Health services management manpower and education: outlook for the future

There is much concern about administrative costs in health care. But little has been written on the market for health managers. This article discusses Bureau of Labor Statistics data estimating a total of 362,500 health managers in the United States in 1990 and projections showing an increase to 517,800 in 2005. The article further discusses the composition of health care employment in terms of settings and functions, and evaluates the implications of a rapidly changing market for health administrators. The authors conclude that sufficient demand exists for AUPHA programs to produce more graduates, but that curriculum should be revised and should place greater emphasis on efficient production of health services. This will provide qualitative differentiation and give health management training a competitive advantage over business and other educational backgrounds.