Medical and Health Services Managers

Healthcare Support

Level 6719 of 1200 points

Job description

Medical and Health Services Managers

Job purpose

To plan, direct and coordinate medical and health services in a hospital, clinic, managed care organisation or public health agency and to manage the staff, budgets, facilities and information systems on which they depend, so that services are effective, properly resourced and compliant with regulation.

Skills

Administration and management knowledge for strategic planning, resource allocation and the coordination of people, with personnel practice, accounting and fiscal planning, health law and government regulation, medicine at the level needed to understand diagnosis, treatment and preventive care, computerised diagnostic, treatment and data processing technology, training design, statistics for service analysis and psychology. Requires currency in advances in medicine and equipment, regulation, health insurance changes and financing options. A bachelor's degree is the norm, with a substantial minority holding a master's, together with several years of related experience.
Maintains communication between governing boards, medical staff and department heads by attending board meetings and coordinating interdepartmental functioning, and consults medical, business and community groups on service problems, community needs, public relations and the promotion of health programmes. Coaches, develops and trains personnel across medical, nursing, technical, clerical, service and maintenance groups, develops instructional materials, and conducts in-service and community-based educational programmes.
Reviews and analyses facility activities and data to aid planning, cash and risk management and improved service utilisation, monitors the use of diagnostic services, inpatient beds, facilities and staff, and assesses the need for additional staff, equipment and services. Manages change in integrated health care delivery systems — work restructuring, technological innovation and shifts in the focus of care. Problems are multi-stranded, weighing clinical need, cost, regulation and staff capacity, and outcomes reach patient care.
Plans, implements and administers programmes and services in the facility, establishes objectives and evaluative or operational criteria for the units managed, develops and implements organisational policies and procedures, sets work schedules and assignments according to workload, space and equipment availability, and plans budgets and coordinates financial reporting. Determines tasks, priorities and goals to a large degree, within the direction of the governing board and regulatory requirements.
Predominantly desk-based, using computerised record management, diagnostic and data processing systems, with inspection of facilities. No manual handling or dexterity demands.

Responsibilities

Directs, supervises and evaluates the work activities of medical, nursing, technical, clerical, service and maintenance personnel, and directs or conducts recruitment, hiring and training. Sets performance standards, builds and develops teams, coordinates medical, nursing and physical plant staff, and establishes their schedules and assignments. Carries responsibility for the health and safety of the workers managed.
Conducts and administers fiscal operations: accounting, budget planning, the authorisation of expenditure, the establishment of rates for services and the coordination of financial reporting. Monitors and controls resources and contributes to cash and risk management. Commits substantial recurring expenditure and sets service rates within the authority delegated by the governing board.
Accountable for the facility's diagnostic and treatment equipment, inpatient beds and physical plant: monitors their use to secure effective deployment, assesses the need for additional equipment and services, and inspects facilities and recommends building or equipment modifications to secure emergency readiness and compliance with access, safety and sanitation regulation.
Develops and maintains the computerised record management systems that store and process the facility's data, including personnel activities and information, and produces reports from them; prepares activity reports informing management of the status and implementation plans of programmes, services and quality initiatives. The data is confidential, covers patients and staff, and is relied on for regulatory compliance and service planning.

Effort required

Holds clinical service, staffing, financial, regulatory and technological strands together, analysing facility data and reaching decisions frequently and under time pressure while remaining accessible to boards, clinicians, department heads and the public. Judgements rest on incomplete information, must be exact, and their consequences reach patients as well as the organisation.
Manages contention from several directions: negotiating between medical staff, department heads and governing boards, resolving complaints and disputes, dealing with members of the public who are unpleasant, angry or discourteous, and carrying through restructuring and shifts in the focus of care that are unwelcome to some. Also accountable for the safety of staff and for the quality of the service delivered.
Predominantly seated office work with continuous screen and telephone use and repetitive keyboard motions, with movement through the facility to inspect it. No lifting or exertion.

Working conditions

Indoor, environmentally controlled facilities throughout, with no recorded exposure to hazard, infection or contaminants, and time spent in proximity to colleagues and to the public. The demand is psychological: recurring conflict, dealings with dissatisfied or angry people, accountability for services on which patients depend, and competition between providers.
Almost all incumbents work a regular established schedule, with hours divided about evenly between a standard forty-hour week and longer. The work is time-pressured and continuously interrupted by clinicians, department heads and external bodies, while carrying a routine element of reporting and administration. Holds wide freedom to determine tasks, priorities and goals within the policies, budgets and regulatory obligations of the organisation.

Skills

40% · 302 points▾

KnowledgeLevel 5 of 8
90 of 144 points
Specialised and theoretical knowledge within a field of work and an awareness of the limits of that knowledge. The job requires a comprehensive range of cognitive and practical knowledge to develop creative solutions to abstract problems.
Interpersonal and communication skillsLevel 4 of 5
77 of 96 points
Advanced communication and interpersonal skills. The job holder is required to manage complex interactions, mediate interpersonal conflicts and support group collaboration.
Problem-solving skillsLevel 4 of 5
77 of 96 points
Non-standard problems. The job involves solving complex, non-standard problems involving multiple factors to consider. Solutions often require careful analysis and the adaptation of current methods.
Planning and organisational skillsLevel 4 of 5
58 of 72 points
Advanced organisational skills required. The job requires planning and managing complex, often overlapping tasks or schedules. The job requires a degree of autonomy and joint planning, and managing interdependencies across teams or departments.
Physical skillsLevel 0 of 5
0 of 72 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any particular physical skills (although there is likely to be some physical activity).

Responsibility

35% · 281 points▾

PeopleLevel 4 of 5
115 of 144 points
High level of responsibility for people. The job involves significant responsibility for the well-being and development of others. This includes making decisions that affect others' jobs, tasks or welfare, such as managing teams, providing care, teaching or ensuring psychological safety. It can also include hiring, evaluating, motivating, coaching and leading workers.
Goods and equipmentLevel 3 of 5
50 of 84 points
Moderate responsibility for goods or equipment. The job involves the regular use and maintenance of more valuable equipment or materials. It may include managing resources or ensuring equipment stays in good condition.
InformationLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Moderate responsibility for information. The job involves managing information to ensure it is accurate, of high quality and secure. The job holder may make decisions about the handling of sensitive data.
Financial resourcesLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Moderate responsibility for financial resources. The job requires handling significant financial resources, including managing budgets, overseeing expenditures, being accountable for spending and participating in financial decision-making.

Effort

15% · 79 points▾

Mental effortLevel 3 of 5
36 of 60 points
High level of mental effort. The job involves frequent concentration on complex tasks that require considerable mental effort, such as interpreting complex data.
Psychosocial and emotional effortLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate psychosocial and emotional effort. The job requires the regular management of emotional responses, such as dealing with sensitive or challenging individuals or situations.
Physical effortLevel 0 of 5
0 of 48 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any physical effort.

Working Conditions

10% · 57 points▾

Environment (physical, psychological or emotional)Level 3 of 5
50 of 84 points
Regular exposure to hazards or stress. The job requires regular exposure to physical hazards (e.g. exposure to chemicals, temperature extremes or minor risk of injury) or moderate psychological risks (e.g. isolation, repetitive tasks or occasional threats of violence). It may occur monthly or as a build-up of milder hazards.
Organisational environmentLevel 1 of 5
7 of 36 points
Minimal organisational demands. The job requires standard working hours with no night shifts or irregular schedules. There is little or no need for travel or digital connectivity beyond typical working hours.