A quick look at "help wanted" ads in practically every city in the U.S. reveals the huge demand for medical and health service staff. By 2020, the healthcare industry is expected to increase by 22 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the same time, the U.S. healthcare worker shortage is expected to deepen as older healthcare employees retire. This trend opens up unprecedented opportunities for those already working in healthcare to move into leadership positions, but only if they are prepared — and an online healthcare degree can make all the difference.
Growing Opportunities for Healthcare Degrees
Responding to the growing demand, many higher education institutions now offer a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management. These programs are designed to prepare students for management positions in a wide range of healthcare settings, including hospitals, health clinics, rehabilitation centers, home care management, physicians’ offices and nursing homes.
From accounting to management/organizational behavior, to in-depth study of health systems structure, policy, management, marketing and technology, courses emphasize both concepts and applied skills — everything needed to manage operations and develop processes in today’s healthcare organizations.
Another exciting initiative is the creation of partnerships between universities and healthcare employers to provide professional development and educational opportunities for their employees. In 2013, Missouri Baptist University (MBU) linked its Bachelor of Professional Studies in Healthcare Management program with BJC Healthcare, the largest healthcare provider in the St. Louis metro area. MBU’s generous agreements and credit for prior learning have made this degree program ideal for working adults.
How an Online Healthcare Degree Can Change a Life
One of the most inspiring beneficiaries of this partnership is Paul Ngwenya — a student in the first BJC cohort. Paul was working as a patient care technician at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, but he wanted to achieve more and knew he’d need a college degree. Like many non-traditional learners, Paul was already working full-time, raising a family, and hadn’t sat in a classroom in a long time.
MBU’s online healthcare management program was just what Paul was searching for. Empowered by his professors’ knowledge, wisdom and expectations, and applying his own life and professional experiences, Paul’s learning reached far beyond the syllabus. MBU’s flexible schedule and lower credit-hour requirement enabled Paul to complete his degree quickly. After a year of networking with his mentors — even before completing his degree — he was promoted to the role of New Patient Coordinator. And he has no plans to slow down; he hopes to pursue a master’s degree after graduation.
Paul represents the kind of determination that typifies so many adult learners. Before enrolling in MBU’s online program, Paul had already faced a healthcare crisis that could have derailed his future. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) after losing motor control in his right arm while driving to work. Rather than accept defeat, he vowed that MS wouldn’t end his story. And it didn’t. Thanks to his determination, Paul traded his scrubs for a button-down shirt, a private office, and a chance to spend more time with his family.
An online Bachelor of Professional Studies in Healthcare Management degree from MBU can open doors and help advance your career. It just takes a little determination.
You can learn more about MBU's online healthcare management degree here.
