Health Administration MHA Programs in Kentucky & Salary Info.

Kentucky’s rapidly growing healthcare sector is experiencing constant demand for healthcare management and administration professionals in the state, so we suggest that you keep on reading and find out more about what you can expect from this profession.

Health Administration Degrees in Kentucky

Due to the fact that Kentucky’s healthcare system relies heavily on skilled facility managers and hospital system administrators, there is a constant need for more educated staff.

Those interested in this field can choose undergraduate and graduate degrees in healthcare administration which are available through campus locations and flexible online programs.

The most prominent school that offers accredited health administration education is the University of Kentucky – College of Public Health in Lexington

Future graduate students can choose from three programs:

• Master of Health Administration (On Campus)
• Master of Health Administration/Master of Public Health
• Master of Health Administration/Juris Doctor

The estimated cost per academic year at this university is $12,726 for an in-state resident and $30,224 for an out of state one.

The school is proud to be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges; Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education; Council on Education for Public Health.

There are several different variations of undergraduate degrees for future health administrators:

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

Undergraduate Degrees in Healthcare Administration and Management are typically comprised of 120-semester credits and take four years to complete.

During the first 60 credits, students will have to meet general undergraduate requirements and prerequisite courses.

The second two years are devoted to more career-specific subjects and they cover 60 credits of upper-division courses.

The most important subjects in the chosen major will include:

• Healthcare economics and finance
• Legal healthcare business issues
• Organizations and information systems
• Strategic management and organizational change
• Financial statement analysis
• Business planning for healthcare management
• Business and administration leadership

Online options are ideal for prospective students, but there are still those who prefer traditional education and they can find relevant undergraduate degree programs offered at campus locations in:

• Crestview Hills
• Richmond
• Morehead
• Highland Heights
• Louisville

Graduate Degrees in Healthcare Administration and Management are for individuals who wish to get competitive qualifications and further advance in their careers.

Examples of graduate degrees in healthcare administration include:

• Master of Business Administration (MBA) (concentration in Healthcare Management or Administration)
• Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA)
• Master of Science in Healthcare Administration (MSHA)
• JD/MSHA dual degree program
• MSN/MBA dual degree program
• MHA/MBA dual degree program

If you consider pursuing a graduate degree in this field, you would be glad to find out that graduate programs will accept students who have earned a bachelor’s degree in any field.

The only requirement is to complete the necessary undergraduate prerequisites or make arrangements to do so.

Some of the common admission standards shared by many healthcare administration master’s programs in Kentuck are:

• Professional work experience and/or current employment in the healthcare industry
• Minimum undergraduate GPA
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal essay

The school determines the graduate program coursework, so each one is unique.

Graduate students can expect to spend 18-24 months and complete between 30-60 semester credits of coursework.

The coursework of graduate programs will focus on the following subjects:

• Advanced financial management for healthcare organizations
• Quality and performance improvement using evidence-based methods
• Advanced healthcare policy and law
• Aggregation of quantitative methods for evaluating healthcare organizations
• Strategic management for large healthcare organizations
• Medical informatics
• Service line development
• Leadership and ethics

By the end of their studies, they will have to write a final thesis paper assignment or capstone project.

The education for a master degree in the healthcare administration and management field on campus is available at the universities located in:

• Lexington
• Louisville
• Frankfort
• Midway
• Williamsburg

Job Postings in Healthcare Administration in Kentucky

To make sure you are acquainted with education requirements for specific health care administration positions, we gathered some advertisements that you may find useful.

Norton Healthcare in Louisville – Coordinator of Clinical Effectiveness –He/she will be responsible for leading workgroups and a master’s degree, such as an MHA or MBA is necessary.

Norton Healthcare in Louisville – Director of Patient Care Services – This professional will be in charge of the nursing team and administrative staff so he/she must have a master’s degree in business, nursing, or another related field like healthcare administration or healthcare management.

Norton Healthcare in Louisville – Practice Manager with Gastroenterology – He/she will work in a physician’s office, providing leadership and management so applicants must have at least a bachelor’s degree, while preferred applicants will have a master’s degree, such as an MHA or MBA.

Caldwell Medical Center in Princeton – Chief Executive Officer – he/she will be in charge of organizing, planning, and directing hospital staff to achieve specified goals and must have an MHA or MBA

Logan Memorial Hospital in Russellville – Chief Nursing Officer – applicants must have a valid nursing license and the preference will be given to those with an MHA or MSN.

Possible Employers and Professional Resources for Health Administrators in Kentucky

Once new students or advancing professionals finish their studies, they would like to pursue a greater number of career opportunities.

Professionals can find many relevant resources located throughout Kentucky.

Largest Employers of Healthcare Administrators and Managers

• Baptist Health Louisville
• The University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington
• Norton Hospital in Louisville
• Baptist Health Lexington
• Baptist Regional Medical Center in Corbin
• Saint Elizabeth Edgewood
• Baptist Health Madisonville
• Lexington VA Medical Center
• Robley Rex VA Medical Center
• VA Outpatient Clinic in Hopkinsville
• Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
• Humana

Professional Resources

• Kentucky Health Information Management Association
• Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities
• Medical Group Management Association – State of Kentucky Chapter, Bluegrass Chapter and Louisville Chapter
• Kentucky Society of Healthcare Engineers
• Kentucky Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives
• Healthcare Financial Management Association
• Health Management Associates
• Health Care Administrators Association
• American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management

Health Administration Salaries and Job Growth in Kentucky

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 12 percent of Kentucky’s workforce is employed in the healthcare industry.

Kentucky healthcare administrators made a median annual salary of $109577.

However, experienced administrators earn as much as $123582 a year.

Regional Salary in Kentucky