The healthcare field is not only an exciting one to be a part of, but it also can be quite lucrative. The average healthcare administration and management professional in Alaska earns a highly competitive salary of $122,430. Depending on the level of experience an individual has, a healthcare professional in this field can reach much higher annual salaries of $202,370.
When the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was implemented, there were vast improvements made in Alaska’s healthcare industry. The ACA has allowed for more than 500,000 American Indians and Alaska natives to gain healthcare coverage. These Alaska citizens had been previously uninsured or unable to gain coverage. This has also caused almost 17,000 more jobs to be created in the industry.
Because many more people have healthcare coverage and are able to seek medical treatment, the healthcare administration field is currently experiencing a very healthy growth rate. According to Alaska Wage Information, the healthcare administration and management occupations are expected to see a growth rate of 8.3 percent throughout the projection period between 2018-2028.
Earning a Healthcare Administration Degree in Alaska
Degrees in healthcare administration and management provide students with the right training and skills they need to succeed in the competitive healthcare industry. There are many flexible online programs to choose from, as well as residential programs in Alaska’s major cities.
Undergraduate Degrees in Healthcare Administration
For those looking to enter the healthcare field, an undergraduate degree is a great educational foundation. There are multiple options to choose from when it comes to bachelor degrees in healthcare administration:
- Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
- Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration or Management (BS)
- Bachelor of Health Administration (BHA)
These programs most often consist of 120 credit hours of coursework, which allows full-time students to easily complete them in 4 years. Students are commonly required to first take 60 credits of general education courses before moving onto the major-specific courses.
Healthcare administration majors typically are able to take courses that cover the following topics:
- Introduction to human resources
- Business communications
- Administrative techniques
- Introduction to healthcare systems
- Financial management
In addition to the many online programs available to Alaska students, there are also on-campus programs located in Fairbanks and Anchorage.
Graduate Degrees in Healthcare Administration
Though it may be possible to find employment in the healthcare administration field with an undergraduate degree, a master’s degree is quickly becoming the industry standard – especially when vying for a leadership or management role. There are many program options for those 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
Graduate Program Admission Criteria
Though specific criteria may vary from program to program, common admission requirements for graduate programs include:
- Minimum undergraduate GPA
- Letters of recommendation from educators or employers
- Professional experience in the healthcare field
- Personal essay or statement of purpose
- Course prerequisites (if not already taken in an undergraduate program, applicants may be allowed to complete these prior to the start of the graduate program)
Program Content
Graduate programs in healthcare administration and management will usually consist of anywhere between 30-60 credit hours. Students are usually able to complete these in approximately 18-24 months. In many cases, a capstone project or research thesis will be required at the end of the program.
Courses offered throughout these programs will 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
In addition to the many online programs available to healthcare professionals in Alaska, there are on-campus degree programs in healthcare administration available in Anchorage and Fairbanks.
Healthcare Administration Jobs in Alaska
The following job descriptions have been pulled from job postings across the state, and have been included to provide insight into what employers look for in ideal candidates as far as education and job experience.
These descriptions are provided for illustration purposes only.
Providence Health & Services, Anchorage
- Clinical Database Administrator
- Serves as administrative support expert to the neurosciences department, collaborates with other clinical database administrators in the state, ensure compliance to all relevant regulations; a bachelor’s degree in a health related field is required, plus a minimum of three years of working in clinical databases.
American Heart Association, Fairbanks
- Development Coordinator
- The individual in this job position is in charge of the daily operations, marketing strategies, and development of all American Heart Association centers in the Fairbanks area; A bachelor’s degree and experience in a related field are minimum requirements.
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Anchorage
- Employee Health Manager
- Supervises, manages, and designs occupational health programs for the consortium in Anchorage; Minimum educational requirements include a bachelor’s degree in the nursing or a healthcare related field, at least four years of experience in the healthcare field is preferred.
Top Employers and Professional Resources for Healthcare Administrators in Alaska
Healthcare administrators and managers in Alaska will find that there are many professional resources available for their benefit.
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
- 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
2020 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Medical and Health Services Managers.
Job growth projections sourced from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development and published in the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Long Term Occupational Projections (2018-2028) database – https://projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm.
Salary figures and job market projections represent state data, not school-specific information.
Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2021.