A clinic administrator manages day-to-day operations in medical facilities, including budget management, staff recruitment, advertising, and contract negotiation. They typically have a degree in business administration or medicine and must handle interpersonal disputes. Successful administrators may be promoted to executive roles.
A clinic administrator is responsible for managing day-to-day operations in a medical facility, such as medical and dental offices or veterinary clinics. The administrator works with the company’s physicians, including physicians and nurses, to develop a business plan for the practice. Admins are typically responsible for managing the budget, handling staff-related issues, and negotiating contracts with business partners.
Typically, a clinic administrator should have a college degree in business administration or management. In some countries, anyone involved in managing a medical practice must also have completed a university degree in medicine or a related topic. Many administrators are experienced physicians or physicians who decide to move into management positions after gaining several years of practical experience. Therefore, employers typically require administrators to have prior medical experience and certain academic credentials.
The administrator must ensure that the practice is adequately staffed. This means recruiting enough doctors, nurses, dentists and other physicians to meet patients’ needs. In addition, the administrator must hire non-medical employees such as receptionists, telephone workers, and billing specialists. In some cases, department managers who report to the clinic administrator are responsible for conducting interviews with new recruits, but in most cases, the administrator controls the overall staff budget.
Like any business, a medical practice must attract new clients to remain profitable. The practice administrator decides how much money should be set aside for advertising and where ads for the practice should be placed. In many communities, practice managers become involved in community groups during which business relationships with other business managers can be forged.
In addition to promoting the business, the administrator needs to negotiate contracts with companies and suppliers of medical supplies. Pharmaceutical companies often market new drugs to medical facilities, and the administrator usually consults with the clinic’s physicians before deciding which drugs and services to purchase from these firms. In addition to medical equipment and supplies, the administrator also needs to negotiate contracts to purchase paper, communication systems, computer software, and other types of equipment that employees use on a daily basis.
The clinic administrator is responsible for handling interpersonal disputes involving staff and customer service issues. When conflicts arise, the administrator usually has the authority to take punitive action against employees and offer discounts or refunds to dissatisfied customers. Some practices are operated by large medical companies; in this case, administrators of successful practices are sometimes promoted to executive or regional director roles.
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