Hospital-at-Home Managers

High School

Take a college-preparatory curriculum in high school that includes coursework in business, accounting, finance, science, mathematics, computer science, and health. Since managers need to be strong communicators, take classes in English, writing, speech, and a foreign language.

Postsecondary Education

Many hospital-at-home managers have degrees in health service administration or health care administration. Colleges and universities throughout the country offer bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in these fields. Most employers prefer people with a graduate degree in health services administration. A listing of these programs can be found on the Association of University Programs in Healthcare Administration’s Web site, https://network.aupha.org/members/findaprogram.

Some people enter the field after first earning medical or nursing degrees and then pursue advanced studies in healthcare management.

Certification

Undergraduate and graduate certificate programs in healthcare management, business management, healthcare policy, and related fields are offered by colleges and universities. Programs typically last six months to a year and are available in online, in-person, and hybrid formats. Contact schools in your area for information about available programs.

The American Hospital Association offers a variety of certificate programs to help hospital executives develop their skills. Programs include strategic planning in health care; health care public relations and communications; advanced analytics for health care strategists; health care risk management; enterprise risk management; and health care risk financing. The association also offers a certificate of mastery in effective leadership. Visit https://www.aha.org/career-resources/certification-center for more information.

Other Education or Training

Continuing education (CE) webinars, seminars, and other learning opportunities are provided by professional associations, colleges and universities, and for-profit online learning platforms. For example, the American College of Healthcare Executives offers a variety of CE opportunities, including digital self-study courses. Examples include Effective Strategy Execution; Integrating Global Trends into Your Organization's Strategic Planning; and Understanding Cost Allocation and Profit Analysis. Visit https://www.ache.org/learning-center for more information.