LA's Health Care Industry To Create New Management Jobs
One of the fastest-growing occupations in Los Angeles in coming years will be in the ever-evolving sector of medical and health services management. The number of available jobs for executives that are responsible for helping specific clinical areas operate efficiently is projected to increase by 22 percent by the year 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
As the aggregate for accessible jobs within the business management spectrum of the medical industry continues to balloon at a steady rate, the prognosis for additional assignment openings promotes incentive.
"I think pursuing this occupation in L.A. is ideal because, as the nation's second-largest city, there is a high demand for the care and services we provide," said Joanna Bialy, project manager and department administrator of the geriatric medicine unit at Kaiser Permanente–West Los Angeles Medical Center.
Bialy, who is credited with establishing a much-needed geriatric clinic for dementia patients, said she expects her line of duty to experience a transformation within the next decade.
"There will definitely be many changes because of Health Care Reform," Bialy said. "As we prepare for those unknowns, we must also find ways to manage the patient's experience outside of the traditional clinic visit and more virtually. As technology changes, health care managers need to find ways to incorporate the technological advances into care delivery at an affordable cost."
Bialy said, that even though the job description has not been altered in recent years, the manner in which she performs her multitude of tasks has modified to maintain pace with changing times.
"We face an increased need to be innovative in the way we deliver our health care services, while ensuring excellent clinical quality and customer service," said Bialy, a California State, Northridge alumna, who intends to complete her master's degree in health administration next May.
She added that her position is well-suited for high competition.
"Many medical or health services managers begin their careers as nurses or nursing staff, many of whom are highly motivated individuals with a drive to succeed. So with a workforce of over one thousand RNs at Kaiser Permanente's West Los Angeles Medical Center alone, the position can be quite competitive."
She said others aspiring to pursue this vocation must know how to balance proficiently the clinical side of patient care with business management.
"You may be a great physician or nurse on the floor, but it is much different managing those who once were your peers. There are many helpful tools and techniques that you should be familiar with and practice in order to be a good manager. These tools and techniques can be acquired through formal education or attending health care management seminars."
Sharon Raiford Bush is an award-winning journalist who covers topics of social interest in greater Los Angeles. Some news articles she has authored have been archived by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Sharon also contributes to Examiner.com.
