Health Services Management Job Description

Health services managers are also known as HSMs.

Health services managers (HSMs), according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), are also known as healthcare executives or healthcare administrators. HSMs manage healthcare businesses by planning, directing, coordinating and ensuring the delivery of quality healthcare. You will have good job prospects as an HSM if you have good management and leadership skills as well as work experience.

Job Duties

As an HSM you may be in charge of a particular department or may manage an entire healthcare system. The BLS states that as an HSM you will need to be prepared to deal with the combination of healthcare delivery systems, technological advancements, healthcare regulations and laws, and the increased need for preventive care. In private and group physician practices that employ HSMs, part of your job may be to manage billing, budgeting, and collections; order equipment; and monitor patient flow. If you are an administrator of a small facility, you may manage the daily functioning of your facility, which can include managing staff, finances, business operations, admissions, and patient care. If you work in a large facility, you will often have an assistant to help you in specialized areas such as nursing, surgery, therapy, medical records or health information. Health information mangers are responsible for the management and security of patient records. Keeping current with computer and technology software, and ensuring databases are complete and accurate are also duties of a health information manager.

Workplace

You can work as an HSM in many different types of healthcare businesses. As an HSM, you can work in hospitals or nursing facilities where care is provided around the clock. You may be on call to deal with any problems that arise. You may also oversee several facilities within your healthcare system including inpatient and outpatient services, according to BLS.

Education/Training

You can obtain entry-level employment with a bachelor's degree if you work in a small facility or department. You may be able to obtain employment in a doctors office with on-the-job experience instead of formal education. If you want to manage entire facilities or healthcare systems, you will need a master's degree in health services or long-term care administration, public health, health sciences, public administration or business administration, according to BLS. You can get your bachelor's or master's degree in healthcare administration at colleges, universities, or schools of public medicine, allied health or business administration.

Licensing

Many states require that you have a bachelor's degree to manage facilities such as nursing homes. Nursing home managers are also required to be licensed by the state you live in, pass a state licensing examination, attend a state-approved training program and attend continuing education classes, according to BLS. Many states require that you have a license if you are an assisted living administrator. Other areas of management, such as office managers, are not required to be licensed.

Additional Requirements

As an HSM, you will be responsible for facilities and equipment that are worth a lot of money. You will, therefore, need to have good decision making skills and the ability to analyze conflicting information. You will need good leadership skills, tact, diplomacy and communication skills to succeed as an HSM, according to BLS.

Wages

HSMs in 2008 made an annual median salary of $80,240. In 2008 HSMs in the middle 50 percent salary range made between $62,170 and $104,120 per year. The lowest paid HSM made less than $48,300 and the highest paid made more than $137,800 per year in 2008, according to BLS.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Medical and Health Services Managers
• Education Portal: Health Services Manager