The job of
Medical Office Manager, sometimes referred to as
Health Service Administrators, is a part of a growing field. A medical office manager is the person that keeps a medical office or facility running smoothly and manages the total operations of the office. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for Medical Office Managers is good and is expected to grow faster than average. A person that has strong business management skills and experience in healthcare can expect to see job growth opportunities in the industry of over 16 percent until 2018.
Job Responsibilities of an Medical Office Manager
A medical office manager works in a healthcare setting, whether it is a large medical office, a multi-specialty facility, or a clinic or hospital setting. Some of the functions of a medical office manager will include:
- Ensure office policies are established and followed by all personnel
- Prepare and manage office practice total budget
- Prepare, along with financial manager, accounting functions
- Recruit, interview, hire, evaluate, and maintain appropriate staffing levels
- Monitor time and attendance of personnel, and prepare payroll
- Maintain equipment and ensure smooth facility operations
- Meet with staff about practice plan operations, training, personnel development
- Manage insurance contracts and ensure compliance with contracts
- Ensure adequate supplies are always available
- Maintain and ensure smooth operations of office practices and procedures
- Formulate business growth strategies
Medical office managers require strong leadership abilities and decision-making capabilities.
Medical Office Manager Qualifications
Most medical office managers obtain a Master’s Degree, though some are very successful with Bachelor’s Degrees and work experience. A master’s in health services administration, health sciences, public administration or master’s of business administration (MBA) are preferred degrees.
A medical office manager can receive a Certified Medical Manager designation, which is a nationally recognized certification. The certification evaluates the medical office manager’s skills and knowledge in 18 areas of competency, and is recognized as the standard of excellence in medical office management.
There is also the Registered Health Information Administrator that can be obtained through the American Health Information Management Association.
Salary Information
In 2008 the median salary for a medical and health service office managers was $80,240. The mid-point in earnings was between $60,170 and $104,120 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Earnings varied by practice locations.
- General medical and surgical hospitals - $87,040
- Physician office practice - $74,060
- Nursing care facilities - $71,190
- Physician office practices with 7 to 25 physicians - $105,710
- Physician office practices with 26 or more physicians - $119,000
Salary increases are affected by the amount of education, certifications, and experience of the medical office manager.
Work Environment
Most medical office managers work in medical facilities or surgical facilities. Only 10 percent were employed by large physician offices, and close to 40 percent work in nursing care and home health care facilities.
Long hours are usually involved for a medical office manager, as they have to deal with issues and problems that occur in their practices or facilities. The job is varied and diverse, so the medical office manager must be competent in understanding employee-related issues as well as operational management.
The medical office manager is generally the go-to person when anyone has a problem or issue. They have to multi-task and be extremely organized to ensure competency in dealing with everyone from the practice administrative assistants to health insurance personnel.
Career Advancements
Medical office managers can advance into higher paying positions such as department heads, associate administrators, or chief executive officers of a practice or facility. Experienced managers can go into business as an independent healthcare consultant or join a large consulting firm. Some healthcare managers teach on the college level.
Anyone possessing strong leadership skills should consider a job as a medical office manager. A certified medical office manager has strong income potential, and the industry is growing for competent managers.
