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8/1/2025
What Is Healthcare Management?
Bisk Amplified
August 1, 2025
Healthcare management is one of the fastest-growing careers in healthcare, an industry that now ranks as the biggest employer in the United States. Rapid expansion in healthcare has increased demand for qualified managers in every type of medical services business, from hospitals and physician clinics to urgent care centers and outpatient surgery clinics.
By earning a degree in healthcare management, graduates position themselves as qualified candidates for these challenging and rewarding jobs. They also can build a career where they play a significant role in improving patient outcomes and making healthcare operations more efficient.
Every healthcare facility and system need good management to effectively deliver services. Successful healthcare administrators and managers blend strong business skills with expertise in how healthcare systems operate. They collaborate closely with clinicians, including doctors, nurses, physician assistants, therapists, technicians and other healthcare practitioners.
As the healthcare industry expands, the needs for healthcare managers also grows. They include management jobs in direct care, such as hospitals and clinics, and non-direct businesses that support better patient care by providing services and products to direct care operations, such as health informatics companies that manage electronic patient records.
The number of medical and health service managers is expected to increase by 28 percent by 2031, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). At that rate, more than 136,000 will join the healthcare management profession this decade.
Many employers prefer that job candidates earn a master’s degree in healthcare management. Modern graduate degree programs offer students the chance to concentrate on areas such as leadership or compliance.
The job duties of a healthcare manager vary depending on the area they oversee. A manager in a radiology department requires different areas of expertise than one who oversees a group of doctors’ clinics.
What is common for all healthcare managers is the need for expertise in business, such as finance and accounting, and leadership skills, including communication and strategic thinking. Healthcare managers also excel when they practice evidence-based decision-making and take a tactical business approach, all tailored for a healthcare setting.
They must also “speak the language” of healthcare practitioners, understanding what physicians, nurses and other practitioners need to do their job at an elevated level. Healthcare managers must balance the needs of clinicians, patient outcomes and operational efficiency, all while ensuring compliance with ever-evolving government regulations.
A healthcare manager typically oversees budgets and develops financial and operational goals for their department. They oversee recruiting, hiring, retaining and training of employees.
Job titles in healthcare management include the following positions.
Those who aspire to healthcare management begin their journey by earning a bachelor’s degree, typically in healthcare administration or business administration. Most healthcare employers today also require their managers to have earned a graduate degree.
Students in a graduate healthcare management program learn more about the use of data analytics in healthcare, healthcare economics, policies and regulations, population health and healthcare law and ethics.
Healthcare management ranks among the fastest-growing fields in the nation - its 28 percent expected growth dwarfs the 5 percent projected for all jobs. For those who aspire to a leadership position, degrees in healthcare management can open the door to the opportunities they seek.
