Health care professionals are encountering increasingly difficult challenges in providing innovative care, managing patient outcomes and assessing organizational risks. As these issues become more complex, traditional qualifications may no longer offer the knowledge and experience these professionals need to succeed in their health care careers.
Earning an Executive Master of Health Administration (EMHA) degree can fortify an individual’s acumen to prepare them to flourish within the evolving health care landscape, regardless of what industry-driven twists and turns may occur. Discover how an EMHA can take health care professionals’ roles in a new direction and advance their careers in health care.
What Is an EMHA?
An EMHA degree is designed to prepare mid- to senior-level health care professionals for advanced administrative roles. EMHA programs commonly focus on the business and operational side of health care, with coursework highlighting current theories regarding contemporary health care management. These theories relate to areas such as finance, technology, policy development and compliance.
For instance, coursework might be devoted to exploring how to stabilize health care costs within the context of an aging population. It might also involve discussing various metrics that can be used to promote optimal quality care. Another point of focus could involve strategies that ensure equal access to care. Exploring these ideas helps students learn and refine important skills that are fundamental to success in the industry, such as leadership.
How Can an EMHA Help Advance Your Health Care Career?
Among the main reasons to pursue an EMHA degree is that it can help professionals move their health care careers forward. Here are five ways that earning an advanced health care administration degree career can open new doors.
1. Build a Stronger Resume
Whether as doctors, nurses, hospital administrators or health information managers, health care professionals have likely already achieved significant milestones in their careers. As they advance, however, they might have noticed their resumes are missing areas of expertise that can’t be filled by work experience alone.
An EMHA degree can help professionals build stronger resumes. EMHA graduates have gained relevant business and financial knowledge along with a more comprehensive picture of the industry. With these credentials, graduates can create long-term strategies that anticipate the future needs of the health care industry.
2. Gain More Responsibility
No matter their role, health care professionals take on substantial responsibilities related to patient, information or organization management. Even with ample experience and an advanced medical degree, however, they might not be able to move up in an organization.
Supplementing their experience and education with an EMHA degree puts graduates in a better position to advance in an ever-changing industry. As the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states, earning executive credentials provides professionals with the opportunity to move ahead of their colleagues and take on managerial and administrative responsibilities.
3. Lead Industry Transformations
It’s no secret that the health care industry is in the midst of significant changes. Health care professionals who stick to tried-and-true methods are rapidly losing relevance in the industry, while those who position themselves at the forefront of these changes have the opportunity to guide health care in the right direction.
EMHA degree-holders have developed the vision and leadership they need to direct industry transformations. They also have gained the ability to stay on top of issues in technology, business and ethics to succeed in their health care careers.
4. Feel More Fulfilled
For many health care professionals, the chance to help patients lead happy, healthy lives was a vital factor in choosing their career. But in practice, hitting a career plateau can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction and burnout.
Gaining additional credentials in the form of an EMHA degree can effectively address feelings of job dissatisfaction. Rather than adhering to established rules and regulations, health care executives have the power to lead the industry to make it more sustainable for patients and to help it provide professionals with a sense of fulfillment.
5. Qualify for a Wider Range of Job Opportunities
Coursework in an EMHA curriculum covers several evolving subject areas, from health information systems and information technology to risk management and finance. Exposure to topics at the forefront of industry advancements makes graduates more appealing to employers looking for professionals who can navigate the latest developments.
Advance Your Health Care Career with an EMHA from USC
The health care industry is evolving at a rapid pace, and facilities must be able to adapt while remaining focused on delivering high-quality care that improves patient outcomes. Those who pursue a career in health care administration can have a substantial impact on meeting this critical goal.
USC’s online Executive Master of Health Administration program can prepare you to lead meaningful change in a fast-paced industry. Our program is designed to help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to be a next-generation leader in health care. Learn how USC can help you become an integral part of health care’s future.
Recommended Readings
How to Improve Access to Health Care: Current Issues and Potential Solutions
MHA vs. MBA: Which Degree Is Best for Your Health Career?
What Is Evidence-Based Practice in Health Care?
Sources :
American College of Healthcare Executives, Which Degree Should I Pursue?
American Hospital Association, Fact Sheet: Strengthening the Health Care Workforce
HealthCatalyst, “Becoming a Change Agent in Healthcare: The Key to Meaningful Improvement”
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical and Health Services Managers
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Care Access and Quality