Patient care is undoubtedly one of the first priorities for hospital CEOs and other healthcare leaders. Financial challenges, healthcare reform, mergers and acquisitions, health equity, technology and the many challenges and ethical issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic are a few of the other hot topics in healthcare today. Navigating these issues and making effective decisions accordingly is critical to successful healthcare management.
An online Master of Business Administration (MBA) program provides students with the study of management strategies, theories and practical information they can implement in their day-to-day careers. Additionally, the online MBA with a Concentration in Healthcare Management offered by the University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler) includes specialized courses on subjects such as the U.S. healthcare system, healthcare marketing and current issues in healthcare management.
Further coursework helps students learn global business practices, managerial accounting and finance, strategic decision-making, effective leadership and much more. This combination of specialized healthcare management studies with a focus on current industry issues, foundational business studies and advanced managerial skill development can prepare students to be leaders in a rapidly growing and rewarding field.
What Are Managers’ Concerns in the Big Healthcare Systems and Hospitals?
The number one worry keeping hospital CEOs up at night has long involved financial issues, evidenced by years of surveys conducted by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). Yet, according to ACHE’s survey results from 2021, the issue of financial challenges has fallen to No. 2 on the list of top issues confronting hospitals for the first time since 2004.
Personnel shortages topped ACHE’s 2021 list by quite a large margin. This reflects the ongoing staffing challenges hospitals face, challenges which were dramatically exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond personnel shortages and financial challenges, ACHE discovered the following issues were top concerns for hospital leaders across multiple healthcare facilities:
- Patient safety and quality
- Behavioral health/addiction issues
- Government mandates
- Access to care
- Patient satisfaction
According to Deborah J. Bowen, FACHE, CAE, president and CEO of ACHE, addressing personnel shortages — and the many other issues that staffing challenges impact — will require both long- and short-term solutions. “Longer term solutions include increasing the pipeline of staff to these positions, as well as organization-level efforts to increase staff retention. More immediate solutions include supporting and developing all staff, building staff resilience and exploring alternative models of care.”
Facilitating such broad changes in the healthcare organization environment is a complex matter, requiring advanced leadership and change management skills on the part of healthcare managers. UT Tyler’s online MBA with a Concentration in Healthcare Management is designed to impart these and other essential business skills, readying students for the hard work of tackling the issues that confront today’s healthcare organizations.
What Will You Learn in an Online MBA Program?
An online MBA in healthcare management program prepares students for management roles using information and tools tailored to the healthcare industry. In-depth coursework provides knowledge on issues and trends in the healthcare sector and steers students toward sound business practices that lead to positive patient outcomes. Academic coursework focuses on real-world issues and solid general business preparation for students seeking leadership roles in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes or medical offices.
Healthcare Is One of the Top Areas of Focus for MBAs
Students seeking to advance in their healthcare management careers may find the online MBA program to be the right option as they expand their horizons. Students should evaluate their career goals before enrolling in such a program by answering the following questions:
- Do you have the time to invest in a rigorous online graduate degree program?
- Are you committed to completing the assignments in a timely manner?
- Do you have a list of goals that you wish to achieve with the MBA?
- Have you evaluated the prospective school’s accreditation?
- Is there a written plan of action to guide you after graduation?
Earning an MBA in Healthcare Management can help you understand how to address challenges facing the healthcare sector and how to make decisions that will improve outcomes for your patients, staff, organization and the industry at large.
Learn more about the UT Tyler online MBA with a Concentration in Healthcare Management program.