Hospital entrances are always open for patients, no matter what time of day doctors and supporting staff need to be ready for anything – from dealing with life-threatening diseases to the common health problems to supporting in emergency conditions and disaster relief. With various departments offering life-saving care, managing complex equipment, and dealing with business concerns, hospitals require top-level management to assist them run successfully. That’s why for each hospital, Hospital Management Professionals are so essential, not only for the patients, but also for medical specialists and the healthcare system as a whole. The role of hospital management is quite closely relevant to healthcare management and healthcare administration, but the education and training for this specific role are targeted solely towards establishing a career in a large hospital setting.
Various Hospital accreditations have evolved as a basic quality infrastructure to be established for running a hospital and business sustainability. Some accreditations are regional or country based like the NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare – India), Council for Health Services Accreditation of Southern Africa (COHSASA), Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency – Nigeria (HEFAMAA), National Hospital Insurance Fund – Kenya (NHIF) etc. However, some quality certifications are international and widely recognized as a benchmark of internal quality hospital infrastructure and management. The most common of these is the JCI (Joint Commission International – USA).
It is the responsibility of Hospital Management Professionals that appropriate quality management system is developed, implemented and monitored which has far reaching implications on patient care and business.
Educational Requirements to Become a Hospital Management Professional
Like many other jobs, a bachelor degree is basic qualification for entry into the Hospital Management, further study for masters is recommended for the people who want see themselves in a high level position. Apart from bachelors and masters degree it is advisable to pursue Diploma in Hospital Management that provides you knowledge in fundamental aspects healthcare, Accounting and finance in healthcare, hospital services and management, patient care and support etc.
Career Overview Hospital Management
Once in the role of management, there are a lot of duties that should be managed by the professional. Hospitals are multi-faceted systems, where there are plenty of operations happening at one time. Managing business effectively is very important to the lifeline of the system, particularly in hospitals. Hospital Management professionals must have top-level business sense to operate the hospital efficiently, and they concentrate much of their time and focus on concerns such as preparing budget plans, promoting their services, maintaining good public relation by solving their queries and billing and collections from insurance organizations or other payers associated with their network.
However, the concerns of Hospital Management professionals go over business and directly into the delivery of care. Professionals must keep their ethical obligations while making sure that all functions throughout the hospital are operating smoothly such as surgery schedules, outpatient flow, record up-dates, confidentiality of patient’s information, equipment maintenance and waste management.
There is no doubt that Hospital Management professionals have their hands full when it comes to their every day functions, but they play an essential role in ensuring patient care and in the success of the hospital as a whole.
Demand and Supply
The healthcare concept in world has gone through a remarkable change in last two decades. People have become significantly conscious of the importance of healthcare and this has lead to greater expectations and an enhanced demand for a high quality of medical care and facilities. A large number of private medical centers and clinics have come up all over the globe. With growing importance on quality of health care and patient satisfaction, there is an outstanding requirement for qualified people .
Is it the Right Career for Me?
To be a successful professional in this Hospital Management you should have a service-focused bent of mind and the potential to work for extended hours. In addition, you must have a higher emotional quotient to work at the highly charged environment of a hospital.
Other important characteristics include skill to take instant decisions, a pleasant approach towards work and the capability to handle work stress and the public at large. Also, if you have the capability to cope up with work deadlines, have outstanding communication skills and leadership characteristics then this is the perfect career for you.
Job Prospects
The significance of health care can never reduce and the number of medical facilities offering health care service is only rising. There are lot of hospitals that need qualified Hospital Management professionals’ throughout the world.
The rising need of high professionalism and reliability would improve the value of hospital management courses globally. Along with the government, numerous private hospitals are today competing with each other to offer first class health care services to the public. In this consideration, the requirement of Hospital Management professionals is growing tremendously.
