Doctors and nurses aren’t the only healthcare professionals who help save lives. As a healthcare administrator, you can make a positive impact on your patients, the community, and the broader healthcare system. You might be involved in hiring those life-saving physicians or researchers working on cures for illness and disease. Or you might implement safety procedures for patient care and data protection. And you can oversee the billing process to make sure your facility functions smoothly for years to come. 

Your roles and responsibilities as an administrator will depend on your specialty, department, and facility. For example, in a large hospital, you might manage a single department like Human Resources or Health Information. But in a smaller facility, such as a clinic or family practice, you might oversee operations. Whether you choose to wear many hats as a general administrator, or specialize in one area, here are some roles and responsibilities you might find:  

Health Information Manager 

As a Health Information Manager, your job is to safeguard patient medical records, which include important information such as symptoms, diagnoses, procedures, and treatments. You create and implement health information systems to ensure that records are organized and updated accurately. Medical records are now kept electronically, so you also determine who can and can’t access them and set up credentials. And you follow federal guidance on how they should be maintained and stored. Regular audits will confirm that your department follows the rules and will help you continually improve the quality and accuracy of patient data. As a Health Information Manager, you may also oversee medical records technicians and medical coders.  

Compliance Director 

From the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), there are laws that govern just about every aspect of healthcare. As a Compliance Director, you ensure that the staff in your organization complies with these and other important laws. You might develop and administer training programs for employees. You may work with HR to screen candidates and contractors, and you may also investigate complaints that could put your employees or organization at risk.  

Medical Billing Manager 

As a Medical Billing Manager, you oversee the billing team and manage the insurance claims process. You negotiate insurance contracts, track payments made by patients and insurance agencies, and train new employees in your department. Your job is to ensure that your team is adept at billing and coding and that medical records are well- maintained. When you review their work, you highlight errors and inconsistencies and work with your staff and insurance agencies to fix them. You may also help your team generate invoices and work with patients who are overdue or need assistance with payment.  

HR Director 

As an HR Director, you plan and coordinate the administrative functions of personnel. This includes the recruiting and hiring process, onboarding and training new employees, and implementing an evaluation process to review performance. You also work with compliance to enforce rules and investigate complaints and violations. You may be called in to settle disputes and serve as mediator between employees.  Although this job is deeply rooted in the administrative side of healthcare, you can still have a rewarding impact on patients. When you hire nurses and physicians who are at the top of their field, you ensure that patients receive the best care. You also make a positive impact on employees. You make certain they are paid on time and receive fair wages for their work. And you oversee benefits packages, updating them to remain competitive with other organizations.  

No matter what administrative role you play, it’s likely that your skills will be in demand. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of medical and health service managers is expected to grow much faster than the average through the decade.  

If you’re ready to advance your career, contact Claremont Lincoln University today. We offer a Master of Arts in Healthcare Administration that is designed for current and future healthcare leaders who want to broaden their knowledge base and strengthen their skills so they can effect positive change in complex and diverse healthcare settings. The program is offered entirely online, and no GRE/GMAT score is required. Call 909-667-4400 or email admission@claremontlincoln.edu for more information.