Published: 5th January 2022.
Written by Jodie Magrath
A Certificate IV in Health Administration can set you up for a busy career in this booming industry. Whether you want to work in a general practitioner’s office, for a specialist health care provider or in a larger facility such as a hospital, this course will give you the skills you need to succeed. You might choose to coordinate administration at a medical facility or lead a team of staff in this field. The Certificate IV in Health Administration can lead to numerous work opportunities and keep you up to date with the latest industry developments.
The Certificate IV in Health Administration covers a range of topics relevant to this exciting field. You’ll look at strategies for leading effective workplace relationships, including managing staff and recruiting new team members. This course will give you the skills to implement continuous improvement techniques and apply your knowledge of logistics. You’ll learn to interpret and apply medical terminology and explore what it means to work legally and ethically in the healthcare sector.
A Certificate IV in Health Administration is an ideal course of study for the following careers:
Medical Receptionist
A Medical Receptionist performs administrative duties in a health care facility such as a doctor’s office, hospital or specialist medical provider. You’ll greet patients and process their payments. Medical Receptionists coordinate paperwork and answer patient enquiries. You’ll also answer telephone calls and schedule future appointments.
Practice Manager
A Practice Manager coordinates the running of a medical or healthcare practice. You might work for a general practitioner, dental office or specialist health care professional. Practice Managers ensure a practice is operating efficiently and office systems are working effectively. You might perform administrative duties and deal with any problems that arise.
Senior Clinical Coder
A Senior Clinical Coder carries out tasks relating to coding classifications and patient data. You’ll use patient information for classifications which can be developed for data collection purposes. Senior Clinical Coders check patient records to assign codes to patient procedures. This information is used for research purposes.
Higher education pathways
A Certificate IV in Health Administration is a great way to develop your skills in the health care industry. Depending on your career plans, you might also choose to study a Certificate III in Business (Medical Administration) or a Certificate IV in Medical Practice Assisting. You may also decide to advance your skills in this field with a Diploma of Practice Management or a Diploma of Clinical Coding.
If you choose to take your studies further, you could enrol in a university degree such as a Bachelor of Health Services Management or a Bachelor of Health Information Management. This will expand your career opportunities and increase your knowledge of the health administration sector. A university degree may allow you to take on a position with more responsibility. You may be able to use a Certificate IV in Health Administration as a pathway to these courses.
Getting started
If you’re considering enrolling in a Certificate IV in Health Administration, make sure you request information from a range of course providers. There are usually some differences in the way providers deliver their qualifications, so it’s important you find out about the duration of the course, costs, any prerequisites and the content the course will cover. Once you have all the information you can compare details and find the course that best suits your needs.