Medical or Health Services Manager

Employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow 28 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations.

About 54,700 openings for medical and health services managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Education: Bachelor's degree Details

Education Details

46%

Bachelor's Degree

21%

Master's Degree

11%

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)

Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)

Post-Doctoral Training

Some College Courses

First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Salary

High: $209,990.00

Average: $127,980.00

Hourly

Average: $61.53

Summary of What they do:

Plan, direct, or coordinate medical and health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, public health agencies, or similar organizations.

Responsibilities

Evaluate employee performance.

Supervise employees.

Develop organizational goals or objectives.

Develop procedures to evaluate organizational activities.

Conduct employee training programs.

Hire personnel.

Recruit personnel.

Develop computer or information systems.

Maintain operational records.

Implement organizational process or policy changes.

Develop organizational policies or programs.

Develop operating strategies, plans, or procedures.

Direct financial operations.

Prepare operational budgets.

Prepare staff schedules or work assignments.

Liaise between departments or other groups to improve function or communication.

Monitor performance of organizational members or partners.

Monitor resources.

Maintain knowledge of current developments in area of expertise.

Manage operations, research, or logistics projects.

Prepare operational progress or status reports.

Implement organizational process or policy changes.

Conduct employee training programs.

Manage human resources activities.

Coordinate operational activities with external stakeholders.

Inspect condition or functioning of facilities or equipment.

Advise others on legal or regulatory compliance matters.

Monitor facilities or operational systems.

Analyze risks to minimize losses or damages.

Implement organizational process or policy changes.

Conduct employee training programs.

What Medical and Health Services Managers Do

Medical and health services managers, also called healthcare executives or healthcare administrators, plan, direct, and coordinate medical and health services. They may manage an entire facility, a specific clinical area or department, or a medical practice for a group of physicians. Medical and health services managers must adapt to changes in healthcare laws, regulations, and technology.

Duties

In group medical practices, medical and health services managers work closely with physicians.

Medical and health services managers typically do the following:

Develop goals and objectives related to efficiency and quality of healthcare services
Ensure that the facility in which they work complies with laws and regulations
Prepare and monitor budgets and manage finances, including patient fees and billing
Recruit, train, and supervise staff members
Create work schedules
Represent the facility or department at investor meetings or on governing boards
Keep and organize records of facility services, such as the number of inpatient beds used

Medical and health services managers set and carry out policies, goals, and procedures for their departments or facilities. Their duties include hiring, scheduling, and evaluating staff; monitoring compliance with state and federal guidelines; and developing reports and budgets. Responsibilities may vary by employer. For example, managers of large facilities may focus on broad oversight, while tasks for those in small departments might include ordering medical supplies and materials.

Medical and health services managers work with physicians and surgeons, registered nurses, medical records specialists, and other healthcare personnel. They also may interact with patients or insurance agents.

Medical and health services managers’ titles depend on their facility or area of expertise.

The following are examples of types of medical and health services managers:

Nursing home administrators manage all aspects of a facility, including admissions and building maintenance, as well as care of its residents.

Clinical managers oversee a department, such as intensive care or physical therapy, and have responsibilities based on that specialty.

Health information managers ensure that databases of patient records are complete, accurate, and accessible only to authorized personnel.

Important Qualities

Analytical skills. Medical and health services managers review and evaluate healthcare metrics for ways to improve efficiency and meet goals.

Communication skills. Medical and health services managers must convey information to their staff, other healthcare workers, and, sometimes, patients and insurance agents.

Detail oriented. Medical and health services managers must pay attention to detail. They might be required to organize and maintain scheduling and billing information for very large facilities, such as hospitals.

Leadership skills. Medical and health services managers hire, train, and direct staff. They must be able to motivate others and create an environment in which workers can succeed.

Technical skills. Medical and health services managers must stay up to date with advances in healthcare technology, such as the coding and electronic health record (EHR) systems their facility adopts.

