Health Administration MHA Programs in Alaska & Salary Info.

The healthcare field is not only an exciting career option, but it also can be quite lucrative.

The average healthcare administration and management professional in Alaska earns a salary of $111,750, and due to the fact that many more people have healthcare coverage and are able to seek medical treatment, the healthcare administration field is currently experiencing a very huge growth rate.

This is one of the reasons why you should start thinking about getting involved in this profession and we are here to help you.

Actually, what we offer you is a useful guide with all the necessary information related to education requirements and ideal schools, job opportunities, possible employers, and expected salary of Health Administration Professionals.

Health Administration Degrees in Alaska

Unfortunately, there are no campus locations that offer CAHME-accredited healthcare administration programs in Alaska, but students can still select some of the accredited online programs offered.

Those who enroll in colleges that offer degrees in healthcare administration and management will gain the right training and skills they need to succeed in the competitive healthcare industry.

There are many flexible online programs to choose from, or you can attend regular on-campus classes.

Those who do not consider online programs available to Alaska students appropriate and suitable for them can take advantage of on-campus programs located in Fairbanks and Anchorage which offer both bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.

When Undergraduate Degrees in Healthcare Administration are in question, you can expect that these programs usually consist of 120 credit hours of coursework, and full-time students can complete them in 4 years.

Students first need to take 60 credits of general education courses before moving onto the major-specific courses.

When it comes to bachelor degrees in healthcare administration, you can choose from:

• Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
• Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration or Management (BS)
• Bachelor of Health Administration (BHA)

Healthcare administration majors attend courses that cover the following topics:

• Introduction to human resources
• Business communications
• Administrative techniques
• Introduction to healthcare systems
• Financial management

Even though it is possible to find employment in the healthcare administration field with an undergraduate degree, more and more people seek further education with the aim to advance even more in this field.

Furthermore, there are many program options for people in Alaska seeking a graduate degree in healthcare administration or management:

• Master of Science in Healthcare Administration (MSHA)
• Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA)
• Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Healthcare Administration
• MHA/MBA dual degree program
• Master of Science (MS) in Health Policy and Management

If you consider enrolling in a Graduate Degree in Healthcare Administration, you should know that graduate programs usually consist of 30-60 credit hours and can be completed in approximately 18-24 months.

In the majority of cases, a capstone project or research thesis is required at the end of the program.

This is the graduate program admission criteria:

• Minimum undergraduate GPA
• Letters of recommendation from educators or employers
• Professional experience in the healthcare field
• Personal essay or statement of purpose
• Course prerequisites

Courses offered throughout graduate programs cover the following subjects:

• Advanced financial management
• Healthcare law and policy
• Management strategies
• Medical informatics and decision making
• Performance and efficiency improvement
• Healthcare economics
• Public health

A master’s degree is quickly becoming the industry standard for those who look for a leadership or management role.

Job Postings in Healthcare Administration in Alaska

The main reason why we offer you the following job descriptions is to provide an insight into what employers look for in ideal candidates as far as education and job experience are concerned.

Providence Health & Services, Anchorage – Clinical Database Administrator who will collaborate with other clinical database administrators in the state, and who possess a bachelor’s degree in a health-related field followed by a minimum of three years of working in clinical databases.

American Heart Association, Fairbanks – Development Coordinator who will be in charge of the daily operations, marketing strategies, and has to possess a bachelor’s degree and experience in a related field.

Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Anchorage – Employee Health Manager who will supervise, manage, and design occupational health programs for the consortium in Anchorage;  a bachelor’s degree in nursing or a healthcare-related field, and at least four years of experience in the healthcare field are required.

Once you have reached your degree, as a healthcare administrator and manager in Alaska, you will find that there are many professional resources available for your benefit and you should take advantage of them.

Possible Employers and Professional Resources for Health Administrators in Alaska

Alaska’s Largest Employers of Healthcare Administrators and Managers

• Alaska Native Medical Center, Anchorage
• Alaska Psychiatric Institute, Anchorage
• Alaska Regional Hospital, Anchorage
• Bartlett Regional Hospital, Juneau
• Bassett Army Community Hospital, Fort Wainwright
• Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation, Dillingham
• Central Peninsula General Hospital, Soldotna
• Cordova Community Medical Center, Cordova
• Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, Fairbanks
• Maniilaq Health Center, Kotzebue

Professional Resources

• The Alaska Medical Group Management Association
• Alaska Rural Health Conference
• American Association of Health Care Administrative Management
• American College of Health Care Administrators
• Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management
• Association of University Programs in Health Administration
• Health Care Administrators Association
• Health Estates & Facilities Management Association
• Healthcare Financial Management Association

Health Administration Salaries and Job Growth in Alaska

According to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the future of healthcare administrators and managers looks bright.

The number of jobs in the state is forecast to increase at an impressive 20.9 % which will affect the opening of more than 100 new job opportunities.

Nurse administrators, patient access services managers, hospital financial officers, and others can expect to find jobs easily once they finish their studies.

Plus, they will receive a decent salary for their work.

It cannot be stated exactly how much these professionals earn, as the salary varies depending on many factors.

Generally speaking, positions for hospital administrators in Alaska pay around $99,040 per year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data, while the average salary is approximately $130537.

The top ten percent in the state, professionals who are in charge of developing solutions to complex problems in healthcare delivery and patient access will make close to $190,000 annually.

Regional Salary in Alaska