Healthcare Informatics Discussion
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CareerDevelopweek2reply.docxUnderstanding the Role of Healthcare Management
Michelle Rush
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Healthcare management is responsible for seeking out the daily activities and performance of its assigned department. It is important for those that are seeking their career in healthcare management that they full understand the roles and responsibilities they will be expected to carry out on a daily basis. Not only is it the manager’s job to ensure performance is meeting all expectations and make important decisions that shape the organization, but, they also must possess good communication skills within the team. “Health care managers, also known as health care administrators or executives, plan, direct, coordinate, and supervise the delivery of health care” (Taylor et al., 2007). Managers must at all times remember the mission, vision and goals of the organization which they are employed. There are six different functions that managers must carry out when taking on a management position which include; planning, organizing, staffing, controlling, directing, and decision making.
Planning
Planning involves the manager to think about which direction issues need to be addressed and setting priorities to ensure the performance targets are being met. When planning the direction a manager wants to take and setting these priorities it is especially important that they keep in mind how their decisions affect the quality of patient care within the organization. “Strategic planning is the systematic process whereby an organization creates a document indicating the way it plans to progress from its current situation to the desired future situation” (Sadeghifar, et al., 2014).
Organizing
Within this function the manager must be willing to, “designate reporting relationships and intentional patterns of interaction” (Buchbinder & Thompason, p. 20). This is when the manager assigns tasks to different employees and ensures that all employees understand their tasks and deadlines. Mangers must have good technical skills in order to perform certain work tasks within the organization.
Staffing
This is the function where the manager maintains a full staff schedule and when needed hires the appropriate employees to fill in positions for previously resigned employees. It is important that the manager takes into consideration how this new said employee would best fit with not only the organization, but also the members of the department. The manager works with human resources to ensure they are hiring the best fit for the organization. During the staffing process the manager will review resumes, call for interviews, conduct the interview, speak with human resources, and decide which candidate is best for the job at hand. It is also important that the new hire gets along with the rest of the current staff, so this is something the manager would take into consideration as well.
Controlling
The manager is responsible for ensuring the activities and performance of each employee. When an employee is not reaching their full potential in their line of work it needs to be addressed professionally and if not further action needs to be taken. “Effective healthcare management is essential for the creation of a high performing healthcare delivery system” (Linnander, et al., 2017). When a manager points out an employee that is going above and beyond in their line of work this usually will help motivate other employees to want to do the same. At the same time, it is necessary for managers to point out when an employee is not doing their job and things they need to work on, this type of communication can be done one on one. As mentioned in Galatians 6: 3-4, “For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.
Directing
It is very important that all managers get along with their staff and provide an easy going work environment. In this function, the manager can discuss certain issues with the staff and redirect them professionally when needed. In 1 Timothy 4:16 it states, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers”. It is important that as a manager you also watch what it is you are doing because you have your team watching you as their manager. Teams learn and lead by example and if a manager is not following that example then why should they be expected to.
Decision Making
“This function is critical to all of the aforementioned management functions and means making effective decisions based on consideration of benefits and the drawbacks of alternatives” (Buchbinder & Thompason, p. 21). Decision making is very crucial in the world of healthcare because without the proper knowledge the budget can be overspent and money can be wasted. Managers must possess great conceptual skills in order to make the best decisions for its organization. “Decision making in the health system has a significant relationship with the research findings and knowledge available in this field” (Roohi, et al., 2020).
Ensuring High Performance in a Business Unit
In order for any manager in healthcare to ensure high performance, they must first be able to manage themselves effectively. “This means managing time, information, space, and materials” (Buchbinder & Thompson, p. 25). Managers must maintain a positive attitude daily, and be willing to help motivate their staff when needed. This, along with many other attributes, will help strive employees to perform better in their daily tasks. “To understand performance, one has to appreciate the value of setting and meeting goals and objectives for the unit/service and organization as a whole” (Buchbinder & Thompson, p. 26). It is also important that as a manager you are engaging your employees in their everyday work and ensuring they have the proper resources made available to carry out their responsibilities. There are several different strategies that managers can access in order to better improve the performance of their organization and/or department. “A performance assessment (PA); an important component of a performance management system (PMS) is deemed important at improving the performance of human resources for health” (Nxumalo, et al., 2018). Managers can use the PA to rate the overall performance of their employees which will then allow room for improvement. When managers have their yearly evaluations with their staff members it is important that they take this time to go over all of the issues and/or praises that employee has had throughout the year and to come up with a plan to improve. The overall goal of ensuring high performance within healthcare is to maintain your budget allowed, ensure staff is properly accounted for and all communication is open between staff and managers.
References
Buchbinder, S., & Thompson, J., (2010). Career opportunities in health care management. (1st ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett.
