There are a lot of different niches in healthcare and there will come a point where you need to decide which one you're going to specialize in. Finance jobs in these niches can be difficult to come by, but with the proper training and preparation you can pull it off, and it will be very rewarding. When you choose a certain niche you will need to enroll in the proper classes, and even talk to the trade association that is taking care of that particular niche. They will tell you what courses you will need in order to become a part of the field.
The Healthcare Financial Management Association or HFMA provides many certification programs. These can include seminars or even audiocasts. One that you will need to take note of is the Fundamentals of Healthcare Financial Management class. This information related directly to the industry, will bring you a long way in preparing to take up a career in your chosen niche.
Finance careers can also involve taking care of healthcare fraud. Government agencies or health insurance companies are a great choice for finance jobs or banking jobs. If you are interested in law enforcement or investigations of any type then you would have a blast doing a job like this. It's amazing what people can come up with to defraud the health care industry and it will be your finance job to determine what exactly they're coming up with.
Your previous finance jobs will help you to move into the industry, and starting a finance career will involve working several low level jobs before you finally land the one that you actually want. If you really want to move forward then you will try getting an advanced degree.
If you do decide to go with an advanced degree then you'll want to get the proper degree. For example, most healthcare organizations, even those who hire for banking jobs are looking for people who have MBA's. The reason is that healthcare is becoming increasingly complicated, even to a point where those with other degrees simply cannot make sense of the everyday operations. Even non profit organizations are hiring MBA's now than anything else; and doctors who hold PhD's are going for this highly coveted certification. Yes, it sounds strange, but that's the type of world healthcare seems to have become. We will either conform or be left behind, simple as that.
As you can see, finance jobs and finance careers are becoming increasingly complicated. Sometimes you may feel as if you have bitten off more than you can chew, but if this is something that you really want then the trick is to just keep chewing. Eventually you will find your way and break into the healthcare finance field that you've always wanted to be a part of, and you definitely won't be sorry for it.
