Listed among healthcare careers is the role of the clinical manager in healthcare administration. There is sometimes a subtle difference in "clinical" and "administrative" managers, but an administrative clinical manager is involved with both the financial and personnel aspects of a healthcare facility.
Healthcare Administrative Clinical Managers are Supervisors
They have little actual patient contact in most instances. The exception to this, according to the Princeton Review, is the clinical manager who works in a small facility. That person may be involved in every aspect of the business from making appointments to tracking wear-and-tear on instruments. Most managers supervise staff that may include physicians, nurses, aides and orderlies as well as the office clerks and the employees who work in information systems and medical coding. They are responsible for recruiting and retaining staff and for training them on policies and procedures. At senior level, these managers may work for agencies that develop healthcare policies. Healthcare clinical managers may be generalists or specialists. Those who choose to specialize may work in one department of a facility such as surgery. In that case, the manager has education that equips him to be adept in that area.
Why Healthcare Clinical Managers Are Important
The healthcare field is becoming larger and more diverse. Delivery of healthcare services includes not only patient contact, but working with insurance companies, billing, managing information systems to enter and monitor patient records and keeping track of expensive medical equipment. Staff must be scheduled. Patient care must meet medical standards as well as comply with federal mandates. Because the healthcare industry is a business, all of this must be accomplished in a cost-efficient way, staying on budget and even making a profit. Someone must coordinate all the aspects of healthcare facilities. That is where a clinical manager in healthcare administration comes in.
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What Education is Required to be a Healthcare Clinical Manager
There are entry-level some positions you can get with a bachelor's degree, such as working in a clinic department or managing a small facility. Usually, though, managers have a master's degree such as a MBA or a master's degree in public health. Since the clinical manager should have expertise in the area they manage, the MBA could be augmented with healthcare courses and a public health degree should have a concentration in business classes.
What Do Healthcare Administrative Clinical Managers Earn
The median pay for this position in 2012 was $88,580, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The top ten percent earned almost $145,000 a year. Most managers worked in hospitals, where the pay tends to be higher than in nursing homes or private care facilities. Senior management in big corporations such as pharmaceutical companies earns more too. Because of the burgeoning healthcare industry, the projected job growth rate for these managers is 23 percent, which is above average.
If you are seeking a career in healthcare, you might find your niche as a clinical manager in healthcare administration. Education experts advise getting your degree, plus courses that equip you for your desired area, such as a surgical department or a mental health facility. Combining your business skills and your desire to work in healthcare, this profession could deliver great job satisfaction.