Health Administration: The Current Statistics

Statistics show that women constitute 80% of the health administration workforce; however, while this figure looks healthy, there are some areas where women are not adequately represented in the health administration field, namely in roles which call for leadership qualities.

While representation of women in health administration has come a long way from a few decades back, women in prominent leadership roles still leaves a lot to be said. According to a survey conducted by the ACHE (American college of healthcare executives), women were paid significantly less than men for similar job profiles and women were more likely to take on roles as staff members or department heads than more comprehensive leadership posts like CEO or director. Men on the other hand were found to be less likely to opt for staff posts and filled more challenging leadership roles like president or CEO of clinics or hospitals. In another survey conducted by the University of Michigan, only 24% of hospital administrators were women while over 60% hospitals had only one woman in the role of chief administrator.

These rather discouraging numbers show that though women make up most of the health administration sector, their contribution lacks recognition in the form of higher job profiles associated with wider responsibilities and better remuneration levels.

This invisible gender inequality and the significant disparity in salary levels require a comprehensive and fundamental solution which should examine why women have been comparatively sidelined in a sector that is going to provide 3.2 million jobs by 2018. The sector needs professionals to help deliver the goods and a significant number need to be women.

Health Administration: A Natural Dependence on Women for Comfort

Women are an incontrovertible part of life, let alone health. It is natural that they occupy a prominent position in the administration and organization of medical sciences. Women in health administration are breaking new barriers and making life more bearable. If one is seeking suitable frames of references to bring into the equation those unshakable qualities of correlation and compatibility , it is pertinent to point out that women has been the festoon of every adventure and outing of man ever since time began.

Opportunities for women in health administration

As a prelude to planning a career in health administration, women need to focus on their education levels first. Getting a Masters as opposed to only a graduate degree increases the chances of getting picked for mentoring roles. Online degree programs offer flexible and affordable options for women in health administration and it is encouraging to note that women are increasingly oriented towards high quality health administration online degree programs.

Tagged as: Health Administration, Women In Health Administration

About the Author: Josh Smith