What is Health Care Administration?
The Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration prepares students for leadership roles in nursing homes, assisted living centers, home health organizations, hospitals, outpatient clinics, and many more care settings.
What makes Bellarmine鈥檚 approach to Health Care Administration stand out?
The Health Care Administration degree at Bellarmine is one of only 15 programs across the country that are accredited by the National Association of Long-Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB), a mark of excellence for health and aging leadership curricula.
Faculty members who teach in the program are recognized as national experts and serve on committees for state and national organizations, which presents numerous travel and networking opportunities for students in the department.
The Student Perspective
Ronald Jackson is a senior majoring in Health Care Administration. After beginning
his studies as a Nursing major, a passion for serving the elderly community led him
to change majors and pursue a career as a long-term care administrator in a nursing
home.
Here鈥檚 what Jackson had to say about his experience in Bellarmine鈥檚 Health Care Administration program.
Q: How has your experience in this program prepared you for life after Bellarmine, in both a professional and personal sense?
RJ: I do think this program has matured me quite a bit personally. It鈥檚 given me a more realistic outlook on the field I鈥檓 going into than I had when I first changed my major, and it鈥檚 made me feel more prepared and mentally ready to take on a challenge like that. As far as how it鈥檚 helped me develop into the career field, I鈥檇 say it鈥檚 really helped me quite a bit. They鈥檝e helped me find an internship through AmeriCorps at a nursing home called Wesley Manor. Through that I have learned an insane amount of details, rules, policy, as well as the day-to-day operations of a nursing home, and I wouldn鈥檛 have gotten that connection if it wasn鈥檛 for Bellarmine. I feel like I鈥檓 a step ahead of where I would be if I had [gone to school] somewhere else, because I have friends who have done this somewhere else and they really feel like I鈥檝e been prepared here.
Q: What does your internship entail?
RJ: I鈥檓 an administrator-in-training, it鈥檚 something that you need specifically if you want to go into long-term care. I鈥檓 currently in rotations in every department, so I鈥檒l go through activities, dietary, nursing, maintenance鈥攂asically all of the sectors in your building that you鈥檒l be in charge of. Going through these rotations has prepared me to be a better boss and a better person to the future staff that I would have. It鈥檚 a really good experience and it鈥檚 a good opportunity to network, too. They had me go to a three-day health conference just a couple weeks ago, it was great. I networked and met a lot of people in the industry.
Q: What about the Health Care Administration program at Bellarmine has stood out to you?
RJ: The faculty. The people who are teaching the Health Care Administration classes really are passionate about the field and it resonates with me and my peers. I know that when I go to class every day, I鈥檓 going to be able to at least pick one thing out that I know I鈥檒l be able to use in the future, and the faculty is the main reason for that.
Q: How would you describe the learning environment at Bellarmine and in the Health Care Administration department specifically?
RJ: Bellarmine as a whole, you hear it all the time: the faculty-to-student ratio is pretty good. Even in the larger classes that I鈥檝e had the teachers still can make time to see you and talk to you and help you through stuff no matter what field you鈥檙e going into. I feel like that鈥檚 not something you get at most colleges. And as far as Health Care Administration specifically, there are only nine of us in my class, so I think that it almost gives us an advantage because not only do we have the faculty, we have each other to lean on and to get opportunities from. So, I think the learning environment as a whole is just good for growth and opportunity.
Q: How does Bellarmine鈥檚 liberal arts approach influence your studies in Health Care Administration?
RJ: I think that whether it be a music class or philosophy or ethics, it resonated with me a lot more than I thought it would. I鈥檒l home in on ethics here: I鈥檓 in a class right now called Moral Issues in Health Care, it鈥檚 based in ethics and how the United States health care system has succeeded and failed in some ways. You鈥檙e going to have to explain yourself if you want change, [and] I think being in these classes has helped me be able to encompass my thoughts and convey them in a way that makes sense and is articulate so that other people understand it. Without that liberal arts side of things, I don鈥檛 think I鈥檇 be in the same headspace. I think it鈥檚 also maturing in a way, it makes you think critically.
Q: What would you say to a prospective student interested in studying Health Care Administration at Bellarmine?
RJ: I would say that if it鈥檚 something you鈥檙e really passionate about you will really thrive in the Health Care Administration major at Bellarmine. It really does set you up for success and I would say go for it with an open heart and an open mind, because at the end of the day you鈥檙e taking care of the people who are taking care of the people, so you have to make sure that you are understanding and ready to be that person that sets everything up for success. And with the program here I really do feel like they are trying to make us better people as well as better health care leaders in the future.
Q: Do you feel like your experience in this program has helped you find your purpose or calling for life after college?
RJ: Oh yeah. Coming in as a freshman you [think] it鈥檚 going to be just sunshine and rainbows. Things change, you know, you have your worries and your doubts as all young adults I鈥檓 sure do, but I really do think that [this program] braces you for the future and it really does give you an avenue to succeed post-college. It鈥檚 a wonderful experience and this major鈥檚 helped me become who I am today and has helped me find my calling specifically. It鈥檚 something that I鈥檓 very thankful for.
The Faculty Perspective
Dr. Mike Harlowe is an Assistant Professor in the Health Care Administration and Public
Health departments. He has extensive experience as a hospital executive and served
for 22 years as a CEO with Indiana University Health, the largest healthcare provider
in Indiana.
Harlowe says with experienced faculty, small class sizes, and a curriculum based in ethics and service, the Bellarmine Health Care Administration degree offers a transformative educational experience that prepares students to be well-rounded leaders.
Faculty in the program have expertise in a variety of areas, from health care policy to financial management and leadership development. In addition to being educators, they are practitioners who have faced the challenges students will encounter in their careers. Harlowe says the small class sizes enable faculty to more effectively share their wealth of information with students through personalized mentorship.
鈥淭hese intimate settings foster meaningful discussions, personalized instruction, and close collaboration among students and faculty,鈥� Harlowe says. 鈥淚n my classes, I know each student by name, their career aspirations, and how to tailor my mentorship to help them succeed. This personal connection ensures that students feel supported and confident as they engage with the challenging material.鈥�
When it comes to health care, learning how to serve others is as important as academic study. Harlowe says Bellarmine鈥檚 curriculum instills a strong sense of ethics, service, and respect for human dignity in its students.
鈥淭hese principles are critically important in health care administration, where decisions often have profound impacts on individuals and communities,鈥� Harlowe says. 鈥淏y integrating these values into the curriculum, we help students develop not only as competent administrators but also as compassionate leaders who prioritize equity and care.鈥�
To students considering pursuing a degree in Health Care Administration, Harlowe says there are few careers as diverse, challenging, and rewarding.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a profession that allows you to lead dynamic, caring people while engaging in work that truly makes a difference in individuals鈥� lives and improves entire communities,鈥� Harlowe says. 鈥淪o, if you鈥檙e ready to embark on a career that鈥檚 as fulfilling as it is impactful, I encourage you to take the next step with Bellarmine. It鈥檚 a decision that will not only shape your career but also empower you to make a meaningful difference in the world."