- Administrators are liasons between the hospital boards, other administrators and the medical staff. They coordinate the activities of and create policies for the hospital. Some administrators are in charge of hiring and training of doctors and other staff, then may perform evaluations of current employees and direct staff meetings. They may also be responsible for the hospital's public relations and fundraising programs. Administrators develop programs for teaching and research hospitals. They must be aware of new advances in medicine.
- Large administrations have several administrators and assistant administrators doing daily tasks such as managing the activities of the hospital's departments while one administrator is in charge overall. A large group practice may have an administrator and several assistants. Some administrators manage a system of health care facilities. In a small administration there may only be one administrator caring for all of the departments, or one administrator and one assistant administrator.
- There are several types of health services managers: clinical managers, who manage specific departments and usually have experience in the area; health information managers, who maintain and take care of patient records; and managers who are in charge of the hospital's business matters.
- Clinical managers and health information managers have more specific duties than a general administrator does. A general administrator is in charge of all departments as well as business practices. Clinical and health information managers work within their own departments, and have duties such as implementing policies, managing personnel and writing reports to give to the overall administrator.
- To become a medical services manager, you must have a master's degree. Degrees in health services administration, long-term care administration, health sciences, public health, public administration or business administration are the most helpful. These degree programs should include an internship in a health care center. Graduate programs are usually two to three years long. If you do not want to get a master's degree, physicians' offices usually hire those with work experience.
