Medical Administrator Career Information
Job Descriptions December 14, 2012A healthcare business relies on its efficient running by a medical administrator, often referred to as a healthcare administrator. Medical administrators, whether employed in hospitals, clinics or offices, work to ensure that there is effective communication among all areas of the office thereby guaranteeing the provision of seamless healthcare.
Wage Potential of Medical Administrators
Medical administrators who have completed a medical office administration degree program earn an average hourly wage ranging from $13.11 to $18.59 (source: PayScale.com). The average earnings potential are much higher for administrators who hold a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration. The wage potential of a medical administrator can vary according to their education and experience, apart from the type of facility they manage. For instance, hospital administrators earn an average annual salary ranging from $39,109 to $130,874 while medical office managers earned an average salary of $24,800 to $71,500.
Career Profile for Medical Administrators
Medical or healthcare administrators are required to perform various functions including pulling patient charts, customer service, billing and collecting, and marketing. They are required to schedule patient appointments, supervise transcription staff, draft correspondence and supervise patient flow. Medical administrators rely on general management duties, such as making budgets and purchasing supplies, staff schedules and communication skills to ensure that office procedures are ran efficiently. In clinics and hospitals, among other larger settings, the duties may be distributed among several administrators.
Prospective medical administrative specialists are required to have completed courses that prepare them to become Medical Secretaries, Medical Office Assistants or Medical Administrative Assistants (source: the American Medical Technologists (AMT) (www.amt1.com). Owing to state-wise differences in required education and experience prerequisites, aspiring medical administrators should verify the licensure norms relating to the state in which they seek employment. Employers may have additional expectations in the form of licensure or academic needs expected of job seekers.
Medical administrators with experience may want a career path in the healthcare management field. The responsibilities of managers in healthcare facilities such as clinics or hospitals are likely to be higher compared to managers employed in private offices. Regardless of the size of the office that they are employed, medical administrators are expected to have the capacity to multi-task effectively. In the course of their jobs, medical administrators often acquire an understanding of many aspects of the healthcare industry. Candidates will find it useful to complete accredited programs offering certificates and degrees in medical administration, such as the ones administered by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (www.cahme.org).
