A clinic manager-health administration focus plays a key role in the healthcare system. They mainly specialize on the administrative aspect of healthcare. This icludes both the financial and personnel facets of the facility they work in. Here is a roundup of the specific roles of administrative clinic managers, why they are important, their salary and job outlook and how to become one.
Roles of Administrative Clinic Managers
Clinic managers in healthcare administration work in supervisory capacities in a healthcare facility. Their key objective is to ensure that the facility runs smoothly. Their main duties include managing the clinical, clerical and administrative staff, overseeing the recruitment process, appraising the staff members and monitoring the day-to-day operations of the facility. Other duties include formulating and implementing policies and directives, developing and controlling budgets, making purchasing decisions and handling communications.
Administrative clinic managers work in long-term healthcare facilities, outpatient centers, clinics and doctors’ offices.
Importance of Administrative Clinic Managers
The healthcare industry is increasingly becoming a beehive of activities. The scope of services nowadays not only involves patient contact, but it also encompasses working with insurance companies, suppliers, recruitment agencies and the public. All these fields require someone who has got the knowledge and skills to manage them well and help the facility make profits. This is where administrative clinical managers come in.
How to Become an Administrative Clinic Manager
Those who want to become administrative clinic managers should earn at least a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration. Other medical degrees with a specialization in healthcare management are also acceptable. The coursework usually includes healthcare law and ethics, financial management, information systems for healthcare and healthcare administration.
Many healthcare facilities prefer those who have master’s degrees when recruiting. You might want to further your education in order to increase your job prospects. The most common graduate qualifications are MBA and master’s degree in public health. The MBA should be supplemented with healthcare courses. The public health degree should also be augmented with business classes.
Required Skills
Administrative clinic managers are mandated with the task of running healthcare facilities. They should be comfortable with delegating tasks and solving problems whenever they arise. They should also be in a position to identify and analyze large amounts of information streaming from various departments in the facility. Other essential traits include the ability to bring people together, strong written and oral communication skills, ability to make quick and wise decisions and good interpersonal skills.
Salary and Career Outlook
The healthcare industry continues to be among the top employers in the country. The high demand is due to the increase in the median age population and baby boomers. Among the professions who will benefit from these changes are clinic managers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the employment rate for clinic managers and other healthcare administrators to increase by 17 percent over the next 10 years. This rate is considered much faster than the national average and represents a bright future for those who want to become administrative clinic managers.
Apart from the promising employment rates, clinic managers also enjoy some of the best salaries in the healthcare industry. They earn an average salary of $96,540 per year. This translates to $46.41 per hour, which is quite remarkable.
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Students who major in healthcare administration can find jobs as administrative clinic managers. Experts recommend that you obtain at least a bachelor’s degree plus another course relevant to your desired area. You should also have the desire to work in healthcare to enjoy a great job satisfaction as a clinic manager-health administration focus.
