New Jersey Health Administration Schools

Healthcare Administration Program In New Jersey - NJ

Any facility that offers health care services needs a good management team. Health administrators direct the operations of hospitals, outpatient care clinics, nursing homes and other medical facilities. They might work with a variety of factors, including budgets, staff, facilities, programs and more. Some work in the private sector, such as with insurance or pharmaceutical companies, while others work in the public sector, handling the management of health departments or hospitals.

Degree programs in health administration

Most health administrators hold at least a bachelor's degree, but earning the master's degree is common. Degrees might focus on health services, long-term care administration, public administration, business administration or public health, among other related fields. Classwork may focus on the following:

  • Strategic planning
  • Accounting and budgeting
  • Human resources administration
  • Hospital organization and management
  • Health economics
  • Health information systems
  • Laws and ethics

A health care administration degree in New Jersey must culminate in a minimum of a bachelor's degree in order to be eligible to work in the state.

Certifications and licensing in New Jersey

Most positions in medical and health services management do not require a license; however, there are some exceptions. All states require nursing care facility administrators to be licensed, and in New Jersey, applicants must have done the following:

  • Earned a bachelor's degree
  • Served as an assistant administrator in a nursing home with no fewer than 60 beds
  • Earned at least 1,750 hours of experience at a rate of no less than 50 hours per week
  • Passed the required examinations
  • Successfully completed 100 seminar hours in long term care administration

Applicants must also pass a mandatory background check.

Licenses can be renewed every three years. Continuing education is a requirement to keep the license current. Administrators in assisted living facilities face the same type of requirements as those who are working in nursing home administration. To learn more, visit the New Jersey Health Care Administration Board.

Though certification is not required, some choose to pursue it. The American College of Healthcare Administrators offers certification for those who work in nursing home or assisted living administration. Certification in medical management or health information management is also available through the Professional Association of Health Care Office Management.

Career overview for health administration professionals

Medical and health services managers can expect nationwide employment growth of 23 percent between 2012 and 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.gov). New Jersey health administration officials can expect slower growth of 16 percent during that same time period, according to Projections Central. However, the pay may be better, with New Jersey offering a mean annual wage of $114,420 in 2013, as compared to the national mean average of $101,340, according to BLS data from May 2013. New Jersey is actually one of the highest paying states for this profession, coming in 5th behind the District of Columbia, California, New York and Delaware.

Sources:

Health Administrator, ExploreHealthCareers.org, http://explorehealthcareers.org/en/Career/56/Health_Administrator

May 2013 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, New Jersey, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014, http://www.bls.gov/oes/2013/may/oes_nj.htm#29-0000

Medical and Health Services Managers, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2013, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes119111.htm

Medical and Health Services Managers, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-1

Medical and Health Services Managers in New Jersey, Projections Central, http://www.projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm

Statutes, Rules and Rule Proposals, State of New Jersey Department of Health, Division of Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing, http://www.nj.gov/health/healthfacilities/rules.shtml

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