Career Progression of Health Services Administration Graduates: Insights and Trends

1. Career Progression of Graduates of a Bachelor’s Degree Program in Health Services Administration April Temple, Ph.D., LNHA, Assistant Professor Health Services Administration Program James Madison University Harrisonburg, Virginia Jon M. Thompson, Ph.D., Professor & Director Health Services Administration Program James Madison University Harrisonburg, Virginia Examples of Career Progression Introduction The demand for health services managers is projected to grow by 22% by 2020 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013). Undergraduate programs in health services administration are a critical source of talent to fill the expanding need for health services managers. While AUPHA has over 45 certified undergraduate programs presently, there is only limited discussion in the literature about the job settings and career tracks of graduates of B.S. degree programs. Purpose This research addresses the early career experiences of 2004-2011 graduates of an undergraduate health services administration program. We profile employment by organizational setting and describe the career progression of graduates by examining employment patterns of graduates within the same setting, within the same sector, and across sectors. Methods In 2012, we surveyed 2004-2011 graduates of our programusing an online survey administered by Qualtrics. A total of153 graduates completed the survey, which was a 70% response rate. The survey included questions related to graduates’ demographics, current employment setting and position, career history by setting and position, length of time in positions, annual salary information for all positions, and graduate school attendance and/or completion. We also included questions on perceptions of coursework, overall satisfaction, and overall preparation for career. All study procedures were approved by our university’s IRB. Results Findings show that graduates are presently working in hospitals and health systems (34%), long-term care (11%), consulting (11%), and suppliers (7%), among other settings. More importantly, we profile the career progression of graduates using a three part analytic framework: 1) progression within the same setting; 2) progression within the same sector; and 3) progression across sectors. Graduates reported an average of 1.4 years working in their first position. Sixty-nine percent of respondents had more than one position, and 16% had four positions. The mean current salary was $57,261, with mean salaries among employment sectors ranging from $112,500 in insurance/managed care to $39,667 in associations. Respondents reported salary increases between their first and last positions. Salary change was the highest for respondents whose career progressed across sectors; the mean salary increase for this group was $38,683. Overall, within the reporting period, graduates have demonstrated changes in positions and responsibilities, along with increases in compensation. Conclusions This research adds to the knowledge base of employment and career progression for baccalaureate graduates of healthcare management programs, which has not been fully addressed in the literature. Graduates of our program have been successful in securing entry-level positions as well as advancing in their careers in three ways: progression within the same setting, progression within the same sector, and progression across sectors. Most interesting is the fact that career progression has occurred in a period of a declining national economy, which supports the view that healthcare management has been a robust source of opportunities. Figure 1. Percent Employed by Organizational Setting (n=153) Contact: April Temple, Ph.D., LNHA. Email: templ2al@jmu.edu