How to Start a Career as a Healthcare Consultant Business

Career Development Manager

Healthcare is a dominant career field in the 21st century.

The combination of our aging population and growing access to health insurance for people of all ages means this area of work is growing rapidly.

Of all the types of consulting jobs, that’s why healthcare consulting is one of the most in-demand job titles in today’s workforce.

But what does a healthcare consultant career entail?

If there’s any doubt that healthcare-related jobs are a safe bet for the near future, consider this: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that:

• Employment in healthcare occupations is projected to grow 19 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations.

• Healthcare occupations will add about 2.3 million new jobs during that time, more than any other group of occupations.

Healthcare consulting is expected to grow right alongside all healthcare positions over the next decade. Let’s discuss what this career field is and what sorts of flexible work options exist for healthcare consultants.

Then, we’ll focus on the healthcare consulting jobs that offer flexible work options, such as flexible scheduling, remote work, part-time schedules, and freelance options.

What is a healthcare consultant?

A healthcare consultant acts as an analyst, learning about a healthcare-related organization’s operations in order to improve efficiencies. One of the big roles a consultant plays in any industry is to help an organization identify ways to reduce costs and increase revenue.

In a medical setting, that means working with the healthcare facility’s administrators and leadership to identify problem areas, and then to propose solutions. O*Net Online has a fantastic rundown of all the potential job responsibilities of a management analyst or consultant (aka a healthcare consultant):

Conduct organizational studies and evaluations, design systems and procedures, conduct work simplification and measurement studies, and prepare operations and procedures manuals to assist management in operating more efficiently and effectively. Includes program analysts and management consultants.

Who do healthcare consultants work with?

These jobs are found in all varieties of healthcare organizations from hospitals and medical facilities to health insurance companies. Healthcare consultants can be hired directly by the healthcare company as an ongoing consultant or analyst, or they might work for an outside consulting company that sends people to consult at a variety of client organizations.

Within each organization, healthcare consultants will typically work with a mix of coworkers and higher-level employees, and might be working directly with top-level leaders at the organization, such as C-suite executives and vice presidents. Healthcare consultants may also work directly with care providers, such as nurses, doctors, etc.

What are the typical requirements for healthcare consultant jobs?

Healthcare consultants are ultimately consulting on the business aspects of a healthcare organization, so previous medical training or work experience is not always required. Instead, a firm background in business concepts like operations, management, finance, human resources, and other areas is needed.

However, some healthcare consultants are hired to assist care providers in improving efficiency directly related to patient care. In these roles, a background in patient care is typically required.

According to the BLS, the minimum education for a healthcare consulting job is a bachelor’s degree, though some employers prefer a master’s degree, such as an MBA. The BLS advises that “the Certified Management Consultant (CMC) designation may improve job prospects.”

The most important skills for healthcare consultants include:

• Analysis and critical thinking

• Mathematics skills for analyzing budgets, revenue, etc.

• Active listening and strong speaking skills

• Judgement and decision-making

What companies offer jobs related to healthcare consulting?

At FlexJobs, we list healthcare consulting jobs for a variety of organizations, such as Philips, New York Methodist Hospital, MedStar Health, Joint Commission, Aetna, Humana, Anthem, Inc., PAREXEL, and many others.

And if you’re wondering what titles healthcare consulting jobs use, there’s a variety of them. It seems each organization has its own lingo for these types of jobs, so be on the lookout for job titles like: health compliance specialist, clinical consultant, healthcare technology consultant, physician consultant, health economics consultant, nurse consultant, and lots of variations of those.