If you’ve been thinking about a career in healthcare, but you’d rather focus on planning, organizing, budgeting and management than one-on-one patient care, maybe it’s time to look beyond nursing and medical school. Your ideal career my lie in the field of healthcare management. Not only is this a rewarding branch of the industry, it’s also a field undergoing a rapid expansion, and opportunities are on the rise in almost every geographic area of the country. What is Healthcare Management? Healthcare managers may not handle patients directly, but without them, treatments and clinical facilities go unmanaged and patient care is poorly controlled. These are the people who organize and run health and medical service facilities from the ground up. All operations that take place within these facilities are navigated, launched and controlled by healthcare managers. Their task is typically administrative rather than medical, but they’re the ones making the hiring and staffing decisions, maintaining the facility, handling business communications, negotiating vendor contracts, and dealing with every other aspect of clinical operations. Why is this Field Growing So Fast? Between 2010 and 2020, the available positions in this field are expected to increase by over 22 percent according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This expansion will be a result of two primary changes about to take place in the industry. First, an aging population will be increasing the pressure on available healthcare services, and so will an expected increase in who those who will now have access to healthcare as a result of the newly passed Affordable Care Act. The second reason has to do with the proliferation and diversification of healthcare and treatment facilities. Instead of having access to only a doctor’s office or a hospital, patients are now receiving treatment at drug store clinics, urgent care centers, and a wide range of highly specialized facilities. These facilities will need managers, and these managers will be well compensated for their efforts; annual pay for hospital managers in 2010 averaged at approximately $84,000 , and this number is only expected to rise as demand increases. Should you Pursue a Career in healthcare management? You’re the only one who can determine if a healthcare management career is the right choice for your personality, your working style, and your long term goals. But if you need more information, reach out the Seattle staffing experts at Pace. We can answer your questions as you plan your career and make your next big move.