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It is important to learn what a medical and health service manager does before you apply to any type of health administration degree program. Health administration managers play an integral role in planning, directing and coordinating the business activities that take place behind the scenes in healthcare settings. Administrators work in more than just hospitals and they do more than just manage a department of people. While every facility assigns different duties to their health services managers, the overall purpose of managers in each type of facility is the same. Here are some different settings administrators are found in and what their duties are:
The Difference Between Generalists and Specialists
A medical services manager, which can also go by a healthcare administrator or executive, is in charge of administrative tasks in a healthcare organization or facility. In smaller settings, the administrator might be in charge of directing the activities in an entire facility. In larger healthcare settings, there are managers who supervise activities in a specific department. Managers overseeing a facility are generalists and managers overseeing a department are called specialists.
Where Do Health Services Managers Work?
There is a long list of different settings that you can work in when you are a qualified healthcare administrator. Your work environment is dependent on the employer that you choose. In 2014, there were approximately 333,000 managers employed throughout the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, some of the different healthcare settings administrators work in as generalists of specialists include:
- Hospitals (local, private, state)
- Government agencies
- Nursing homes
- Residential care facilities
- Health clinics
- Rehabilitation centers
- Home healthcare service providers
- Physician offices or group practices
A Brief Description of Job Duties in Healthcare Administration
Now that you know where health service managers work, you can find out more about their responsibilities. Administrators are in charge of handling the day-to-day operations and implementing the procedures that clinical professionals and administrative professionals must follow. The manager might create and enforce goals, create objectives, or develop budgets so that a department or facility stays on track. Here is a list of some of the typical job duties of a health services manager:
- Improving the efficiency of delivering healthcare services
- Recruiting staff
- Training new recruits and supervising staff
- Developing goals throughout a department
- Setting departmental objectives
- Overseeing operations to ensure the facility stays in compliance with regulations
- Setting work schedules for employees
- Managing patient billing and invoices
- Monitoring budgets and setting where funds are to be spent
- Organization of records
- Communication with department heads and other clinical staff
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If you would like to work in the healthcare platform but you do not want to be a clinical professional, consider an administrative role. It does take a formal degree and experience to qualify for an administrator role. If you want to work up to administrative manager, start by earning your bachelor’s degree. Once you complete this program, aim towards a Master’s in Healthcare Administration so that you can compete with other graduate degree holders. After you hold your master’s degree, you will be qualified to do what a medical and health service manager does.