Tasks On The Job

Conduct and administer fiscal operations, including accounting, planning budgets, authorizing expenditures, establishing rates for services, and coordinating financial reporting.
Consult with medical, business, and community groups to discuss service problems, respond to community needs, enhance public relations, coordinate activities and plans, and promote health programs.
Develop and implement organizational policies and procedures for the facility or medical unit.
Develop and maintain computerized record management systems to store and process data, such as personnel activities and information, and to produce reports.
Develop instructional materials and conduct in-service and community-based educational programs.
Develop or expand and implement medical programs or health services that promote research, rehabilitation, and community health.
Direct or conduct recruitment, hiring, and training of personnel.
Direct, supervise and evaluate work activities of medical, nursing, technical, clerical, service, maintenance, and other personnel.
Establish objectives and evaluative or operational criteria for units managed.
Establish work schedules and assignments for staff, according to workload, space, and equipment availability.
Inspect facilities and recommend building or equipment modifications to ensure emergency readiness and compliance to access, safety, and sanitation regulations.
Maintain awareness of advances in medicine, computerized diagnostic and treatment equipment, data processing technology, government regulations, health insurance changes, and financing options.
Maintain communication between governing boards, medical staff, and department heads by attending board meetings and coordinating interdepartmental functioning.
Manage change in integrated health care delivery systems, such as work restructuring, technological innovations, and shifts in the focus of care.
Monitor the use of diagnostic services, inpatient beds, facilities, and staff to ensure effective use of resources and assess the need for additional staff, equipment, and services.
Plan, implement, and administer programs and services in a health care or medical facility, including personnel administration, training, and coordination of medical, nursing and physical plant staff.
Prepare activity reports to inform management of the status and implementation plans of programs, services, and quality initiatives.
Review and analyze facility activities and data to aid planning and cash and risk management and to improve service utilization.

PERSONALITY

KEY:

Strength

Caution

Warning

Your Assessment Results		CAREER CHARACTERISTICS Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	95%	Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	94%	Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	94%	Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	92%	Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	89%	Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	89%	Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	88%	Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	87%	Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	87%	Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	85%	Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	83%	Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	81%	Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	80%	Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	80%	Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	72%	Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	72%	Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.

Your Assessment Results		IMPORTANT STRENGTHS Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	100%	Enterprising - Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	67%	Social - Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	67%	Conventional - Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Your Assessment Results		WORK VALUES Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	83%	Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	83%	Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	83%	Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	78%	Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	67%	Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	61%	Recognition - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

APTITUDES

KEY:

Strength

Caution

Warning

Your Assessment Results		ABILITIES \| SKILLS Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	81%	Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	78%	Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	75%	Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	72%	Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	66%	Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	63%	Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	59%	Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	59%	Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	59%	Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	59%	Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	59%	Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	59%	Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	57%	Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	57%	Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	57%	Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	57%	Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	57%	Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	57%	Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	56%	Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	55%	Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	55%	Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	55%	Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	55%	Operations Analysis - Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	55%	Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	54%	Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	53%	Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	52%	Management of Financial Resources - Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	52%	Management of Material Resources - Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.

Your Assessment Results		TASKS \| ACTIVITIES Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	91%	Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	89%	Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	89%	Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	88%	Coaching and Developing Others - Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	87%	Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	86%	Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	86%	Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	84%	Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	83%	Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	83%	Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	82%	Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	82%	Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates - Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	82%	Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	81%	Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	80%	Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	80%	Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	79%	Monitoring and Controlling Resources - Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	79%	Staffing Organizational Units - Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	79%	Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	78%	Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	77%	Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	76%	Performing Administrative Activities - Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	74%	Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	74%	Providing Consultation and Advice to Others - Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	72%	Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	72%	Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	71%	Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	70%	Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	64%	Assisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	56%	Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	56%	Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information - Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	52%	Selling or Influencing Others - Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.

Your Assessment Results		CONTEXT \| ATTRIBUTES Importance


? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	100%	Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	98%	Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	98%	Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	97%	Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	96%	Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	90%	Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	84%	Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	81%	Spend Time Sitting - How much does this job require sitting?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	78%	Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	78%	Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	77%	Deal With External Customers - How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	74%	Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	73%	Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	72%	Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	70%	Importance of Repeating Same Tasks - How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	69%	Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	68%	Letters and Memos - How often does the job require written letters and memos?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	68%	Frequency of Conflict Situations - How often are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	64%	Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	63%	Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	61%	Level of Competition - To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	60%	Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People - How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	59%	Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions - How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
? ? ? ? Begin Career Assessment	73%	Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week.

Work Environment

Some medical and health services managers oversee facilities.

