How to Become a Healthcare Administrator in Colorado

With the healthcare industry snowballing, it’s becoming an increasingly attractive field for job seekers.

If direct patient care isn’t your preference, healthcare administration offers many rewarding alternatives.

Healthcare administrators play a crucial role by handling responsibilities like:

• Coordinating staffing
• Improving operational efficiency
• Managing the facility’s finances

Curious to learn more?

Keep reading!

Job Description of a Healthcare Administrator in Colorado

Healthcare administrators are crucial to the smooth and efficient operation of healthcare facilities.

They focus on identifying areas for improvement and implementing the necessary changes.

Core responsibilities include:

• Enhancing operational efficiency
• Managing financial planning and budgeting
• Maintaining accurate health records
• Coordinating staff schedules
• Overseeing hiring, compensation, and staffing
• Supporting medical professionals and staff
• Ensuring compliance with healthcare laws and regulations

As a healthcare administrator, your duties may evolve to meet the dynamic needs of the workplace.

Ideal Candidates for a Healthcare Administrator

A former nurse is often an ideal candidate for a healthcare administrator role.

Their direct experience with patients, coupled with their understanding of staffing, supplies, and medication needs, provides them with a distinct advantage in managing hospital operations.

Beyond their experience, the strongest candidates will bring a robust skill set to the role, including:

• Strong attention to detail
• Effective multitasking abilities
• Proficiency with computers and widely used software
• Excellent communication skills
• Continuous awareness and alertness

If you’ve been an administrator in a different industry, then you’ll need to learn some basics for the medical field.

Steps to Become a Healthcare Administrator in Colorado

Candidates for healthcare administration roles typically hold a master’s degree in this specialized field.

Every career path has its journey, and healthcare administration is no different.

Here’s an overview of the essential steps to becoming a healthcare administrator in Colorado!

Pursue a Degree From an Accredited Program

Graduating from high school or getting a GED is the first step toward any qualified job, like that of a healthcare administrator.

For this profession, you’ll need to enroll in a special educational program.

Since nurses are some of the best candidates for this position, you’ll have to earn an ADN (Associate Degree in Nursing) and then a BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing).

These degrees usually last between 2 and 4 years, but some options can help you obtain the degree much faster.

Explore a Master’s Degree

Completing a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) usually takes 1-3 years.

This depends on whether you choose full-time or part-time enrollment.

Pursuing a degree in public health or enrolling in dual programs that combine nursing and management is a good alternative for becoming a healthcare administrator.

A master’s degree is one of the best ways to unlock a broad array of career opportunities in the medical field.

Pursue Professional Certification

Earning a specialized certification can further enhance your expertise in healthcare administration.

Nurses may consider certifications like the Nurse Executive Certification (NE-BC) or the Certified Nurse Manager and Leader (CNML).

These credentials typically require several years of leadership experience and passing a certification exam to obtain.

Build Experience in Nursing or Healthcare Administration

If you completed your training, it’s time you gained some experience as a nurse.

These are some of the jobs that can provide valuable experience and knowledge for the administrator position:

• Nurse team leader
• Supervisor
• Manager

Schools for Healthcare Administrators in Colorado

If you read thus far, then let’s see some schools offering training courses for healthcare administrators in Colorado!

University of Colorado

If you want several choices when it comes to a degree program in administration, then you could consider enrolling in this university.

However, the program you need is one of the following:

• Health Administration MBA
• Executive MBA in Health Administration

The Health Administration MBA course is offered in the evenings, full-time or part-time.

Students will have to obtain 45 credit hours in 2 to 5 years.

They will also participate in field studies to help them in their future careers.

The tuition depends on many factors, but scholarships are available for those who qualify.

Income of a Healthcare Administrator in Colorado

All this information probably got you curious about your possible income as a healthcare administrator in this state.

Healthcare administrators earn around $106,734 per year in Colorado.

With the table below you can get an idea of where you can earn more as a healthcare admin.

Regional Salary in Colorado

Healthcare Administrator by State