Health care management and administration is a vital field in healthcare that relates to the governance and oversight of medical facilities and healthcare staff. Healthcare administrators are leaders within the healthcare sector that ensure the functionating of the department, medical practice, or hospital to which they are assigned. Their roles and responsibilities are vast and are aimed at facilitating the efficient work of a healthcare organization and the delivery of high-quality care to the patients of that facility. In summary, the main components of the work of a healthcare administrator include human resource management, leadership, financial and regulatory aspects, as well as information technology compliance.
A healthcare administrator should have a variety of skills and competencies that will aid them in ensuring the efficient management of their facility. The priority of an administrator is to enable medical staff to perform in a way that is aligned with the federal and state laws and regulations and the ethical requirements of the medical profession. An administrator should be a competent leader and inspire their staff to work towards a common goal and achieve the personal goals they have set for themselves. They are required to stay informed on all legal requirements and be proficient in financial and human resource management and information technology issues. A healthcare administrator is also the figure at the hospital tasked with the responsibility of financially safeguarding their medical facility and ensuring care is provided to all patients who come there. In addition, the hospital’s day-to-day operation also falls under the responsibility of a healthcare administrator who should strive every day to improve efficiency and quality in delivering healthcare services to their community.
Career in Healthcare Administration
Health care administration is the key field within the healthcare sector. Health care administrators or managers play a crucial role in the functioning of the hospital. They ensure that each member of staff is prepared to carry out duties and responsibilities assigned to them, coordinate work within the facility, and guarantee efficient communication with the community. Thus, healthcare administrators have unique roles and responsibilities within the healthcare system distinct from those of other healthcare professionals. This paper is dedicated to the roles, responsibilities, and priorities of healthcare administrators as stakeholders tasked with planning, directing, and coordinating medical and health services.
Healthcare Administration Functions: Human Resources
Human resource management is one of the roles healthcare administrators are tasked with performing within a healthcare facility. Thus, it is the hospital administrator’s responsibility to oversee the recruitment, training, and supervision of staff members. They are also tasked with developing a schedule, ensuring the number of medical staff on duty each given shift addresses the needs of the medical facility. A healthcare administrator’s human resource management function includes financial and leadership components. Thus, administrators are involved in setting compensation and remuneration for hospital staff (Parayitam et al., 2021). Healthcare administrators are responsible for ensuring the ethical performance of the medical staff and their compliance with regulatory and legal guidelines. In case of an issue arising among the staff or between a member of staff and a patient, administrators need to act as a mediator and resolve the conflict. Thus, the main priority of a healthcare administrator is to facilitate the efficient functioning of the facility through the recruitment of the best-suited team.
Financial Aspects
The role of a healthcare administrator also involves financial management. Besides staff remuneration and compensation of staff working in the medical facility, the administration is in charge of managing the finances of the facility, including patient fees and billing. According to Hernandez et al. (2018), the primary responsibility of the healthcare administrator is to ensure the healthy financial performance of their organization. Thus, the responsibilities of an administrator in the healthcare sector include the creation and review of all monetary statements. Communication with patients and insurance companies on financial matters such as billing is also the function of the administrator. Furthermore, financial decisions, such as the monetary benefit of performing an expensive medical procedure for the hospital, should also fall under the responsibility of the facility manager as they are tasked with assessing financial risks. Overall, the priority of an administrator is to ensure the hospital can financially support the delivery of care to as many patients as possible.
Information Technology
Information technology is a vital part of modern-day healthcare. It is used in all its facets, including healthcare administration. In particular, information technology is implemented to maintain the healthcare records of all patients. The responsibility of a healthcare administrator is to keep all health records up to date. According to Kruse and Beane (2018), information technology contributes to the administrative efficiency of a medical facility and helps ensure improved health outcomes for patients. It should be noted that access to records is crucial for effective treatment and patient satisfaction and is critical in lawsuits against the hospital. Thus, it is the primary duty of a healthcare administrator to ensure all staff is trained to fill out electronic records and familiar with health information technology implemented at the facility.
Regulatory Aspects
The field of healthcare administration also incorporates a regulatory aspect. It is the role of a healthcare administrator to stay up to date on the laws and regulations pertaining to the healthcare sector. Furthermore, the responsibility of an administrator is to ensure the medical staff working in their facility are informed of all changes in the regulations and guidelines concerning their practice. In addition, they are tasked with overseeing the performance of their medical professionals. A healthcare administrator has the moral and legal obligation to report all legal matters to the appropriate authorities. In summary, it is the propriety of a hospital manager to protect the patients from health risks and guarantee that the care of all patients is aligned with the legal guidelines and regulations.
Leadership
As professionals tasked with overseeing the functioning of an entire medical facility, healthcare administrators play a crucial leadership role. Administrators in a hospital are responsible for leading and uniting staff and ensuring a diverse community of healthcare workers is well-organized and capable of delivering high-quality care to patients. Therefore, healthcare administrators should be able to communicate with internal and external stakeholders and encourage individual and organizational accomplishment in order to achieve the shared vision (Pittman & Kolakowski, 2020). Administrators are responsible for the development of departmental and organizational goals and objectives and ensuring they are reached. The priority of professionals within the healthcare administration sector is to reconcile personal and organizational behaviors with the ethical requirements of the medical field (Pittman & Kolakowski, 2020). Thus, healthcare managers are responsible for setting goals and leading people to achieve those goals, as well as various personal goals medical staff may have.
References
Hernandez, S. R., O’connor, S. J., & Meese, K. A. (2018). Global efforts to professionalize the healthcare management workforce: the role of competencies. The Journal of Health Administration Education, 35(2), 157–174.
Kruse, C. S., & Beane, A. (2018). Health information technology continues to show positive effect on medical outcomes: Systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 20(2), 1–9.
Parayitam, S., Naina, S. M., Shea, T., Syed Mohideen, A. H., & Aruldoss, A. (2021). The relationship between human resource management practices, knowledge management practices, and performance: Evidence from the healthcare industry in India. Global Business Review, 1–27.
Pittman, J., & Kolakowski, M. (2020). Leading in a complex healthcare ecosystem. Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics, 17(6), 27–36.