CAHME Accredited Online MHA Programs

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For mid-career professionals in the healthcare industry that are looking for advanced managerial or administrative roles, pursuing a Master's degree is the best process of gaining the skills and education needed to thrive and to have an advantage in the hiring process. It is important to look at educational programs that have accreditation, showcasing that their curriculum is both thorough for proper higher level education and that they have received the latest information in their coursework. The CAHME has been around for over 50 years and is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to give proper accreditation to best healthcare management and administration programs in the country.

CAHME Criteria

They have a certain criteria with emphasis in the following values: integrity, excellence, transparency, fairness, and recognition. These programs must provide the necessary facilities and resources to give students an optimal educational experience, and the schools cannot discriminate among students' physical or cultural traits. Specific policies must be set to handle complaints and set academic standards. CAHME was originally known as the Accrediting Commission on Education for Health Services Administration back when it was founded in 1968, and it received its current name in 2004.

Why is the CAHME Important?

They acknowledge educational institutions that have a healthcare program that meets high expectations or exceeds the criteria set by the commission. These standout programs will continue to review and improve the curriculum, making sure they keep up with the latest technological innovations when making data-driven and evidenced-based health management decisions.

Why Employers Look for CAHME Accredited Program Graduates

Employers may give job seekers with a CAHME-accredited degree an advantage over the competition, or it can provide a higher position boost in an already-established career.

With more than 100 programs now accredited and a number of them available online, prospective students have tremendous opportunity to gain the education and skills they need to thrive in the healthcare industry.

Online CAHME-Accredited MHA Programs

With pressing job duties within the healthcare sector, it is difficult for professionals to physically obtain the education needed to advance their career, or even for those that are looking to break into the environment. An increasingly available option in many colleges is an online MHA program that provides the flexibility needed for working professionals.

MHA Program Components

There are varying requirements based on the university when it comes to online MHA programs. Some will have all courses fully available online with synchronous class meetings that may have required attendance or interaction, along with asynchronous coursework that can be completed at a student's pace, at least until certain deadlines.

Hybrid vs. Online MHA Programs

In other instances, students may have to attend a weekly class that meets at night or on the weekends, or they may have to travel for one or multiple residencies. These residencies will typically give students an overview of the upcoming program and some familiarity with campus resources and the faculty, and/or they will provide the stage for students to showcase what they have learned throughout the program with a capstone project.

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Sample MHA Courses

Students have the ability to pick as many courses as they can take per term, being able to finish within two years, or within the program’s limits, usually between five to six years. With CAHME accreditation, students can be guaranteed the same type of education online as they would have on campus.

Health Systems Management

These courses will focus on the design and maintenance of health information systems. Students can learn a number of skills when it comes to analyzing data within the system, detecting any errors or needed upgrades, and making sure that all information is secure and protected from outside sources. They will also typically learn how to follow rules and regulations when it comes to maintaining these systems.

Organizational Development and Behavior

A common course within health administration degrees that focus on managing a staff’s attitude and actions when it comes to working in the organization. Provides leadership skills and techniques to help improve job efficiency and emphasizes teamwork in order to reach company goals. It is also important to determine and neutralize any problems that could be holding back performance.

Health Informatics and Statistics

For those looking at more data-driven education, these courses will provide further education at gathering and analyzing data in the healthcare sector. Students will gain an understanding of to make organizational decisions, or how to more accurately identify medical issues in patients, through the use of more advanced statistical procedures and data points. In many cases, there will be a number of data science courses within an emphasis of health informatics.

Legal and Ethical Issues

Nearly all administrative and management degrees will have a mandatory course that deals with the legal and ethical procedures in the healthcare sector. Subjects typically include analyzing potential risks in medical procedures, gaining an understanding of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), identifying any errors in medical data that could be a potential violation of regulation, and how these procedures adapt to innovations such as social media.

Strategic Planning and Marketing

While it is important to identify a patient’s medical issues quickly and having optimal treatment, there is also the business aspect of a healthcare organization to consider. These courses will focus on the analysis of investments in medical equipment, systems, medicine, and more, to determine if it is worth bringing into the organization. Skills are gained in weighing the positive and negatives and how much of an impact it will have in the long term, and this can include potential partnerships with other related companies in the field.

What Differentiates Among the MHA, MBA, and the Master of Healthcare Management Degrees?

When reviewing higher education opportunities for management positions in healthcare, there are multiple Master’s degrees that will come up with a similar curriculum:

• Healthcare Management
• Healthcare Administration
• Business Administration (sometimes with a specialization in the healthcare field)

All three of these degrees have fundamentally different reasons for existing, but some institutions do use these fields interchangeably. It is important to review the curriculum and subjects explored in the program.

MBA vs. MHA

The biggest difference between a degree in Business Administration and Healthcare Administration is that one is specialized within the healthcare industry. An MHA program will prepare students for leadership and managerial roles within hospitals, nursing homes, pharmacies, and more. They will have more preparation in how to analyze and maintain healthcare systems, and will have a better understanding on policies and regulations when it comes to recommending and distributing medication to patients.

Students pursuing an MBA are typically not required to have studies in healthcare topics. Examples of core studies within a traditional MBA is financial management, valuation methods, marketing strategies, legal and ethical issues, and economics. Now these courses can be found within an MHA degree, but they will be through the lens of the healthcare sector.

MHA vs. Healthcare Management Masters

Between Healthcare Administration and Healthcare Management, the key difference when professionals look at these degrees is the former should have the skills needed to maintain and utilize a staff to their full potential, and will typically hold responsibilities such as assigning teams to different tasks. The latter will focus on the overall organizational operations, making sure that they are running smoothly and efficiently. In some cases, these roles can be combined in smaller organizations, and frequently, students will find the same courses in the curriculum between the two.

Health Administration Career Options

Obtaining a Master’s degree in the healthcare industry that is accredited by CAHME opens up a significant amount of opportunities. When thinking of healthcare initially, there are the more obvious positions of managerial or administrative roles within hospitals and dental or vision clinics.

Another sector to consider is the federal government and their management of Medicare and Medicaid insurance programs, or the promotion of public health through the Food and Drug Administration. There are also the private businesses, such as for-profit health insurance companies and those that provide healthcare services.

View more on health administration careers with our guide.

Review of CAHME-Accredited Programs