Hospital Management

Good hospital management can be the difference between a well-maintained and operated hospital and a chaotic environment where the quality of patient care suffers.

In every health care setting, including hospitals, coordination is the soul of hospital management.

Hospital management relates to all aspects of a hospital; a coordination of all elements of a hospital.

This may range from patient care to record keeping to inventory of medicines and cleanliness.

To be able to become a hospital management professional, this requires taking care of each and every element of the hospital.

Let’s take a deeper dive into hospital management, hospital management systems and the many benefits of it all.

?What is Hospital Management

Hospital Management is the process where healthcare providers effectively and efficiently administer everything from patient registration to appointment scheduling, document management, consultation management, lab management, drug safety, report generation, staff management, outpatient management, and so much more.

Good Hospital Management starts by ensuring anytime availability, anytime accessibility and high quality healthcare to the patients.

Hospitals and clinics strive for excellent care but it can be difficult to achieve all of the above without the proper procedures and systems in place.

Hospitals and clinics are complex and have different departments, specialties, schedules, teams, and types of data, and so much to manage.

Throw in a growing desire for patients to want more control over their data, scheduling, and access to records and you can quickly see how hospital management isn’t as easy as it sounds!

Some hospitals might be operating under out-dated systems while others are still using a paper-heavy hospital management system.

The problem with outdated systems and paper focused hospital management is that things can get physically lost, errors can occur and patients simply do not have a way to access their information anywhere, anytime.

This is where the rapidly growing Hospital Management System (HMS) comes into play.

What are Hospital Management Systems (HMS)

Several research organizations are projecting that Hospital Management Software Systems are going to expand rapidly, with the US and Canada leading in popularity of maintaining digital health records and better hospital management.

There is no doubt that Hospital management software systems will have an intense impact on the healthcare industry in the years to come.

There are so many benefits for hospitals and healthcare providers as well as better care for patients and an overall cost savings.

A Hospital Management System (HMS) can come in a few different product types like cloud based, on-premise, free, paid.

The Hospital Management System enables hospitals, healthcare centers and staff to function systematically and manage information effectively to offer better patient care.

The system integrates all information and data related to doctors, patients, staff, and departments and provides a way to securely and seamlessly streamline processes and care.

Benefits of Hospital Management Systems (HMS):

Enhanced information integrity and data security
Improved monitoring
Improved communication and information transfer
Efficient and accurate hospital administration
Minimal/zero data errors
Patient empowerment and control
Increased revenue
Paperless
Built in messaging, mail systems, alerts, and notifications
Scalable and easy to use
Better clinical decision making
Anytime/anywhere access to information
Comprehensive and hospital wide information management

Hospital management systems also manage other departments such as housekeeping and laundry, blood bank, ambulance services, laboratory services, pharmacy, waste management, nursing and ward, Causality, and more.

Benefits of Hospital Management Systems by type of user:

FOR DOCTORS

Get instant alerts
Offer support from anywhere and at anytime
Quick and easy access to information
Manage patients better
Manage compliance
Better communication and collaboration
Paperless report generation

FOR PATIENTS

Superior medical care
Instant alerts and messages
Easy appointments and scheduling
Better healthcare
Better co-ordination with doctors and other staffs
Online access facilities
Better transparency Good satisfaction

FOR HOSPITAL STAFF

Better record maintenance
Better co-ordination with doctors and patients
Simplified workflow
Paperless management
Effective information
Effective data processing
Task management

FOR HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATORS

Effective administration
Better management of pharmacy, lab, inpatient, outpatient
Effective resource management
Efficient operations
Streamlined performance
Accountability
Integrated system
Better data management

FOR HOSPITAL OWNERS

Total control on operational costs
Better financial management
Better reputation
Ensure transparency
Paperless operations
Better data management
Better outcomes
Easy to strategize
Better decision making

To consistently run business, hospitals and healthcare organizations must keep both the present and the future demands in sight and must adapts to changes.

Change is never easy but integrating technology with hospitals to collect, manage and exchange data and monitor patients more effectively will help in creating a well-organized healthcare system, saving time, energy and cost for patients, doctors and hospital staffs.

In fact, hospitals that have implemented Hospital Management Systems have reported the following results:

20-30% cost savings
35% increase in access to patient care services
30% growth revenue
10% reduction in emergency room visits
30-60% drop in patient wait times
20% improvements in outcomes
10-15% decline in mortality rates
60% reduction in hospital acquired infections

As you can see, there are so many benefits to implementing a hospital management system that will enable you to connect with patients, streamline processes and procedures, and take patient-centered care to a whole new level.

