Flexible Career Paths in Healthcare Administration for Busy Adults

*Collaborative Post

Rerouting to a new career is not uncommon for adults. However, the prospect of investing a significant amount of time and money into the educational credentials necessary for a career move can deter some adults from even trying. With work and family responsibilities, the idea of going back to school may not be possible. Fortunately, careers in healthcare administration offer a more flexible solution for busy adults. Committing to years of extra education won’t be a requirement for a fulfilling career with growth opportunities. Administrative roles are a crucial component of the healthcare landscape, ensuring a constant demand for skilled workers.

Read on to learn about flexible career paths in healthcare administration for busy adults.

The Benefits of a Career in Healthcare Administration

Healthcare remains an in-demand and growing industry with lots of job opportunities. After all, there will always be a need for medical care, regardless of how the overall economy is doing. While most people think of doctors and nurses when they picture the medical field, administrative staff play a pivotal role, as well. They’re an essential presence to help schedule appointments, ensure proper billing, and contribute to effective daily operations.

Adults seeking a career change can find plenty of strong job prospects in healthcare administration. And they can find flexible course options to make a career change more feasible. Positions cover a wide spectrum of locations, including small clinics and large research hospitals, enabling adults to work in a variety of settings. And some may even come with hybrid work potential, depending on the position.

The Skills You Need for Success

If you’re looking for a career in healthcare administration, you’ll need several soft skills to be successful, as well as comfort working with technology. For starters, you’ll want to be a clear communicator. Patients may be anxious, frustrated, or concerned when they call to schedule an appointment or address a billing concern. A friendly, calm, and clear voice can help put patients at ease and deliver clear answers to their questions.

Additionally, you’ll need to be organized in an office setting. You’ll be handling sensitive information, like patient records, and you can’t afford to misplace anything. Further, you’ll need to enter information to make sure that appointments are locked in. And you’ll need to interact with insurance companies to maintain accurate billing practices. In short, being organized will allow you to do your job well. Your duties will entail using electronic health records (EHR) systems and scheduling software. While you can expect some help learning the ropes during onboarding, you’ll need to be a quick learner, and it helps to have some existing comfort using computers and software platforms.

How to Get Started

Adults can be wary of making career changes due to the time commitment needed to gain necessary skills in a new industry. While traditional, four-year degrees used to be a necessity for some roles, faster pathways have emerged in recent years. An online medical office assistant program, for instance, lets adults build the skills they need in six months—no classroom required.

Programs will give adults hands-on practice with billing, scheduling, and recordkeeping. Many will offer flexible or asynchronous classes, too, which can be helpful for adults with existing work schedules or kids. That way, it’s possible to tailor the pacing to your needs. Some programs will even offer job interview training to help adults brush up on interviewing skills. It’s possible to finish these programs in a matter of months, meaning that a career transition doesn’t have to seem so far away.

Ideal Roles in Healthcare Administration

There’s not just one career path in healthcare administration. In fact, there are several entry points into this field. And most of them are accessible to working adults ready to make a career transition.

As a patient services representative, for instance, you can assist patients as they check in and prepare for an appointment. You’ll also verify insurance coverage to make sure everything is correct in the system. This position is ideal for individuals who like interacting with others. Similarly, medical office assistants help with scheduling appointments and tracking billing. They may manage patient files, as well.

As a medical billing and coding specialist, you won’t work in a patient-facing capacity as frequently. Individuals in these roles will code medical procedures and deal with insurance claims to create accurate payment processing. Ultimately, any of these roles can offer a rewarding new career path that doesn’t require an extensive educational credentialing process.

Rerouting Toward a New Career

Busy adults don’t have a lot of time to put toward a new career path. And in fields like healthcare administration, they don’t have to sacrifice a lot of time to take the next steps toward a meaningful role. Instead, having soft skills, like strong communication and organization abilities, can help propel you toward a role as a patient services representative or medical office assistant. And with the help of practical and convenient online training programs, you’ll be able to transition to a new career quickly.

*This is a collaborative post. For further information please refer to my disclosure page.