A hospital is often a monolithic building, or, if not, a campus of related buildings. Either way, it's big. Not only does it cover a lot of square footage, but there are a myriad of different groups at play, including doctors, nurses, facilities staff, security, volunteers, patients, visitors, etc. All of these people are carrying out hundreds of different tasks all in the same space, and it is essential that all these different actions achieve some sort of working harmony. That is the job of the Hospital Administrator.
The goal of hospital administration is to not only coordinate space, resources and scheduling of different departments, but to also keep an eye on the overall business administration of the entire complex. It's all about organization, efficiency, and controlling chaos. Unlike most other businesses, running a hospital involves constantly being exposed to emergencies and life or death situations. It creates a sense of urgency that few other jobs can match.
Most administrators have a Masters of Business Administration degree with a specialty in Healthcare. Although, there is a new Master of Healthcare Administration that is gaining some market share. The MBA focuses a bit more on the management and business aspects, while the MHA caters more toward overall healthcare policy. Either of these degrees, combined with years of experience, prepare the director for the responsibilities of the job.
The most important aspect of surviving this job is leadership. There are so many passionate individuals with strong personalities involved in the medicine. They all feel that urgency, and as a result, they all push forward the needs of their patients with vigor. It takes a person with strong leadership to be able to keep all these people working together and accomplishing all their goals.
A good deal of this work is done with policy setting. Drafting solid policies creates the rulebook for a hospital. Those policies should focus on the promoting the care of the hospital, the staff, and the patients. Like any business rules, in the day to day, they serve more as guidelines than absolutes.
The life of a hospital administrator can be an exciting and a stressful one, but ultimately rewarding. After all, it is the business of caring for the health of others. Beyond that, the position becomes just like any other life or death, high end management position. Every day is filled with a delicate balance of implementing and refining policy, adapting to business needs, dealing with staffing issues, and trying to move the organization's goals forward
The goal of hospital administration is to not only coordinate space, resources and scheduling of different departments, but to also keep an eye on the overall business administration of the entire complex. It's all about organization, efficiency, and controlling chaos. Unlike most other businesses, running a hospital involves constantly being exposed to emergencies and life or death situations. It creates a sense of urgency that few other jobs can match.
Most administrators have a Masters of Business Administration degree with a specialty in Healthcare. Although, there is a new Master of Healthcare Administration that is gaining some market share. The MBA focuses a bit more on the management and business aspects, while the MHA caters more toward overall healthcare policy. Either of these degrees, combined with years of experience, prepare the director for the responsibilities of the job.
The most important aspect of surviving this job is leadership. There are so many passionate individuals with strong personalities involved in the medicine. They all feel that urgency, and as a result, they all push forward the needs of their patients with vigor. It takes a person with strong leadership to be able to keep all these people working together and accomplishing all their goals.
A good deal of this work is done with policy setting. Drafting solid policies creates the rulebook for a hospital. Those policies should focus on the promoting the care of the hospital, the staff, and the patients. Like any business rules, in the day to day, they serve more as guidelines than absolutes.
The life of a hospital administrator can be an exciting and a stressful one, but ultimately rewarding. After all, it is the business of caring for the health of others. Beyond that, the position becomes just like any other life or death, high end management position. Every day is filled with a delicate balance of implementing and refining policy, adapting to business needs, dealing with staffing issues, and trying to move the organization's goals forward
