Before considering the pursuit of a career as a medical and health services manager, it is a good idea to learn exactly what it is. A medical and health services manager is a healthcare administrator. Medical managers or health service administrators are directly responsible for the planning, directing and coordinating of health services. These services can be delivered in a variety of settings, such as facilities, clinical departments, or private medical practices.
A medical and health services manager will need to be well educated not only in medicine and health, but also in technology. Medical health and services managers will also need to work as problem solvers for whatever issues may arise within their particular facility. If you are interested in starting a career in health administration, knowing what a health services manager does can help you as you choose a specific career path. After understanding the job more fully, you can then decide if this is the path within the healthcare sector that you want to pursue.
Here is a straightforward job profile that can help you with your career planning. We will also address some frequently asked questions related to the job description and what you can expect as a medical and health services manager.
Related: 5 Characteristics of a Successful Social and Community Service Manager
What Does a Medical and Health Service Manager Do?
A health services manager is in charge of coordinating health care service. They do this in order to ensure that patients get the quality care that they deserve, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A medical health services manager will be employed to plan and direct the medical services in a hospital, clinic or in a physician’s practice. A manager may also be in charge of supervising non-clinical employees.
Other responsibilities may include developing goals, preparing budgets, setting policies, purchasing equipment, improving the efficiency of staff members, and keeping the operational costs down. It is the responsibility of healthcare managers to be sure that their facility is up to date with all of the current codes and regulations. Medical managers will often be looked to when important decisions need to be made within an organization or facility.
As a manager, the job holds a lot of responsibility, mainly related to their overseeing of other workers. The specific job description can vary greatly from job to job. Working for a large organization such as a hospital will obviously look different in the day to day than if you worked for a smaller organization.
Where Do Managers in Healthcare Administration Work?
The healthcare system is large and it is constantly growing. Jobs are consistently opening up on a small scale as well as a large scale. You can work in a variety of different healthcare settings as a management professional in health services. Many of the available jobs are in hospitals. In fact, about 30% of all medical and health services manager positions are in hospitals. You can also work in places such as medical offices, government facilities, or nursing homes. Some of these settings require specialized knowledge of healthcare regulation and other laws. Others require you to specialize in or gain experience in a specific area of healthcare.
The following is a list of the most common settings for a healthcare manager position.
- Clinical departments in hospitals
- Health information departments
- Surgery centers
- Rehabilitation centers
- Nursing homes
- Private and group practices
- Government agencies
- Home healthcare agencies
- Residential care facilities
Who Do Medical and Health Services Managers Work Closely With?
The answer to this question will vary depending on your place of work. In a typical situation, such as a hospital, or a doctor’s office, medical managers will work closely with many people. These include physicians, registered nurses, surgeons, and laboratory technicians. Medical health and service managers may also work with patients and insurance representatives. Some managers will find that their job description is more on the administrative end, while some will end up spending much of their time working closely with other individuals. It is safe to expect that your job as a medical manager will be a combination of the two.
How Much Do Health Services Managers Make?
Healthcare managers make a sizable income but the average income is dependent on the setting that you work in. In the field as a whole, healthcare administrators earn an average of $94,500 per year. The highest paying jobs are found in hospitals. The second highest paying jobs within the field are those held within government organizations. Nursing homes and residential care facilities tend to offer lower salaries on the spectrum, but the salary can vary significantly depending on the facility. Salary can also vary significantly based on the geographical location in which you work. Some of the regions within the United States that pay healthcare managers the most are the District of Columbia, New York, New Jersey, and California.
How Do You Become Medical Services Manager?
You could choose to go to school to become a medical or health services manager, or you could choose to climb up the ranks within the medical field to pursue a management position. Another option is to make the decision to transition into the field from another related field, especially if you have some experience in management. Both clinical professionals and professionals from entirely unrelated fields have chosen to make the transition into healthcare administration. If you are interested in this career transition, you need to possess a bachelor’s degree in health management, business administration, health administration, or nursing. A bachelor’s degree may land you a position in administration, but many employers prefer candidates who have a graduate degree and at least 1 year of supervised administrative experience.
As with other jobs, earning a higher degree is a good step towards ensuring a higher position. With this higher position will also come with higher pay. A master’s degree in health management would not do anything but help your career, if you are willing to put in the extra time. It is also beneficial to gain related experience. Experience can always help you to stand out from other candidates when you are looking to land a specific job.