Linnander, E. L., Mantopoulos, J. M., Allen, N., Nembhard, I. M., & Bradley, E. H. (2017). Professionalizing Healthcare Management: A Descriptive Case Study. International journal of health policy and management, 6(10), 555–560. https://doi.org/10.15171/ijhpm.2017.40 .
Nxumalo, N., Goudge, J., Gilson, L., & Eyles, J. (2018). Performance management in times of change: experiences of implementing a performance assessment system in a district in South Africa. International journal for equity in health, 17(1), 141. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-018-0857-2 .
Roohi, G., Mahmoodi, G. & Khoddam, H., (2020). Knowledge implementation in health care management: a qualitative study. BMC Health Serv Res 20, 188. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-5043-8 .
Sadeghifar, J., Jafari, M., Tofighi, S., Ravaghi, H., & Maleki, M. R. (2014). Strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation processes in hospital systems: a survey from Iran. Global journal of health science, 7(2), 56–65. https://doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v7n2p56 .
Taylor, M. K., Gebremichael, M. D., & Wagner, C. E. (2007). Mapping the literature of health care management. Journal of the Medical Library Association : JMLA, 95(2), e58–e65. https://doi.org/10.3163/1588-9439.95.2.E58 .
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Understanding the Role of Healthcare Management
Anderson O’Neil
COLLAPSE
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Understanding the Role of Healthcare Management
Healthcare Management is a very important aspect of the health care field and without it, there are a lot of problems and a lot of chaos. Today’s health care executives must have management talent sophisticated enough that to match the increased complexity of the healthcare environment (Stefl, 2008). Effective healthcare management involves a variety of different attributes including being able to exercise professional judgement and utilizing the necessary skills to carry out the proper managerial functions that are required to be successful in the manager position. There is an increasing need for healthcare providers with a different and specific set of competencies. One of these competencies is the physician's role as manager for which the undergraduate and postgraduate medical training programs in many countries have undergone extensive reform (Busari, 2012). There are six management functions that health care managers should fulfill. The six functions of management are planning, organizing, staffing, controlling, directing, and decision making (Buchbinder & Thompson, 2010). These are some of the most important roles of managers and I will explain each more in depth.
Planning
Planning is a function that requires the manager to set a direction and determine what needs are to be accomplished by setting priorities and determining the performance targets for his or her team (Buchbinder & Thompson, 2010). This aspect is fairly important because without a proper plan of action for their work, health care organizations may not be able to operate correctly and efficiently. It is always important to have a plan of action to make sure to have ultimate success within the team.
Organizing
Organizing is something that is extremely important for optimal production and success within a health care organization. This management function refers to the overall design of the organization or the specific division, unit, or service for which the manager is responsible for. It mans designating reporting relationships and intentional patterns of interaction and determining positions, teamwork assignments and distribution of authority and responsibility (Buchcinder & Thompson, 2010). When a manger has optimal organization, he or she is guaranteed to have more success within their team and the work that is produced. The more organization there is the more success you can have in your work.
Staffing
Being able to adequately staff your team or organization is something that is an important task of a manager. This function refers to acquiring and retaining human resources and developing and maintaining the workforce through various strategies and tactics (Buchbinder & Thompson, 2010). If managers can keep staff who are hardworking and excited to do their job, they will more than likely not have much turnover in their department or organization. The treatment of employees is also very important to the retention rates of staffing as well.
Controlling
Controlling staff is something that all managers must do throughout the work day most everyday.This function refers to monitoring staff activities and performance, and taking the appropriate actions for corrective action to increase the performance of his or her staff (Buchcinder & Thompson, 2010). This is something that managers all do differently and can have a huge impact on the performance of their employees. By finding the right formula for analyzing performance and also being a helping had for their staff to provide the most optimal work is something that managers will figure out on their own time.
Directing
For managers, being able to direct their staff correctly is something that effects the overall performance of the unit. The focus of directing is on initiating action in the organization through effective leadership and motivation of, and communication with staff (Buchbinder & Thompson, 2010). The goal of this is to improve the production and work of a managers subordinates in hopes for optimal work to use.
Decision Making
Decision making is something that can be perceived with any manager position. Decision making is critical to all the aforementioned management functions and means making effective decisions based on considerations of benefits and the drawbacks of alternatives (Buchbinder & Thompson, 2010). Making decisions for their team is something that a manager must be prepared to do often as the leader.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”
References
Buchbinder, S., & Thompson, J., (2010). Career opportunities in health care management. (1st ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett
Busari, J. O. (2012). Management and leadership development in healthcare and the challenges facing physician managers in clinical practice. International journal of clinical leadership, 17(4).
Stefl, M. E. (2008). Common competencies for all healthcare managers: the healthcare leadership alliance model. Journal of healthcare management, 53(6).
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