The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services expects that in the ten-year period leading up to 2028, the number of jobs for healthcare administrators and managers in the state will increase by 14 percent. Ohio has the sixth-highest level of employment for medical and health services administrators in the nation according to the US Department of Labor’s 2020 report.
With 17.5 percent of the state’s populace made up of adults age 65 and older, combined with increased access to healthcare for many of the state’s residents under the Affordable Care Act, the demand for health services in the state has never been higher. This has helped to create an environment where the most skilled and highly educated administrators enjoy a higher potential for promotional opportunities, which in turn, provides new opportunities for those entering the field with a bachelor’s degree.
Healthcare Administration Degrees in Ohio
While a bachelor’s degree is appropriate for entry-to-mid-level administrative positions in hospitals and clinics of all kinds, advanced promotional opportunities and executive positions in larger integrated health systems tend to require a master’s degree. Ohio residents have many choices when it comes to pursuing a relevant education through in-state schools with campus locations as well as through flexible online programs.
Undergraduate Degrees in Health Administration
Many lower-to-mid-level jobs in health administration require applicants to possess a relevant bachelor’s degree. Examples of degrees that can qualify as relevant include:
- Bachelor of Health Administration (BHA)
- Bachelor of Science in Health Administration (BSHA)
- Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration
- Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management
Students can expect to spend four years completing their degree, starting first with 60 semester credits of general courses and pre-major prerequisites. Schools will often allow this segment to be substituted for with a transfer associate’s degree.
The second half of the degree program consists of approximately 60 semester credits of upper-division courses that focus on the chosen major. Important topics of study covered can include:
- Health care informatics
- Healthcare resources, consumers, and payers
- Principles of management, leadership, accounting, and advertising
- Healthcare economics
- Legal issues in the healthcare business environment
- Healthcare data analysis
- Environmental health and disease prevention
Several online colleges accept qualifying Ohio residents, while campus locations with relevant degree programs can be found in:
- Toledo
- Columbus
- Athens
- Cleveland
- Portsmouth
- Kent
- Akron
- Youngstown
Graduate Degrees in Health Administration
Tomorrow’s healthcare administrative leaders can be found earning a relevant graduate degree today. This has become an industry standard, recognized throughout the state as an essential step towards director and executive level jobs.
Examples of relevant degree programs available in Ohio include:
- Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Healthcare Management or Administration
- MHA/MBA dual degree program
- JD/MSHA dual degree program
- MSN/MBA dual degree program
- Master of Science in Healthcare Administration (MSHA)
Graduate Program Admission Criteria
Each school has its own admissions standards, however many share similar elements. For example, most graduate schools will consider applicants who have earned their undergraduate degree in any field. These students can then arrange to take any outstanding prerequisites upon admission.
Other common admission requirements include:
- Minimum undergraduate GPA
- Personal essay detailing academic and career goals
- Letters of recommendation
- Professional work experience, which can include current employment in the healthcare industry
Graduate programs can vary in length between 30-60 semester credits taken over the course of 12-24 months. In addition to core courses, students may also need to complete a thesis paper or capstone research/field project that focuses on a specific topic.
Core courses within the graduate program will prepare students to enter the workforce as qualified, competent professionals, covering topics such as:
- Management, marketing, and forecasting for healthcare organizations
- Quantitative methods for evaluating healthcare organizations
- Strategy for management of large healthcare organizations
- Global economics for healthcare managers
- Medical and healthcare informatics
- Advanced healthcare management
- Compliance for accreditation
- Healthcare policy and law
- Health economics
In addition to online schools that offer relevant degree programs, prospective graduate students can also find campus-based opportunities in the cities of:
- Columbus
- Athens
- Columbus
- Tiffin
- Berea
- Cleveland
- Akron
- North Canton
- Bluffton
Healthcare Administration Careers in Ohio
Upon earning marketable academic qualifications, graduates can start pursuing their career goals with organizations throughout the state. The following jobs and their associated qualifications are provided as illustrative examples only. These are taken from a survey of job vacancy announcements in Ohio in November of 2015.
Blanchard Valley Community Health System in Findlay
- Administrative Fellow – Assists with leadership projects and participate in daily administrative activities; applicants must have an MHA, MSHA, MBA, or MPH
- President of Blanchard Valley Medical Practices – Involves a high degree of responsibility, including the management of the medical practices division, clinical service quality, and physician recruiting; applicants must have an MHA, MBA, or be an MD/DO with managerial experience
University Hospital in Cleveland
- Transplant Institute Director – Responsibilities include growth, development, and operations management, expense reduction, management of human resources, and the organization of ongoing research; preferred applicants hold an MHA, MBA, or another type of master’s degree in a clinical field
Kettering Health Network at the Fort Hamilton Hospital
- Director of Cardio and Pulmonary Rehabilitation – Responsible for fiscal development, management-level administrative decisions, and ensuring adherence to government regulations; preferred applicants hold an MHA, MBA, or MSN
Healthcare Employment Partners in Cleveland
- Lab Services Manager – Responsible for leadership decisions regarding staff recruitment, fiscal strategy, scheduling, and quality performance; preference is given to candidates with an MHA or MBA
Local Resources for Healthcare Administrators and Managers in Ohio
Ohio is home to nationally recognized hospitals/integrated healthcare systems and professional organizations, both of which can provide graduates with valuable resources for employment and career development.
Largest Employers of Healthcare Administrators and Managers
- Cleveland Clinic
- University Hospitals in Cleveland
- OSU Wexner Medical Center in Cleveland
- Christ Hospital in Cincinnati
- Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati
- Akron General Medical Center
- Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton
- Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus
- Aultman Hospital in Canton
- Metro Health Medical Center in Cleveland
- Dayton VA Medical Center
- Cincinnati VA Medical Center
- Chillicothe VA Medical Center
- Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medial Center
- UnitedHealthcare of Ohio
- Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
- Molina Health Care
Professional Resources
- Ohio Health Care Association
- Ohio Health Information Management Association
- Southwestern Ohio Chapter, Central Ohio Chapter, and Northwest Ohio Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association
- American College of Healthcare Executives, Northern Ohio Chapter
- Ohio Association for Healthcare Quality
- Ohio Hospital Association
- Health Management Associates
- Health Care Administrators Association
- American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management
2020 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Medical and Health Services Managers.
Job growth projections sourced from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services 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.