What qualities are good to have as a medical and health services manager?
As is the case when working as any kind of a manager, good leadership skills are a must for a health and services manager. You must be willing and able to lead with strength and clarity in a way that makes others trust you and want to follow. It is also very important to have compassion for people. You will work closely with people – both employees that you oversee, as well as, in some cases, patients. It is important to truly care for those around you.
Teamwork and relationship building will be fundamental parts of your job. These are easier to accomplish successfully when you genuinely have compassion for others. It will make a very big difference as you manage others. It is also of utmost importance to be a person who pays attention to detail. Many components of the job will be dependent on detail. Some examples of these are budgeting and accounting, billing, and creating schedules.
Problem solving skills and creativity are other qualities that would be beneficial when dealing with the various things that may get thrown at you as a health and services manager. It is also very important to have a passion for healthcare as a whole. The healthcare system needs leaders who are passionate about what they are doing and believe in their ability to truly make a difference in the lives of people.
Is the Job Outlook Positive in Health Services Management?
The job outlook for medical and health managers is projected to grow at a higher rate than other jobs in the coming years. In the United States, employment in all disciplines is projected to grow by 7%. In health and medical services, the demand for managers is projected to grow by 17%. One of the major reasons for the growth is because a larger percentage of the population now has access to medical care. Since there is a growing need for medical services, it is clear that the need for managers will continue to grow. It is expected that this job growth within the field will occur across the board. That means that whether you would like to work for a small facility or for a large corporation or government agency, the likelihood of landing a job is quite good.
Earning your degree in business or healthcare administration will help you gain footing in the field but getting experience is a must too. While having a degree is important, setting aside time to earn a professional certification will help you market yourself. Apply for a Certified Medical Manager certification through a reputable agency like the Professional Association of Health Care Office Management and then you can pursue your goal to become a medical and health services manager.
Related Resource: Become a Health Information Specialist
How Do I Set Myself Apart in the Field of Health Management?
Earning your degree in business or healthcare administration will help you gain footing in the field but getting experience is a must too. Along with gaining experience, it is also a good idea to consider pursuing a certification. While having a degree is important, setting aside time to earn a professional certification will help you market yourself. Some related certifications that could be worth looking into are Certified professional in healthcare risk management (CPHRM) or Certified Medical Manager (CMM).
Other options are Certified professional in healthcare information and management systems (CPHIMS) and Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ). Each of these certifications is slightly unique from the others, and you can research them to find the one that seems to fit your particular situation the best. Certification programs vary in length, and usually require somewhere between three to nine courses. They can be completed in less than a year, and sometimes in as little as a few months.
Certification programs are usually flexible and allow you to do the work on nights and weekends. You can apply for a certified medical manager certification through a reputable agency like the Professional Association of Health Care Office Management and then you can pursue your goal to become a medical and health services manager.
Is Medical and Health Services Management a Demanding Field?
It goes without saying that working as a healthcare manager would be a full time position. Anyone familiar with a manager’s description knows that it can be a demanding position, and one in which you are “on-call” a lot of the time. In a healthcare setting, this could also include nights and weekends. Most healthcare facilities do not operate on a typical schedule and are open on a 24/7 basis. However, for someone with a passion for people and for healthcare, it would be worth it.
Although demanding, the reward of working for something that matters is worth the long hours. It is also good to consider that if you work at a large enough facility, there is a good likelihood that you can delegate responsibilities in a way that can ease your personal worload and allow for some time away from the job.
What Are Some Related Career Options?
The following is a list of other managerial job options. One of these might be a good option for someone who is interested in the job but not necessarily wanting to enter the world of healthcare. Like the health and medical manager position, each of these jobs requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. These jobs vary in workplace environment, stress level, and pay. The median salary for each of these jobs ranges anywhere from $74,000 a year to $159,000 a year. Typically, jobs within the technology or healthcare fields will pay more than other sectors. There can be exceptions to this. Most of the following positions are not related to healthcare, so obviously, your undergraduate degree would need to be earned in a related field.
The following are some health services management related jobs that one might want to consider.
- Social and Community Service Manager
- Administrative Service and Facility Manager
- Financial Manager
- Computer and Information Systems Manager
- Human Resources Manager
- Purchasing Manager