Arizona’s hospital system is a major player in the state’s economy. That might be true of a lot of states, but in Arizona it’s one of the biggest economic drivers. The Health System Alliance of Arizona economic impact report published in 2019 shows Arizona hospitals supporting nearly 185,000 jobs and contributing some $30 billion to the state economy every year. And it’s no wonder— Arizona’s renowned hospitals don’t just serve longtime residents and the growing number of retirees moving here, it actually draws people from all over the world looking for access to life-saving procedures and a level of quality not found in many other places.
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And everyone benefits from this economic powerhouse, as it provides spill-over benefits to industries as diverse as construction, tourism, and advanced medical and pharmaceutical R&D.
It also presents exceptional opportunities for those in healthcare administration. Now, more than ever, Arizona’s healthcare systems rely on top-level pros who can achieve and sustain the delicate balance between managing costs and delivering patient care with an uncompromising level of quality.
Healthcare executives who come armed with a graduate-level education and experience in the industry are a hot commodity here, and jobs in the field come with impressive salaries and loads of opportunities for advancement.
Arizona Master’s in Healthcare Administration
Arizona is home to a number of programs that offer the Master of Health Administration – largely viewed as the gold standard in graduate education for those interested in achieving top-level jobs in healthcare administration:
- A.T. Still University (ATSU) – Master of Health Administration – Online study combined with just a few on-campus requirements makes this degree an attractive options for busy, working professionals.
- Arizona State University – Master of Healthcare Innovation – This program features a fully online course of study that’s focused on the latest breakthroughs in healthcare, thanks to coursework like IT healthcare innovation, healthcare policy and innovation, financing for innovation, and more.
- University of Phoenix – Master of Health Administration – This degree comes with opportunities to specialize your degree in informatics or healthcare compliance or privacy.
Medical and Health Services Manager Employment in Arizona
According to the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity, there were 8,820 medical and health services managers in Arizona as of May 2019. By 2021, this number is projected to grow to 9,500 – a nearly 8% increase. This type of impressive growth isn’t surprising in a state where residents over the age of 65 make up about 17 percent of the population, according to the U.S. Census.
The BLS reported an average salary of $103,960 as of May 2019 – higher than the national average of $100,980. Even more impressive is that those with advanced levels of education and experience to match can earn upwards of $204,990 (top 10%) here.
Employment of Healthcare Administration Professionals
The following is a sampling of Florida hospitals and medical centers that produce great opportunities for top-level administrators and executives:
Banner Desert Medical Center
- Address: 1400 S. Dobson Road, Mesa AZ 85202
- Telephone: (480) 412-3000
- Website
Banner Desert Medical Center is a 460 bed, nonprofit organization that provides a wide array of outpatient and inpatient services. This is one of the largest and most comprehensive health care facilities in Arizona. U.S. News and World Report recently ranked this hospital as one of the top hospitals in the Phoenix area. It is the largest acute care facility in the East Valley near Phoenix.
Banner Estrella Medical Center
- Address: 9201 W. Thomas Road, Phoenix AZ 85037
- Telephone: (623) 327-4000
- Website
This hospital opened in 2005 in the suburbs of west Phoenix and is a full service, acute care facility. It employees 1,500 health care professionals and 700 doctors.
Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital
- Address: 1802 West St. Mary’s Road, Tucson AZ 85745
- Telephone: (520) 205-7700
- Website
Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital was the first hospital in southern Arizona. It was founded in 1880 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. This campus is located on the west side and has 402 beds. It has both primary and specialty care practices and a cutting-edge imaging center and is one of the biggest emergency centers in Arizona.
Chandler Regional Medical Center
- Address: 1955 W. Frye Road, Chandler AZ 85224
- Telephone: (480) 728-3000
- Website
Chandler Regional today is a 243 bed acute care, nonprofit hospital that provides the most innovative and exceptional health care to residents in the East Valley. It currently employs more than 1,900 people, including 850 doctors.
Arizona Healthcare Scholarships, Fellowships & Grants
There are a number of ways you can offset some of the costs associated with earning your graduate degree in healthcare administration:
Scholarships & Grants
- University of Northern Arizona Scholarship – The John Sciacca Honorary Scholarship is for an undergraduate public health or administration students with at least a 3.0 GPA.
- Arizona Nurses Foundation Scholarship – The Arizona Nurses Foundation assists Arizona nurses with their scientific and academic endeavors. The purpose of the foundation is to enhance the development of Arizona nurses by awarding college scholarships to undergraduate and graduate school nursing students.
- Arizona College Scholarship Foundation – These scholarships are for graduates of Arizona high schools and are earning their bachelor’s degree in a variety of fields in Arizona.
Fellowships
- Physician Assistant Fellowship – Hospital Internal Medicine – This is offered through the Mayo School of Health Sciences. It will be used to help a graduate PA become a highly skilled and compassionate PA in a hospital in Arizona.
- Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine -Designed for physicians, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and physician assistants, the Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine is a 1,000 hour, two-year distance learning program. Created by Andrew Weil, MD in 2000, the Fellowship in Integrative Medicine has achieved international recognition as the leading integrative medical education program in the world.
- Postgraduate Administrative Fellowship – The Postgraduate Administrative Fellowship Program is open to recent graduates from programs in Healthcare Administration and Public Health. The program is designed to provide its Fellows with an “educational” working environment that enables them to use their analytical, project management and communication skills in team-based setting.
Additional Health Links for Arizona
- Arizona Department of Health Services
- Northern Arizona Regional Behavioral Health Authority
- Southern Arizona VA Health Care System Home
- The University of Arizona Campus Health Service
- Arizona Department of Insurance Health Care Reform
- Arizona Governor’s Office of Health Insurance Exchange (HIX)
Salary and employment data compiled by the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics in May of 2019. Figures represent accumulated data for all employment sectors in which medical and health services managers work. BLS salary data represents average and median earnings for the occupations listed and includes workers at all levels of education and experience. This data does not represent starting salaries.
2019 job growth projections from the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity are aggregated through the U.S. Department of Labor-Sponsored resource, Projections Central. Employment conditions in your area may vary.
All salary and employment data accessed June 2020.
