Healthcare Administrator

Healthcare managers in any organization are in a position of authority. It is through this position that healthcare managers can shape the organization by making important decisions. Decisions made by healthcare managers not only focus on ensuring that the patient receives the most appropriate, timely, and high-quality services possible, but also address achievement of performance targets that are desired by the manager (Buchbinder & Shanks, 2017). To no surprise, decisions made by an individual manager impact the organization’s overall performance. When making decisions, according to Buchbinder & Shanks (2017), managers must consider two domains, external and internal:

· External Domain

· Are influences, resources, and activities that exist outside the boundary of the organization but that significantly affect the organization.

· These factors include community needs, population characteristics, and reimbursement from commercial insurers, as well as government plans, such as the Children’s Health Insurance Plans (CHIP), Medicare, and Medicaid.

· Internal Domain:

· Areas of focus that managers need to address on a daily basis, such as ensuring the appropriate number and types of staff, financial performance, and quality of care.

· These internal areas reflect the operation of the organization where the manager has the most control. Keeping the dual perspective requires significant balance and effort on the part of management in order to make good decisions.

Healthcare Administration: Definition, Functions, and Competencies

According to Buchbinder and Shanks (2017), “management is defined as the process, comprised of social and technical functions and activities, occurring within organizations for the purpose of accomplishing predetermined objectives through human and other resources” (pg. 3). As with any organization, managers within a healthcare organization will implement six management functions as they carry out the process of management:

1. Planning: This function requires the manager to set a direction and determine what needs to be accomplished. It means setting priorities and determining performance targets.

2. Organizing: This management function refers to the overall design of the organization or the specific division, unit, or service for which the manager is responsible. Furthermore, it means designating reporting relationships and intentional patterns of interaction. Determining positions, teamwork assignments, and distribution of authority and responsibility are critical components of this function.

3. Staffing: This function refers to acquiring and retaining human resources. It also refers to developing and maintaining the workforce through various strategies and tactics.

4. Controlling: This function refers to monitoring staff activities and performance and taking the appropriate actions for corrective action to increase performance.

5. Directing: The focus in this function is on initiating action in the organization through effective leadership and motivation of, and communication with, subordinates.

6. 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.

To effectively carry out these functions, a healthcare manager needs to possess several key competencies. The term competency refers to a state in which an individual of a sufficient ability or qualities to perform certain functions. To effectively manage these 6 management functions, the needed competencies are as follows:

· Conceptual skills

· Involve the ability to critically analyze and solve complex problems.

· Technical skills

· Reflect expertise or ability to perform a specific work task.

· Interpersonal skills

· Enable a manager to communicate with and work well with other individuals, regardless of whether they are peers, supervisors, or subordinates.

Healthcare Administration: Healthcare Divisions

There are several areas of healthcare where healthcare administrators and managers are needed. They include (but are not limited to):

Each of the above-mentioned sectors of healthcare provide individualized care and/or services. While the overarching goal is to provide quality of care, the duties for a healthcare administrator/manager will vary. For example, according to the Healthcare Management Degree Guide (2016), “as many as 39 percent of all healthcare managers and administrators are employed in a hospital setting. Hospital executives provide the foundation for hospital services and facilities. They are responsible for running the hospital efficiently and successfully, offering optimum patient care and site services” (para. 12). Healthcare managers and administrators are tasked with managing the “behind the scenes” elements of the healthcare industry. This could include responsibilities that embrace managing finances, scheduling direct care providers, hiring employee management, health information management, and other additional responsibilities.

Buchbinder, S.B. & Shanks, N.H. (2017). Introduction to health care management. 3rd Ed. Jones & Bartlett Learning: Burlington, MA.