Healthcare administration is a vital part of caring for patients, especially in the digital era. Earning a bachelor's in healthcare information systems or management ensures the safety and security of patients wherever they go. As an established healthcare worker, a healthcare administration master’s program can take your career and care to another level.
"For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you." ~ Proverbs 2:10-2:11
Defending Against Healthcare Hackers and HIPPA
Picture this. You just opened a letter from your doctor’s office saying that your electronic medical records have been compromised.
Not only have your personal and confidential medical history and health information been stolen, but hackers now have your name, address, phone number, age, birth date, social security number and employer information that they could use to commit fraud against you. Hackers could steal your identity, open bank accounts in your name, ruin your credit, and complicate your life. Not to mention that your health information could, under the wrong circumstances, even cost you a job or a job promotion. What if your medical records indicate you’ve been treated for mental illness, cancer or other costly medical issues? That could compromise your opportunities for advancement with your current employer or a potential employer.
Privacy of our personal health information has to be managed with utmost professionalism, which is why LeTourneau University’s undergraduate healthcare management and graduate healthcare administration programs are designed to prepare professionals to exemplify excellence and to lead in this essential industry.
Cyber-security and Healthcare Management Education
To protect patient privacy, the primary law restricting the sharing of medical information is known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Violations of HIPAA bring steep penalties ranging from fines as low as $100 to as high as $1.5 million. In some cases, criminal charges can be filed for negligence with medical records.
With the high costs of these kinds of breaches, companies handling medical records need to create their own privacy policies about how they collect information, what they collect, how they use it, how they encrypt and safeguard it, and with whom it can be shared. Failure to do so could result in legal liability for any company that doesn’t adhere to its own privacy policy.
“LETU’s healthcare management and administration programs teach about HIPAA, security practices, applications and software designed to ensure patient records are secure,” Dr. Velma Payne, former chair of LETU’s undergraduate healthcare management and information systems programs, said. “We teach about data encryption, best practices and protecting health information. We teach about the day-to-day operations involved in healthcare management and administration, how data flows through the organization and how corporations should implement safeguards necessary to maintain patient privacy.”
“It’s not only software but employee practices, including not discussing a patient in the hallways where others can overhear,” Payne said. “And we teach that you don’t transmit patient information to just anybody who asks for it. The request for information has to fit within strict criteria to ensure patient data is private.”
Another serious concern arises when it comes to accurate and complete healthcare data.
“If a patient is not comfortable with how their data is being handled, they may fail to provide critical data, which could result in an incorrect or delayed diagnosis,” she said. “That could be fatal.”
Healthcare Career Opportunity Growth for the Digital World
Growth in the field of healthcare management is projected to rise 23% in the decade from 2012 through 2022, which is higher than the national average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Earning potential is great, with an average annual salary of nearly $90,000 for medical and health service managers and senior executives earning $200,000 or significantly more, depending on experience and achievements.
Whether working for a doctor’s office, a hospital, a health insurance company, or a company that handles patient billing, healthcare administration and management provides a variety of career growth opportunities.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Medical and Health Services Managers,
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm.
Faith-based Healthcare Administration Programs
Both LETU’s undergraduate and graduate programs have been designed in collaboration with top-tier health care management professionals, including local and regional hospital CEOs, CFOs, presidents and vice presidents. Dr. Bryan Schneider, former director of LETU's graduate healthcare administration program, says that faith and work integration is intrinsic to LETU’s programs.
LETU School of Nursing
Learn More“Concepts of ethics, integrity and service are interwoven throughout LETU’s coursework in each class,” Schneider said. “Integrating faith into classroom content and discussions of real-world issues encourages students to see how their decisions and actions can align with God’s teaching and how their faith should inform their professional decisions and actions.”
Accelerated Healthcare Management Degree Programs (BS)
LeTourneau offers campus-based and online bachelor’s degrees in nursing. In residency, students benefit from engaged professors with real-world healthcare and business experience and a totally immersive college experience. Online or on-campus, undergraduates can take part in the Healthcare Administration Student Association (HASA) and the healthcare essay contest.
Undergraduate degrees available in healthcare:
Masters of Science in Healthcare Administration
Healthcare administration courses help prepare people who have already completed their nursing degree for a Masters degree. LETU students benefit from academic coursework and hands-on service in residency. A Masters Degree in Healthcare is also available online, which is a convenient self-paced way to further your career.
Graduate degrees in healthcare:
Professional affiliations:
- AUPHA - Association of University Programs of Health Administration
- MGMA - Medical Group Management Association
- HFMA - Health Financial Management Association
- American College of Healthcare Executives
