A practice manager is one of the most significant and highly regarded team players in any practice. The practice manager holds everything together, whether it’s a general practitioner’s office, a medical clinic, a hospital department, or any healthcare facility.
An australian practice manager sometimes referred to as a medical manager, healthcare administrator or healthcare executive, plays a crucial function and is relied upon by both patients and active medical professionals.
What are the responsibilities of a Practice Manager?
The duties of a practice manager might vary greatly based on the company they work for. A practice manager’s duties often include executing standardized policies and processes to maintain the practice’s efficiency and responding to any unforeseen challenges that frequently arise.
The practice manager is typically responsible for staffing and scheduling, as well as other aspects of human resources including leave administration and even onboarding new employees.
In numerous smaller practices, the practice manager will handle some financial duties like monitoring the revenue cycle, supervising various budgets, and making sure the practice has all the resources it needs to keep running efficiently.
Managing privacy and security is a significant part of the practice manager’s responsibility. They are in charge of making sure that patient records are kept private and of monitoring the procedures that permit their release to the appropriate parties when necessary.
Practice managers frequently have some business management and analysis duties to complete. This can entail making recommendations for ways to save costs, boost productivity and raise overall profit margins for the company.
Most practice managers are in charge of several other employees in the company. These may be inclusive of clerical workers, medical receptionists, or secretaries who deal with medical billing and relationships with insurance companies and other third parties.
What skills are necessary to be a practice manager?
Practice managers need a wide range of skills, many of which are taught while obtaining their certifications, just like office managers. Some of the most important skills needed can be learned from other jobs.
Every day, practice managers assume a variety of duties to maintain the smooth operation of a clinic, hospital, dental practice, or other community health facilities.
Let us look at certain skills that a practice manager should possess.
- Administration and Management
The most essential traits for a practice manager according to employers are management and administrative abilities. To succeed in the work of a practice manager, it helps to have a solid understanding of fundamental administrative procedures and the capacity to manage people in an office setting.
- English Language Proficiency
An essential component of running a medical practice is having a solid command of the English language, including the fundamentals of composition, grammar, and spelling. A practice manager’s typical duties include writing emails, managing internal communications and handling patient and third-party correspondence.
- Customer and Personal Service
In smaller offices, the practice manager could serve as the company’s public face. They will handle appointment scheduling for patients and payment processing. Managing a practice involves a variety of tasks, including comprehending client needs, offering a high-quality of service, and aiming to raise client satisfaction.
- Office/clerical work
Practice managers spend a significant amount of their time processing data, transcribing orders, and managing patient records and file systems. Knowing how to perform simple clerical tasks well would make it much easier to get through each day without encountering any additional obstacles.
- Human Resources and Personnel
The practice manager is frequently in charge of the office’s human resources. This includes hiring new workers and preparing them for their positions. A practice manager must also be able to oversee a range of workers and their demands.
In order to prevent unneeded obstacles that could negatively impact patient experience and the capacity of medical practitioners to perform their duties, it is vital to monitor this and ensure scheduling keeps the office sufficiently staffed.
What qualifications do you require to be a Practice Manager?
In the majority of industries, formal education is not required for employment as a practice manager, however, it may be highly valued by employers.
If you are contemplating entering the health industry, you can complete a Certificate III in Health Administration (HLT37315) which is available through popular institutes like the Institute of Health and Nursing Australia (IHNA) or through TAFE or any other reputed Registered Training Organisation in Australia.
If you are interested in a generalized course you can take up a Diploma of Practice Management (HLT57715) with a duration of 1-2 years which again is available through IHNA, TAFE or a Registered Training Organisation in Australia.
Do you wish to become a practice manager in Australia? Get in touch with our experts at MWT Global Academy who will discuss your options and objectives and will assist you in developing a career plan to get you where you wish to be.