OVERVIEW
What Is a Health Services Manager?
Health services managers, sometimes referred to as medical services managers, plan, coordinate, and facilitate the business activities of healthcare service employees. These professionals are vital to overall organization and efficacy. They work primarily in hospitals with teams of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare personnel.
A health services manager acts as a liaison between hospital workers and insurance agents, patients, and medical staff to ensure that care is delivered accurately and promptly. Their major contributions are understanding the impacts of health policy and healthcare law on hospitals, understanding the cost and reimbursement for drugs and other products, building programs that can attract medical staff and patient referrals, and promoting research partnerships.
RESPONSIBILITIES
What Does a Health Services Manager Do?
Health services managers work at the intersection of business and healthcare. Their role is to bridge the gap between the two worlds to assist healthcare professionals, patients, and insurance companies. Some of their major responsibilities include:
- Overseeing the day-to-day operations of a healthcare organization, a specific unit, or a service area.
- Gathering and analyzing data, using it to plan and manage projects and systems.
- Managing clinical, professional, clerical, and administrative staff as well as the recruitment, selection, appraisal, and development of staff.
- Liaising and negotiating with medical and non-medical staff and with people in external organizations (e.g., social services, voluntary groups, or the private sector).
- Implementing policies and ensuring that quality care is delivered to patients and government guidelines are followed.
- Setting budgets and maintaining finances within tight constraints.
- Managing contracts and service delivery agreements.
- Planning and implementing strategic changes to improve service delivery, including new policies and directives.
- Scheduling and attending meetings, writing reports, and delivering presentations.
- Organizing clinical governance and audit.
- Sitting on committees and representing the views of departments and teams.
- Handling communications and corporate affairs.
- Managing premises, catering, cleaning, transportation, and security.
- Buying equipment and supplies and organizing stores.
- Using computers to manage information and financial data, analyze and measure performance, and plan provision and development for major projects.
EDUCATION & BEST DEGREES
How Do I Become a Health Services Manager?
There are some educational requirements on the path to becoming a health services manager. It is also recommended that you gain certification to make yourself more competitive in the job market. You’ll need experience in the field to progress to this managerial role. The following is a step-by-step guide to becoming a healthcare services manager:
- Earn a bachelor’s degree in health and human services or healthcare administration.
- Gain work experience as a healthcare coordinator or another relevant role.
- Earn a master’s degree in health leadership to be considered for more advanced roles.
- Consider applying for advanced training in healthcare administration.
Consider getting a certificate in the field:
- Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE)
- Certified Medical Manager (CMM)
- Certified Healthcare Administrative Professional (cHAP)
- Certified Professional in Health Care Risk Management (CPHRM).
Best Degrees for a Health Services Manager
Health & Nursing
Health and Human Services – B.S.
An online health degree program for students who are committed to making a...
An online health degree program for students who are committed to making a difference for patients in a variety of ways.
- Time: 63% of students finish this program in 24 months
- Tuition: $4,210 per 6-month term
- Courses: 35 total courses in this program
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Epidemiology
- Community and Public Health
- Cultural Awareness
- Pathophysiology
- Healthcare Values and Ethics
- Substance Abuse Support
This degree allows you to work inside the healthcare industry, while also directly working with patients who need help.
Business
Healthcare Administration – B.S.
You can become a healthcare industry leader:...
You can become a healthcare industry leader:
Compare with B.S. Health Information Management
- Time: 63% of graduates finish within 17 months
- Tuition: $3,755 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 40 total courses in this program.
Skills for your résumé you will learn in this program include:
- Management
- Communication
- Team Leadership
- Operations
- Scheduling
- Strategic Planning
The online courses in this career-focused business degree program will prepare you with management-level skills and an up-to-date understanding of our healthcare delivery system.
Health & Nursing
Master of Healthcare Administration
A master's focused on managing comprehensive, value-based care, directly...
A master's focused on managing comprehensive, value-based care, directly in line with innovations in health and healthcare.
- Time: 60% of grads finish within 21 months.
- Tuition: $4,995 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 12 total courses in this program.
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Collaborative Leadership
- Healthcare Models and Systems
- Healthcare Financial Management
- Enterprise Risk Management
- Healthcare Information Technology
Your rich experience in a health-related field can mean more when you bring a master's level of understanding to the problems that organizations need to solve.
Compare degrees
This program is not the only degree WGU offers designed to create leaders in the field of healthcare. Compare our health leadership degrees.
Health & Nursing
Nursing Leadership Certificate – Leavitt School of Health
Enhance your résumé and take a step in your educational journey with the...
Enhance your résumé and take a step in your educational journey with the help of a nursing leadership certificate from the Leavitt School of Health.
- Time: 3 months from start to finish.
- Cost: $2,000 for the certificate.
- Courses: 3 courses total in this program.
This program is for emerging nursing leaders, however this program does not require a bachelor’s degree, and provides transferable credit towards a WGU degree program. The three courses are:
- Interprofessional Communication and Leadership in Healthcare
- Intrapersonal Leadership and Professional Growth
- Nursing Leadership Capstone
How Much Does a Health Services Manager Make?
$104,830
The health services manager salary range is an attractive attribute to this career path. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for medical and health services managers was $104,830 in May 2022. The lowest 10% that year earned less than $64,100, while the highest 10% earned more than $209,990.
What Is the Projected Job Growth?
28%
Imagine never struggling to find a job. That's a reality for health services managers. In fact, health services manager is one of the most in-demand positions in the healthcare industry.
The employment of health services managers is projected to rise by 28% from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 51,800 openings for health services managers are projected each year, on average, over these 10 years.
SKILLS
What Skills Does a Health Services Manager Need?
- These professionals have important and unique responsibilities, which is why it’s important that they hold the skills necessary to effectively meet the needs of a health services manager’s job description. Some of these essential skills include:
- Verbal and written communication skills, as well as listening skills and the ability to cooperate and negotiate with others.
- Motivation and an interest in the sector, identifying with the common values and aims of the organization.
- The ability to handle responsibility, delegate effectively, and manage resources.
- Prioritizing the achievement of results, maintaining the energy and enthusiasm needed to ensure that objectives are met.
- Initiative and leadership skills and the ability to gain the trust, commitment, and cooperation of others.
- Teamwork and the ability to collaborate effectively with others.
- The ability to grasp clinical issues, including the understanding of treatments and evolving medical technologies.
- Organizational skills to deal with a diverse range of challenges.,
- Decision-making, particularly in sensitive areas such as the allocation of funds or organizing staff levels for a unit.
- Numeracy and the ability to analyze complex issues, absorb information, understand data, and identify underlying trends.
- Adaptability and readiness to challenge existing practices and find alternatives.
- The ability to cope with pressure and ongoing change in the form of new medical technology and treatments, policies, practices, and reorganization.
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