Healthcare Management
The Bureau of Labor Statistics expresses that the profession of healthcare management is experiencing rapid growth, which can mainly be attributed "to the expansion and diversification of the healthcare industry"[footnoteRef:1]. Employment of health service and medical managers is expected to grow by a massive 16% between 2010 and 2018. Healthcare management is about providing direction and leadership to healthcare organizations and to the units, departments, and divisions therein, and ensuring the personal satisfaction of the men and women who dedicate their lives to serving, and wanting to make a difference in others' lives. In order to effectively achieve this, healthcare managers-to-be need to understand the succinct details around the functions, responsibilities, and roles tied to these positions. [1: 1 John Thompson, Sharon Buchbinder and Nancy Shanks, "An Overview of Healthcare Management," Jones and Bartlett Learning, 5, http://samples.jbpub.com/9780763790868/90868_CH01_FINAL_WithoutCropMark.pdf (accessed March 3, 2014) ]
The Functions of Healthcare Management
Healthcare management is accomplished through the four functions of planning, organizing, leading and controlling[footnoteRef:2]. These provide the framework for the common training model used in most healthcare settings. Some models could contain additional functions such as staffing, and directing. Due to the complementarities inherent in the two functions (staffing and directing), this text will combine them into one function referred to herein as leading. [2: 2 John et al., Jones and Bartlett Learning, 5. ]
Planning: involves setting goals, targets, and priorities, and developing strategies that could aid in the achievement of the same[footnoteRef:3]. Planning merely determines the direction an organization will take and it is the manager's duty, therefore, to ensure that the established goals, targets and priorities are set as to lead the organization along the desired path[footnoteRef:4]. In a healthcare setting, managers plan for community coordination efforts, receiving referrals, and having adequate staff to attend to new referrals. Moreover, there is need to plan for proper use of time, financial resources, and coordination with Medicare and Medicaid[footnoteRef:5]. [3: 3 John et al., Jones and Bartlett Learning,...
] [4: 4 John Thompson, Sharon Buchbinder and Nancy Shanks, "An Overview of Healthcare Management," Jones and Bartlett Learning, 5, http://samples.jbpub.com/9780763790868/90868_CH01_FINAL_WithoutCropMark.pdf (accessed March 3, 2014) ] [5: 5 Brent James, "Quality Management for Healthcare Delivery," Inter-Mountain Healthcare, 2, http://intermountainhealthcare.org/qualityandresearch/institute/documents/articles_qmmp.pdf (accessed March 3, 2014)]
Organizing: involves designing suitable working relationships and establishing an organizational structure that would help the healthcare facility to effectively realize its goals and achieve its targets. It entails determining the various tasks to be performed, allocating them to various departments based on similarities, and establishing intra-departmental as well as inter-departmental reporting relationships and interaction patterns[footnoteRef:6]. Furthermore, this function involves creating positions, and drawing up the hierarchical structure of authority. Organizing, in my previous job, largely entailed ensuring that in-home calls were made on time. It also involved getting contingency measures in place in case a physician give notice of delay; in other words, things had to keep moving, because keeping a patient waiting was totally unacceptable, and punishable, according to the organization's code of conduct. [6: 6 John Thompson, Sharon Buchbinder and Nancy Shanks, "An Overview of Healthcare Management," Jones and Bartlett Learning, 5, http://samples.jbpub.com/9780763790868/90868_CH01_FINAL_WithoutCropMark.pdf (accessed March 3, 2014) ]
Leadership: this function is about manning the various positions and ensuring that members work together towards the attainment of the facility's goals[footnoteRef:7]. It entails creating and sustaining effective working relationships at all levels of the hierarchical structure, and coordinating individual, team, and group goals to ensure their cohesion with the overall goals of the organization. This function is more than just sitting behind a desk; it is about creating a cordial and professional atmosphere at the workplace, motivating members, and building their desire to help in the achievement of the facility's goals[footnoteRef:8]. It may be prudent to mention that not all managers are leaders - but all managers ought to strive to be leaders…
