10 Management Jobs for a Career in Healthcare

Healthcare human resource managers oversee administrative functions within their clinics, hospitals, and other types of healthcare facilities. In addition to managing hiring and disciplinary practices, they develop employee benefit programs, address human resources issues such as complaints, and oversee staffing issues as needed. They must work with many different types of people, feel confident handling disputes, and possess an up-to-date knowledge of state and federal employment and equal opportunity laws. Some of these professionals have a bachelor’s degree in HR, while others decide to pursue a master’s in human resources.

Professionals in these roles work to ensure their facilities’ day-to-day operations run smoothly. In addition to overseeing inventory for necessary supplies and equipment, operations managers frequently manage staffing schedules and keep up with insurance claims and reimbursements.Optimization also plays a key role in this profession. Healthcare operations managers continually look for ways to improve care outcomes while reducing running costs. They frequently report to C-level executives about operational outcomes and future plans.

Healthcare finance managers ensure the financial health and integrity of their workplaces, including large hospitals or small assisted care facilities. In addition to directing long-term investment strategies, these professionals develop cash management strategies to help their businesses grow.Other common responsibilities include providing quarterly financial reports, creating financial objectives, and following any local, state, and federal requirements about taxes and legal mandates. They may also oversee other finance and accounting staff. Students often start with a bachelor’s in finance before moving on to a master’s in finance.

Physician practice managers perform many of the same tasks as a healthcare operations manager. They oversee office staff, make decisions about hiring, and handle scheduling. They also work with patients to ensure appointments are scheduled and recorded properly and oversee medical assistants entering new information into electronic health records.These professionals need a strong understanding of technology to be effective in their roles. They must also learn various types of software and programs to keep up with all the operations within the practice. Most roles require a bachelor’s degree in a business-related subject.

Rehabilitation managers work in both public and private hospital settings and rehabilitation clinics to oversee clinical programming for physical and occupational therapies. In addition to overseeing administrative requirements and ensuring governmental regulations are closely followed, some rehabilitation managers may take on patients to aid in their rehabilitation.These roles require a bachelor’s degree at a minimum, but many professionals hold a master’s degree in occupational therapy or physical therapy. Most states also require rehabilitation managers to hold licensure in one of the two disciplines.

Case managers working in healthcare settings typically oversee many clients to ensure they get the support they need. For instance, a case manager working in a hospital may manage post-operation patients to connect them with services such as physical therapy, rehabilitation, professional and personal support devices, and follow-up appointments with nurses and physicians.Many individuals in this field hold a bachelor’s in social work, but others first pursue a bachelor’s in nursing and work in the field for a few years before transitioning into case management positions. If you’re planning to continue providing nursing services, you must hold an active nursing license.

Health clinic managers perform similar duties as physician practice managers. These professionals work diligently to ensure both patients and staff receive the care they need. On the staff and clinic side, this can involve ordering new equipment and supplies, overseeing schedule rotations, ensuring medical billing procedures are followed, and implementing policies that support overall staff wellbeing.On the patient side, common responsibilities include providing customer service to answer questions and resolve any issues, ensuring patients do not wait too long for appointments or meetings, and assisting with any questions around payments and insurance coverage.

Pharmaceutical quality managers perform vital roles by ensuring all drugs produced by their companies meet current good manufacturing practice (GMP) regulations. In addition to overseeing the testing of drugs in production and those that are finished, they must report whether each drug meets quality standards.Pharmaceutical quality managers work with scientists to find ways of meeting regulations and continuing to move the drug towards production. They also oversee other quality control staff, providing training as needed when the FDA updates policies or regulations.

Healthcare quality improvement managers spend much of their time updating and writing new policies to improve outcomes. These professionals develop systems for improving clinical and administrative functions alike, closely monitoring after each new policy implementation or rule to identify levels of effectiveness.

Improvement managers must stay up to date on industry data and carefully review benchmark assessments that identify best practices to improve quality and outcomes. Earning a bachelor’s degree in healthcare or business administration may be a good place to start before pursuing a master’s degree.

Health information managers play vital roles in keeping patient data and medical records secure, training staff on new safety protocols and software systems, and reviewing databases to ensure accuracy and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.These professionals must stay updated on new electronic health record changes, especially when it comes to ethics and legality. They use data and insights to help inform better patient outcomes and care and services. Earning an associate degree in health information technology is a great place to start.