Medical Office Manager Job Description

Medical office managers perform various duties which enable a health care facility to carry out its daily work and business efficiently. They are also known as 'health care executives' or 'health care administrators', and are responsible for contriving, guiding, organizing and monitoring all services which are generally rendered in clinical centers. These professionals are either experts in managing a particular department or individuals who undertake the maintenance of an entire facility. As there is a rapid change in technological advancements which are incorporated in the health care sector, potential medical office managers are required to be well-trained and prepared for the integration of such enhanced medical equipment.

Job Description for Medical Office Managers

Medical office managers are responsible for the facility in general, right from keeping it clean, well staffed and functioning smoothly to ensuring that the facility does not break any laws and is profitable. While they may not have to do the actual work, they will have to liaise between various traders and contractors, ranging from equipment supplies to janitorial services. They also have to oversee staff conduct, and the job of evaluating employees also falls on their shoulders. They are also in charge of the payroll and employees salaries.

They should be able to adjust to the changes, and reconstitute the obligations brought in by the implementation of amended processes in a highly complex regulatory work setting. This would help them better their services and serve patients in an efficacious manner. Generally, in big hospitals, a medical office manager is responsible for handling and supervising the daily work of several office assistant administrators. He provides assistance in activities related to taking proper care of patients, surgical operation procedures, helping doctors in various therapies, checking and maintaining medical records, and educating the patients regarding a healthy life. In case of small health care centers, he himself carries out every day obligations relating to managing patients and funds, which makes him the sole administrator of the facility.

Medical office managers are trained in a particular area, however, they might also handle most of the office administrative functions. The work they do is certainly helpful for physicians and nurses who diagnose patients, thus enabling physicians to concentrate more on the treatment or operation rather than other official formalities. On certain occasions, they also formulate and implement policies, objectives and processes for their respective medical sections; ensuring proper functioning of procedures; improved services; generating financial and other records; and coordinating work between other department managers.

Duties of a Medical Office Manager

The duties of a medical office manager will obviously vary according to place they work in. This can be either a large medical office, a hospital or a clinic. In general, they have to ensure the following duties:

• They have to make sure that the rules of the establishment are followed by every employee.
• They have to make, manage, and oversee the practice budget, and ensure that there are no problems with the budget.
• They have to oversee the accounting for the establishment, usually in conjunction with the finance manager.
• They have to make sure that the establishment has adequate staff to perform its duties efficiently.
• They are solely in charge of thinking of ways to make the establishment grow.
• They have to ensure the smooth running of the establishment, which includes checking on the staff, supplies, and any other problem which can affect the smooth running of the establishment.
• They are in charge of hiring administrative staff and training them as well.
• They have to ensure that the establishment stays well with the medical guidelines, ethics and laws.
• They have to oversee patient satisfaction, and communicate with the patients in case of complaints.
• They have to ensure that all records of the facility are maintained properly and are up-to-date.

Thus it can be seen that there are a lot of duties that fall to the medical office manager, and depending on the place of work, these can increase as well. A person who is planning to become a medical office manager, has to complete related education such as a one-year certificate or diploma, or a two-year associate degree in medical office administration. In some cases, one may even become a medical office manager, after completing formal training which is normally provided by colleges and universities. The annual average salary of a medical office manager is $40,000-$45,000.

For one who possesses good administrative skills, and is looking forward to enter into the health care sector, the job of a medical office manager is appropriate. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts about 16% growth in this sector by 2018, making it a very good career choice for people who are interested in joining the medical profession at an administrative level.