Medical and health services managers held about 509,500 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of medical and health services managers were as follows:

Hospitals; state, local, and private	30%
Offices of physicians	12
Nursing and residential care facilities	9
Government	7
Outpatient care centers	7

Medical and health services managers may work on a team with other healthcare providers, such as licensed practical nurses and medical assistants.

Work Schedules

Most medical and health services managers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Evening or weekend work may be required in healthcare settings that operate around the clock, such as hospitals and nursing homes. Medical and health services managers may need to be on call in case of emergencies.

Getting Started

How to Become a Medical or Health Services Manager

Medical and health services managers must effectively communicate policies and procedures with other health professionals.

Medical and health services managers typically need a bachelor’s degree to enter the occupation; however, educational requirements vary by facility and specific function. Prospective managers also typically need work experience in an administrative or clinical role in a hospital or other healthcare facility.

Education

Medical and health services managers typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation, although requirements may vary. For example, some employers hire candidates with an associate’s degree; others prefer to hire those with a master’s degree. Work experience sometimes may substitute for education.

Common majors for medical and health services managers include healthcare and related fields, such as health administration or nursing, or other relevant fields, such as business. Degrees that focus on both management and healthcare combine business-related topics with those such as medical terminology, hospital organization, and health information systems. For example, a degree in health administration or health information management may include courses in health services management, accounting and budgeting, and health informatics.

Work Experience in a Related Occupation

Employers may require prospective medical and health services managers to have work experience in either an administrative or a clinical role in a hospital or other healthcare facility. For example, nursing home administrators may have years of experience working as a registered nurse.

Other managers may begin their careers as medical records specialists, administrative assistants, or financial clerks in a healthcare office.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Some medical and health services managers need a state-issued license. For example, all states require licensure for nursing home administrators; requirements vary by state. For more information, contact your local or state licensing board.

Some positions may require candidates to be licensed as a registered nurse or social worker.

Although certification is not required, some managers choose to earn a professional credential. For example, the American Health Information Management Association and the Project Management Institute offer certification specific to their areas of focus.

Advancement

Some health information managers advance by taking on additional responsibilities, such as for an entire hospital’s information systems. Other managers may advance to top executive positions within an organization. Advancement to top level executive positions may require a master’s degree.

Contacts for More Information

For more information about medical and healthcare management, visit

Professional Association of Health Care Office Management

American Health Information Management Association

American College of Health Care Administrators

For more information about academic programs in this field, visit

Association of University Programs in Health Administration

Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education

For information about career opportunities in healthcare management, visit

American College of Healthcare Executives

For information about career opportunities in medical group practices and ambulatory care management, visit

Medical Group Management Association

For more information about licensure and training requirements for nursing home and assisted-living facility administrators, visit

National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards

For more information about project management certification, visit

Project Management Institute

Similar Occupations

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of medical and health services managers.

Occupation	Job Duties	Entry-Level Education	Median Annual Pay, May 2022
Administrative Services and Facilities Managers	Administrative services and facilities managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities that help an organization run efficiently.	Bachelor's degree	$101,870
Computer and Information Systems Managers	Computer and information systems managers plan, coordinate, and direct computer-related activities in an organization.	Bachelor's degree	$164,070
Financial Managers	Financial managers create financial reports, direct investment activities, and develop plans for the long-term financial goals of their organization.	Bachelor's degree	$139,790
Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars	Health information technologists and medical registrars advise organizations on computerized healthcare systems and analyze clinical data.	Associate's degree	$58,250
Human Resources Managers	Human resources managers plan, coordinate, and direct the administrative functions of an organization.	Bachelor's degree	$130,000
Medical Records Specialists	Medical records specialists compile, process, and maintain patient files.	Postsecondary nondegree award	$47,180
Purchasing Managers, Buyers, and Purchasing Agents	Buyers and purchasing agents buy products and services for organizations. Purchasing managers oversee the work of buyers and purchasing agents.	Bachelor's degree	$75,120
Registered Nurses	Registered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care and educate patients and the public about various health conditions.	Bachelor's degree	$81,220
Social and Community Service Managers	Social and community service managers coordinate and supervise programs and organizations that support public well-being.	Bachelor's degree	$74,240
Top Executives	Top executives plan strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals.	Bachelor's degree	$100,090