?What Does a Hospital Manager Do

Job growth for medical and health services managers outpaces all other industries (32 percent growth vs. 7 percent), and the demand will only increase.

Hospital manager positions include titles such as hospital administrators, patient care managers, and practice managers. They typically manage an entire facility, a medical practice group of physicians, or a specific clinical area or department such as finance, materials management, or patient care services.

Anyone planning to make the jump to a hospital manager position needs to learn the qualities required for success in the field. These qualities include removing roadblocks for employees, knowing the technology in the hospital or facility, and knowing employee routines and responsibilities.

Knowing what a typical day or week is like helps open one’s eyes to everything involved in a healthcare facility’s managerial role.

Hospital Manager: A Career Profile

Driven by a passion for serving others, healthcare professionals have found a rewarding field. In a recent PayScale survey that compared median pay, job meaning, and satisfaction for 454 different occupations, 74 percent of healthcare practitioners and technicians expressed “high satisfaction.” ²

After several years in this profession, many healthcare professionals decide to take their careers to the next level as hospital managers. Hospital managers have at least a bachelor’s degree, but many employers increasingly prefer a master’s degree.

The most common master’s degrees among hospital executives include:

Master of Health Administration (MHA)
Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA)
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Masters of Business Administration (MBA, Healthcare or Hospital Management specializations)

A career as a hospital administrator can be a lucrative career option; compensation for this position ranges between $50,000 and $152,000 per year with a median salary of $87,400. Those with more years of relevant experience average higher salaries. The median salary for those with 10 to 20 years of experience is $91,000.³

As a hospital manager, you will focus on the big picture and identify changes to maintain the highest standards. Many healthcare executives find satisfaction in their job’s social impact and are highly respected in their communities.

A Day in the Life of a Hospital Manager

Hospital administrators may not hold a scalpel, but they play a critical role in keeping hospitals on the cutting edge of medicine and healthcare delivery. A good hospital administrator is the heart of a hospital, responsible for maintaining all the major functions that make it successful, including facilities and staff management, budgeting, operations, and compliance. It’sIt’s a role that demands an intimate understanding of both the business and healthcare worlds. Every day, they operate with one goal in mind: to keep all the different parts running smoothly, effectively, and cohesively to create a well-oiled center for exceptional patient care.

Generally, hospital administrators must do the following:

Set budget and departmental goals
Strategize to improve efficiency and quality of care
Oversee finances such as patient fees, billing, and fundraising
Ensure the facility’s compliance with laws and regulations
Communicate effectively with departments and staff regularly
Represent the organization to investors or governing boards
Oversee work schedules, supplies, and budgets¹
Educate the community on important health topics⁴

One of the most exciting aspects of this high-level management position is that no two days are alike. In eight business hours, a hospital administrator is likely to apply several different skillsets to various tasks. They might begin their day in their private office reviewing the most recent financial reports and managed care contracts before heading to a board meeting regarding hiring the hospital’s new chief of surgery. As a critical stakeholder in a hospital’s decision-making process, hospital administrators collaborate closely with cross-functional team leads. They must be able to effectively communicate with individuals at every level, from doctors, nurses, and patients, to fellow administrators, board members, and vendors. Lunch, for example, might double as a business meeting with different department heads to discuss the hospital’s strategy for streamlining operations while cutting costs. Depending on the hospital’s size and goals, a hospital administrator may help develop new scientific research programs.

With federal regulations and insurance laws constantly changing, even the smallest business decisions must be viewed through a healthcare lens. A hospital administrator’s responsibilities include keeping themselves and their staff up to date on new policies and procedures. This might mean attending offsite conferences and training, holding staff meetings, and implementing training programs for individuals at every level of the organization.

Hospitals are dynamic, fast-paced environments that are typically open 24/7, and hospital administrators should be prepared to answer after-hours calls or address emergencies at a moment’s notice. Crisis management is an essential skill for someone in this position. A well-trained leader will understand how to pivot gracefully without missing a beat and can be the difference between a hospital that delivers excellent patient care and a chaotic, poorly run facility.

Help Wanted: What Hospitals Look For

The job market for healthcare administration is booming. it’s also highly competitive. Below are qualities that hospitals look for in a hospital manager.

Education: A master’s degree in business administration or healthcare administration is desirable.

Experience: Many hospital administrators have previous upper management experience at another organization or in another field. An estimated 49 percent have between five and 19 years of experience.³

Analytical skills: The ability to understand and follow current policies and laws.

Technical skills: Stay informed of the latest advances in healthcare and data analytics.

Communication skills: Must be able to communicate policies and procedures with staff and represent the hospital or organization.

Leadership skills: Hire, train and motivate staff, and develop creative solutions to staffing and patient care problems.