The various business aspects of a health care center are managed a health services administrator. He or she assesses service quality, ensures a center’s overall efficiency, and manages financial matters. In a hospital, a private doctor’s office, a nursing home, or a residential treatment facility, a person in this position might work.
Administrators assess the performance of health care professionals in their facilities as part of quality assurance. They meet with doctors and staff members on a regular basis to discuss performance issues and new policies. Patients are frequently contacted administrators to assess the quality of care they have received and to address any concerns they may have. Health services administrators must have excellent written and verbal communication skills because they spend so much time dealing with personnel and patients.
Patient records in health-care facilities must be updated on a regular basis to ensure that the information they contain is completely accurate. A health services administrator’s job is to keep, organize, and update patient records efficiently. Administrators must therefore have a keen eye for detail as well as the ability to organize both electronic and physical records.
A person in this position is also responsible for the financial management of a facility, which includes creating and maintaining a budget, determining medical service rates, handling patient accounts, and negotiating with insurance companies. Administrators must spend a significant amount of time on the computer logging payment records and creating financial spreadsheets as part of their accounting responsibilities. To ensure the successful management of a health care center’s fiscal operations, administrators must have strong math and computer skills.
Working in the field of health services administration can be taxing. Working hours are typically long and varied, especially in hospitals and treatment facilities that are open 24 hours a day. In addition to working regular hours, an administrator may be required to be on-call in the event of an emergency at his or her facility. In addition, a health-care administrator must be willing to attend seminars, meetings, and fundraising events. These activities may occasionally necessitate extensive travel and long hours.
A master’s degree in health care or business administration is typically required for a career as a health services administrator. Many major universities offer accredited specialized degree programs, which may include a year-long internship in a health-care facility. Before securing a job in health services, it may be necessary to pass a licensing examination or complete a certification program, depending on the country or state of employment.