Health Administration MHA Programs in Delaware & Salary Info.

Having in mind the fact that  Delaware’s healthcare sector is expanding more and more nowadays, and trying to accommodate a growing number of patients with access to medical care, the need for skilled healthcare administrators and managers will be high.

This would cause the demand for greater efficiency in the management of staff and fiscal resources which can only be achieved by attending prominent and high-quality educational institutions.

As the demand for experienced professionals in health administration grows, our suggestion is to keep on reading this article and find out whether this profession suits your needs and interests.

Health Administration Degrees in Delaware

Future Delaware students can select from accredited online programs considering the fact that there are no campus locations that offer CAHME-accredited healthcare administration programs.

All of the health administration degree programs are designed to accommodate both new students and working professionals.

Those who are high school graduates looking to pursue undergraduate education in healthcare administration usually decide to attend on-campus classes, while those with experience working in the field usually choose online education.

Undergraduate degree programs available to students in Delaware are:

• Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a concentration in Health Administration
• Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (BSHA)
• Bachelor of Health Administration (BHA)

During your undergraduate studies you will take the following courses:

• Business administration and communications
• Healthcare policy
• Finance and accounting
• Human resources
• Healthcare compliance

Undergraduate Degrees in Health Administration are normally made up of 120 credit hours and students can finish the studies in four years’ time.

During the first two years, students take general education courses while in the last two years, they ake major-specific courses.

Students in Delaware have numerous online options to choose from, but when it comes to on-campus programs, they are currently being offered in the Wilmington metropolitan area.

A graduate degree in health administration is necessary for a senior-level career in healthcare administration and management.

It is worth mentioning that applicants are not required to have earned a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration or business in order to be accepted into graduate programs.

However, those without a related undergraduate degree may be required to complete additional prerequisite courses.

Graduate programs would accept healthcare professionals with graduate degrees in a healthcare-related discipline.

If you belong to those Delaware students pursuing a master’s degree in healthcare administration you can choose from a variety of programs:

• Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a focus in Healthcare Administration
• Master of Health Administration (MHA)
• Master of Science in Health Administration (MSHA)

You need to get acquainted with specific enrollment criteria which may vary from program to program, but the following things are commonly required:

• Official bachelor’s degree transcripts
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statement or essay
• A minimum GPA requirement (varies by school)

Course topics typically covered include the following:

• Data Analysis
• Legal and ethical standards of healthcare
• Healthcare operations
• Financial management
• Strategic leadership
• Public health
• Decision management
• Quality and process improvement

These studies can be completed in approximately 18-24 months, and they consist of 36-54 credits.

Before the end of the studies, students may be required to complete a capstone project or thesis.

Job Postings in Healthcare Administration in Delaware

These are just some of the examples of job postings from advertisements across Delaware and we included them in our guide with the aim to inform you about what employers are looking for when it comes to an applicant’s experience level and educational background for certain positions.

Bayhealth Medical Center – Officer of Finance & Billing Compliance – an employee will oversee and perform internal auditing processes to ensure compliance with healthcare regulations; when it comes to education, MBA in accounting, finance, or healthcare is preferred as well as 6 years of auditing experience and 3 years of management experience.

Beebe Healthcare – Credentialing Specialist – He/she will be responsible for all credentialing or re-credentialing processes for all providers within the medical group and an associate’s degree is required while a bachelor’s degree is preferred.

Beebe Healthcare – Patient Financial Services – His/her duty will be to assist the financial director in daily operations and a bachelor’s degree and 2 years of experience in the medical field are required.

Westside Family Healthcare – Scheduler – The main duty of this person will be to handle communications with patients to gather relevant patient information and schedule appointments. He/she has to possess a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of one year of work in a healthcare environment.

Possible Employers and Professional Resources for Health Administrators in Delaware

It is good to know that the number of professional resources for healthcare professionals in Delaware is great and those seeking employment, professional support, or further education in the healthcare field can take advantage of them.

Delaware’s Largest Employers of Healthcare Administrators and Managers

• Christiana Care Hospital
• Bayhealth Medical Center
• Beebe Medical Center
• Delaware Psychiatric Center
• Dover Behavioral Health System
• Meadow Wood Behavior Health System
• Nanticoke Memorial Hospital
• Rockford Center

Professional Resources

• Health Care Administrators Association
• American Health Care Association
• Delaware Medical Group Management Association
• American College of Health Care Administrators
• American College of Mental Health Administration
• Health Care Administrators Association

Health Administration Salaries and Job Growth in Delaware

We would like to mention that health care sector jobs represent 13 percent of the total employment number in the state of Delaware.

This caused that the health care industry earnings in Delaware grew by more than 64 percent between 2006 and 2016.

The job openings will come from a combination of new positions opening up and turnover in existing positions, so these are reasons good enough to look for education and start your journey towards this career.

Numerous healthcare administrators are employed by both private and public medical systems in the state, and what is even better, Delaware comes in fourth among all states when it comes to salaries for medical and health service managers.

Hospitals are the primary employers of healthcare administrators in the country according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and the salary ranges from $109117 to even $137897 for those doing senior-level jobs.

If you take a look at the table below, you will see that there is no such a great difference among the major cities and that the average salaries for health administrators and managers are around $122269.

Regional Salary in Delaware