OVERVIEW
What is a Hospital COO?
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A hospital COO advises a majority of facility operations, including policy implementation across all departments.听
Unlike the role of a hospital CEO, hospital COOs do not directly implement new policies or strategic changes. Instead, they rank beneath the CEO and provide valuable insight that informs a CEO鈥檚 final decisions. While CEOs are generally involved in long-term strategy and policy-making, hospital COOs maintain primary responsibility for a hospital鈥檚 daily operations.听
As a hospital COO, you will need to receive a comprehensive education through one or more business degrees that听allow you to obtain a C-suite position. In addition, you鈥檒l need extensive experience both in the healthcare sphere and other leadership roles.
RESPONSIBILITIES
What Does a Hospital COO Do?
The duties of a hospital COO can change daily. As a hospital COO, you鈥檙e responsible for advising daily operations across all departments, especially at hospital locations responsible for immediate patient care. On some days, you might review hospital finances; in other cases, you might spend the majority of your day reviewing applications for a department leadership position.
The exact responsibilities of a hospital COO include:
- Reporting important information听to the hospital CEO.
- Overseeing听a hospital鈥檚 daily operations.
- Connecting with hospital department leaders听regularly to ensure consistent operations and gauge their need for any further staff members or resources.
- Meeting with hospital stakeholders听to discuss operations and future goals.
- Ensuring high levels听of ongoing patient care.
- Coordinating department operations听so that each department works well independently, and as a facet of holistic hospital operations.
- Managing听the hospital鈥檚 daily financial operations.
- Advising staffing procedures听to fill executive-level department positions with individuals who share the hospital鈥檚 vision for success.
These and other duties keep a hospital COO busy as they maintain a clear understanding of how all hospital departments are performing.
EDUCATION & BEST DEGREES
What Education Does a Hospital COO Need?
Before you can assume a healthcare leadership position as a hospital COO, you will need to satisfy a few educational requirements. After getting your bachelor鈥檚 degree, you will need a听Master of Healthcare Administration听or an听MBA in healthcare management听to get started in this career.听
Your master鈥檚 program will help you take concrete steps toward a hospital COO position. Leadership and management courses will inform your understanding of the healthcare field. You will develop skills in risk management, data analysis, health information technology, and financial management, to thoroughly prepare you for challenges you鈥檒l face in a hospital environment.听
When determining听which healthcare leadership degree is right for you, prioritize the skills you know you鈥檒l need. For example, degree programs that teach leadership and management skills will benefit your career as a hospital COO.
Best Degrees for a Hospital COO
Health & Nursing
Master of Healthcare Administration
A master's focused on managing comprehensive, value-based care, directly...
A master's focused on managing comprehensive, value-based care, directly in line with innovations in health and healthcare.
- Time:听60% of grads finish within听21 months.听
- Tuition:听$4,995 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 12 total courses in this program.
Skills for your r茅sum茅 that you will learn in this program:
- Collaborative Leadership
- Healthcare Models and Systems
- Healthcare Financial Management
- Enterprise Risk Management
- Healthcare Information Technology
Your rich experience in a health-related field can mean more when you bring a master's level of understanding to the problems that organizations need to solve.
Compare degrees
This program is not the only degree 黑料传送门 offers designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees.
Business
MBA Healthcare Management
Prepare for a career leading private or public healthcare organizations....
Prepare for a career leading private or public healthcare organizations.
- Time:听黑料传送门听lets you set a schedule so you can finish your MBA in just one year.
- Tuition:听$4,755 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 11 total courses in this program.
Skills for your r茅sum茅 you will learn in this program include:听
- Regulatory compliance
- Patient care improvement
- Service line development
- Healthcare trends
- Health policy and legislation
Healthcare is big business in today's complex economy.听 Steer your career with this specialty MBA.
Compare online business degrees
This program is not the only online business degree 黑料传送门 offers that is designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees.
How Much Does a Hospital COO Make?
$104,169
The exact income of a hospital COO varies based on several factors, including the employer, employer鈥檚 location, employer鈥檚 public or private healthcare funding, bonus or profit-sharing structures, years of experience, and education. On average, the听听is $125,391, with a range of roughly $23,500 to $298,500 each year.
What Is the Projected Job Growth?
32%
The job outlook for hospital COOs is favorable in years to come. From 2019 to 2029,听. This projected growth rate is much faster than the expected average across all occupations.
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SKILLS
What Skills Does a Hospital COO Need?
Whether they鈥檙e communicating with hospital department representatives or advising CEO decisions, a hospital COO maintains proficiency in several management-related skills.
The skills that a hospital COO needs may include:
- Healthcare management.听The ability to successfully manage a hospital鈥檚 internal and patient-facing healthcare departments.
- Financial management.听The ability to assess a hospital鈥檚 budget allocation on a per-department basis.
- Teamwork.听The ability to work together alongside hospital executives and healthcare staff members.
- Delegation.听The ability to pass along tasks appropriately to individual hospital department representatives.
- Interpersonal communication.听The ability to correspond effectively with all healthcare professionals and employees, to collectively promote smooth hospital operations.
- Public speaking.听The ability to publicly address and inform groups of healthcare staff members.
- Technological proficiency.听The ability to correctly use all necessary pieces of hospital technology, including any computers, tablets, phones, and online software platforms.
- Problem-solving.听The ability to identify and solve problems that individual hospital departments are facing.
These and other skills allow a hospital COO to find success as they work toward smooth daily hospital operations and inform the decisions of the hospital CEO.
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No need to wait for spring or fall semester. It's back-to-school time at 黑料传送门 year-round. Get started by talking to an Enrollment Counselor today, and you'll be on your way to realizing your dream of a bachelor's or master's degree鈥攕ooner than you might think!
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