When you think of the healthcare field and the jobs available within it, you might immediately imagine the doctors and nurses who anchor the healthcare system. However, there exists a wide range of careers in allied health management to consider.
What Is Allied Health Management?
Allied health is defined as the broad group of healthcare professionals who care for patients — but are not physicians or nurses. Thus, allied health management refers to the administration of health services facilities and departments that provide patients with evidence-based care. Due to increased demand in the healthcare industry, a growing number of allied health management jobs are available.
Overview of Allied Health Fields
According to the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions, allied health professionals are defined as non-nurse, non-physician healthcare providers who work to utilize scientific principles in order to deliver patients personalized, evidence-based care. The main allied health fields include:
- Physical therapy and occupational therapy
- Audiology and speech pathology
- Diagnostics and imaging
- Nutrition and dietetics
The Role of Management in Allied Health Services
Effective management plays a vital role in allied health services. Not only are allied health managers responsible for overseeing operations within an allied health facility, but they also have to work to ensure that the facility maintains compliance with all legal and regulatory guidelines. Therefore, allied health managers need to have an advanced understanding of the scope of the allied health field as well as the medical laws that regulate the healthcare industry.
Key Components of an Allied Health Management Degree
Offering the specific, transferable skills that are most relevant across the broad scope of the allied health field, an allied health management degree can prepare you for a variety of allied health management jobs. These are the central components of an allied health management degree:
Core Curriculum and Specializations
The rigorous curriculum for this program is designed to equip students with a foundational understanding of the allied health field, along with the legal and regulatory guidelines that frame the industry. Examples of courses required within the program include:
- Leadership and Organizational Behavior
- Health Services Organization Management
- Health Information Systems
- Healthcare Human Resource Management
- Introduction to Healthcare Financial Management
- Healthcare Policy and Law
Practical Experience and Internships
In addition to completing courses that include lectures as well as hands-on laboratory work, the allied health management degree program invites students to gain practical experience through professional internships. Through pursuing internship opportunities, students will be able to learn how to apply their newfound skills in real-world settings while simultaneously expanding their professional network.
Accreditation and Program Standards
Choosing an accredited program will allow you to feel confident in your investment in an allied health management degree. If you intend to pursue certification in the future, you may find that completing a degree program from an accredited college or university is required.
Career Outcomes With an Allied Health Management Degree
Giving students an in-depth look at healthcare administration within the scope of the allied health field, the allied health management degree prepares graduates for many of the leading allied health management jobs.
Types of Management Positions in Healthcare
As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve to meet the shifting demands of patients, healthcare managers and administrators must develop and implement creative solutions that will streamline efficiency, increase staffing levels, and improve patient outcomes.
According to Indeed, some of the management positions in healthcare include:
- Health information manager
- Health facility director
- Healthcare administrator
- Social services director
Administrative Roles in Hospitals and Clinics
Hospitals and outpatient clinics often employ a range of health professionals in order to ensure that their patients have access to the comprehensive care they need. For instance, healthcare administrators at hospitals and clinics may oversee teams of physicians and nurses as well as social workers, speech therapists, physical therapists, and counselors. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), healthcare administrators oversee the business activities within a hospital or healthcare facility. The outlook for medical and health services managers projects a 29% growth in employment from 2023 to 2033 (considerably faster than the national average across all occupations).
Impact on Healthcare Delivery and Patient Care
While those who pursue careers in allied health management may not be working directly with patients, the work they do each day will have a direct impact on the quality of healthcare delivery within a facility and the care that patients receive. Actively working to enhance operational efficiency, maximize resource use, and maintain compliance, allied health managers can improve patient outcomes and patient satisfaction ratings within the facility.
Skills Needed for Success in Allied Health Management
Allied health management jobs call for candidates to possess an advanced understanding of the modern healthcare landscape, plus the practical and technical skills required to oversee operations at a healthcare facility. Below are some of the skills necessary for success in this dynamic field:
Communication and Leadership
Allied health managers are responsible for overseeing large teams of health professionals across an entire facility, requiring them to have adept communication and leadership skills. By studying organizational behavior and striving to adopt an effective leadership style, you can position yourself for long-term success in this field.
Analytical and Problem-Solving Abilities
The healthcare industry as a whole is facing a variety of complex challenges, in turn demanding healthcare managers who can critically analyze data and create evidence-based solutions. Data-driven decision-making and problem-solving both have an essential role in the field of allied health management.
Knowledge of Healthcare Laws and Ethics
Seeing as they are in charge of maintaining legal and regulatory compliance within the facility, allied health managers must have extensive knowledge of healthcare laws and ethics. Healthcare policies and laws are constantly changing — meaning that allied health professionals must prioritize ongoing education and training throughout their careers.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What skills are essential for success in allied health management?
Allied health managers should be well-versed in healthcare regulatory guidelines, medical laws, and compliance standards. Additionally, you should be an effective communicator, intuitive problem-solver, critical thinker, and strong leader.
How do allied health management degrees integrate with clinical practice?
The allied health management degree is designed to provide students with an overview of the allied health field and the skills needed to effectively manage these facilities. While this degree does not focus on clinical skills, students enrolled in this program can develop an advanced understanding of the modern healthcare landscape, allowing them to effectively collaborate with allied health providers.
Can you transition from a clinical role to a management position with this degree?
Those in clinical roles who want to transition into healthcare management will find that an allied health degree program enables them to build upon their foundation as a healthcare provider and develop the administrative skills required for the top allied health management jobs.
What are the growth prospects in allied health management careers?
According to the BLS, the medical and health management field is expected to grow by about 29% between 2023 and 2033 — a rate much faster than average.
How does an allied health management degree prepare you for leadership roles?
The comprehensive, skills-based curriculum for the allied health management degree equips students with the practical, technical, and soft skills required to take on leadership positions in this growing field.
Earn Your Allied Health Management Degree at Florida Technical College
As the number of allied health management jobs increases in the coming years, there will be heightened demand for skilled and qualified healthcare professionals. At Florida Technical College, we offer a bachelor’s degree in allied health management featuring a comprehensive curriculum that allows students to develop a foundational understanding of health services administration, medical law and healthcare regulations, and procedural coding. Upon graduation, students walk away with the practical and technical skills required to pursue a range of administrative careers in allied health management.
Request more information about our skills-based degree programs today.
This article presents a general overview of the field of Allied Health Management, including job opportunities within that field; it does not describe the educational objectives or expected employment outcomes of a particular Florida Technical College program. Florida Technical College does not guarantee that students will obtain employment or any particular job. Some positions may require licensure or other certifications. We encourage you to research the requirements for the particular career you desire.
Sources
https://ftccollege.edu/program/bachelors-degree/bachelors-degree-in-allied-health-management/
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/what-is-allied-health
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/healthcare-management-jobs
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm
