, and specialty care.
There are several colleges and universities that offer healthcare degree programs such as MPHtheater, MHA, MSN, and PHD, as well as certificate programs and diplomas. People who pursue a master’s degree in healthcare will acquire the skills in administration, patient care, and information science. The master’s degree also opens up new career opportunities for healthcare managers, leads, sales professionals, and business leaders interested in operating healthcare facilities. People interested in pursuing a master’s degree in healthcare should be equipped with patient-oriented, problem-solving abilities, interpersonal skills, and technical expertise.
A person pursuing an undergraduate degree in public health will be able to learn about the causes of illness and how to effectively prevent and treat them. Public health is closely related to health science and involves efforts to promote healthy environments through environmental policy and regulation, support for public health programs, community health management, development of policies concerning unsafe food and water, protection of the health sciences, evaluation of services and programs, public awareness about health risk and protective measures, research, and service implementation. Other careers in public health include nutritionist, nurse practitioner, health psychologist, public health educator, occupational therapist, physical therapist, and psychotherapist.
Online PhD in healthcare administration offers many attractive advantages to those wishing to advance their careers. Online degree programs to enable working professionals to pursue higher education and earn a doctorate degree at their own pace. Students in these programs can earn a doctorate in healthcare administration, which is considered a terminal degree by many professional healthcare schools. Unlike in-campus programs, online doctorate degree programs do not have time restrictions and can be completed on one’s own time.
As most employers consider healthcare workers to be elite and valuable, salaries are quite high. Some professions are more lucrative than others. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for workers in the healthcare industry is over $40 per hour. Professionals with a master’s degree earn more than those with a bachelor’s degree. Healthcare managers earn over $60 per hour, while professionals with an associate’s degree earn around $37 per hour.
There are several healthcare management careers available. Specializing in one of them could lead to a successful career in healthcare administration. For instance, there are healthcare consulting careers, managed care, health information technology, pharmacy technician, hospital manager, pharmaceutical managers, clinical associate, and hospital administrator. There are also healthcare marketing careers and public health and social services careers. Many healthcare jobs involve teaching or research, which could further help students decide on their specific healthcare careers.