South Dakota Healthcare Administration Certificate Programs

Online Healthcare Administration Certificate Programs

There are lots of factors that people consider when choosing a career. For many people, the goal is to choose a career in a stable industry that offers opportunities for upward growth and gives you the chance to make a difference. Healthcare hits all of these marks and more.

Healthcare is particularly important in South Dakota, where the state’s largely rural population may have to travel extensively to receive high-quality care. In an effort to meet federal standards and keep up with a growing demand for services, many facilities have changed their management strategies.

If you’ve ever considered a career in healthcare administration, why not learn more about South Dakota healthcare administration online programs?

Browse our list of health information administration S. Dakota programs and get in touch with schools that fit your needs.

Healthcare Administration Education in South Dakota

Succeeding in the field of healthcare requires a solid set of skills and an extensive understanding of healthcare ethics, theory, and laws. You may build the healthcare administration skills you need in a short-term technical or graduate certificate program. Although these programs have significantly different requirements, they are similar in many key ways.

They are focused on practical work skills that apply to today’s employers and open positions. They tend to devote zero or very few credits to general education courses, choosing instead to devote all available credits to health administration courses.

There are quite a few healthcare administration degree options at the technical level, many focusing on different aspects on patient care. Comparing these degrees may help you choose one that closely aligns with your career goals.

If you’d like to work directly with patients alongside doctors and nurses, you may want to pursue a patient care technician certificate. This year-long certificate program introduces you to different specialties in the field of healthcare and gives you plenty of chances to practice on mannequins and real patients.

Technical Certificate of Completion in Patient Care Technician (31 credits)

• Medical Terminology
• Safety in the Medical Office
• Medical Ethics
• Vital Signs
• Patient Cleanliness

On the flip side of this field, you’ll find the world of medical office management. Facilities of all different sizes hire managers to handle small teams, specialized departments, and entire institutions. While you may delve into medical terminology at some level in this field, you may spend more time learning about the legalities of healthcare and discovering how to keep the administrative side of operations running smoothly.

Technical Certificate of Completion in Medical Office Management (57 credits)

• Medical Office Accounting
• Medical Records Management
• Human Anatomy and Physiology
• Advanced Medical Office Management
• Medical Coding

Graduate certificates are only open to students who have already completed their Bachelor’s degree. If you are looking for an alternative to the traditional Master’s in health administration, this may be an excellent option.

There are quite a few specialized areas of study to explore. One popular option is geropsychology, which looks at the needs of the growing aging population and how healthcare providers can meet these needs.

Graduate Certificate of Completion in Geropsychology (16 credits)

• Death and Dying
• Physical Health and Biology of Aging
• Sociology of Aging
• Psychological, Emotional, and Spiritual Aspects of Aging

Ready to learn more about health administrative training programs and choose a school that suits you?

Get started today by contacting healthcare informatics certificate programs and request information on degree options.

South Dakota Careers with Healthcare Administration

Your healthcare administration courses should prepare you for the various job tasks you may take on as a healthcare administrator, patient representative, or medical records technician. Job openings vary across the state; there may be more openings in urban areas like Sioux Falls, but the demand for health professionals may be most severe in rural and suburban parts of South Dakota.

Before you move into a management or leadership position, you may want to get some hands-on work experience in healthcare. If this describes you, you may consider becoming a patient representative. Patient representatives in South Dakota earn an average annual income of $34,280. Job openings in this field are projected to remain stead through 2028.

If you would rather work with paperwork and computers than patients, you may be perfect for a medical records technician position. Medical records technicians ensure that data is stored accurately and protected from unauthorized access. They bring in an average healthcare administration salary of $44,720 per year. Job growth in this field is projected to hit 10% between 2018 and 2028.

Another area of opportunity in South Dakota is medical management. Depending on the needs of a facility, you may oversee a handful of staff, a growing department, or an entire facility. As you gain more experience, you may qualify for more demanding leadership roles within your specific facility. In the decade leading up to 2028, demand for medical managers is projected to grow by 10% in South Dakota. Currently, medical managers bring in an average income of $107,850 per year.

The healthcare administration skills you bring to the table may make you a valuable asset to institutions across South Dakota.

Learn more about your options right now by contacting health administration schools near you.

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2020 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Medical and Health Services Managers. Job growth projections sourced from the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation and published in the U.S. Department of Labor-funded Long Term Occupational Projections (2018-2028) database. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics expressly refers users to this source for state-specific job market data. Salary figures and job market projections reflect state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed December 2021.