Peter F. Drucker says, “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” doing the right thing and doing things right is what makes successful businesses, companies, and institutions. Healthcare cannot be left aside when it comes to the role of management since in healthcare there are many factors such as human beings and other resources that need to be harmonized and controlled for the success of the business. Health care management implies the proper planning, coordination,staffing, organizing, directing and controlling of the resources within an organization for the success of the health care facility. On the other, hand the healthcare administration entails proper management of the human and other resources in the organization to realize the goals of any health care.
Roles of Health Care Management and Administration
The management and administration of health care are so paramount because it is the focal point at which all that matters in healthcare commences and gets concluded. Healthcare facility is stocked with resources which need to be accounted for, to be well utilized, to be functional and timely so that all that matters is all met. Owing to the fact that healthcare facility must contain various departments, there must be proper coordination and effective communicating as well as the timely distribution of resources within the departments of the facility. Such level of commitments needs the active managers and administrator to frontier the mission and vision of the health facility. Most common management areas comprise of the human resource management, departmental administrators, strategic planning, and information management among others.
Essential Academic Requirements of Health Care Management and Administration
There is much to be known about healthcare management since it is a particular type of management whose effectiveness matters so much with patient safety and proper medication promptly. That is why most health departments of the health facility own up the process of training the health facility managers. At neutral grounds, the health facility managers poses the degree courses in health management. However, due to competition and need to stand out, most healthcare managers are compelled to seek a master’s degree or even doctorate. Also, particular on the job training is offered to make sure that every human manager is oriented to the task in every specific facility.
The Key Skills of the Health Care Administration
Some people can get a task done in a month, while others can have it done better, with a smile within a week! Basing on the simple explanation, there is much revelation about the diversity of human nature which demands the proper selection of the managers who possess the right skills and talents. The following are skills that every manager should have.
Interpersonal Skills
Firstly, good managers will be known for their ability to communicate effectively. There is a need for both diagonal, vertical and horizontal communication within the health facility. The top administrator must send the right information at the most appropriate time to the departments who should follow suit and pass on information to the rest of the staff in the right way; that is downwards communication. On the other hand, the top manager must receive feedback from the other managers and the rest of the staff. Also, departments must properly communicate and liaise on critical matters including patient’s operation times. Therefore, a good health facility administrator should be a good communicator which goes hand in hand with the proper listening.
Conceptual and Diagnostic Skills
There is always the situation demanding that attention of the management and the call for the manager also determines the outcome. Some calls are tough to make, but the most appropriate one should be made. As such as, the human managers should be highly alert with sober minds for giving the right option when the most demanding moments come, they should have analytical skills for good judgment. The call of the manager should mind the safety of the patients and professionals.
Technical Skills
The famous saying goes, ‘the illiterate of the 21st century are not those who haven’t gone to school but those who cannot use the technology in their daily routine.’ Technology in a health facility is what improves diagnostic procedures, enhances good communication and smoothens the flow of events in the health facility. Therefore, good health care administrators should be up to date with computation skills and operation of other technological instruments in the health facility.
