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If you know someone who is a practice manager, or you already have some idea about the role and want to know more, there’s a good chance that you’re hungry for information related to what a practice manager actually does. In essence, a practice manager manages a medical practice.In this role they are responsible for all the front office, business and staffing aspects of a physician’s practice, which can also include them overseeing needs that involve billing, pay, staff performance and satisfaction and record keeping. There’s much more to this role, though – in this article, we take a look at what a practice manager is all about to help give you a better understanding as to whether this career is for you.
The duties of a practice manager
It is usually the case that all of the important information that people learn about practice management before they fill the role is achieved by a diploma of practice management online or at an educational institution. As you might imagine, managing all of the nitty gritty at a practice can be quite intensive, so the responsibilities of a practice manager can amount to a lot. The basics often involve a practice manager ensuring that the practice opens and closes on time, and that appointments are both made and kept. Other duties can include setting the management of staff, such as the schedules of any relevant staff and any hiring and training needs (in addition to dismissal of staff). It is also their duty to write and interpret a variety of office policies and procedures, resolve any conflicts that occur in the practice (whether it involve staff and patients or just staff) and get in touch with suppliers, consultants and service providers and organise waste removal, utilities and office supplies. It is also required of practice managers that they meet with sales representatives from medical and pharmaceutical companies when required.
Skills required of practice managers
With all the responsibilities asked of practice managers, they are required to have quite a few important skills to ensure that they can succeed in their role. With this in mind, one of the most important things required of a practice manager is multitasking and time management skills, as juggling all of the requirements of the practice requires a very calm, methodical approach to every little facet – particularly as the practice manager will also be helping others better manage their own time. To ensure this goes over well, practice managers must also have good communication skills – with so many people coming and going from the practice in a day, in addition to any other staff, there is certainly a need to be able to express open communication. With this comes the need for excellent conflict resolution skills. Disputes are not uncommon in a practice environment, and having someone on hand to very quickly mediate and resolve any issues is crucial for the health of the practice.
Is practice management for you?
Although the education and skill requirement of a practice manager can be demanding, there’s no doubt there are ample rewards to make up for it. It’s also a great role for people who like both variety in their work schedules and the ability to interact with a lot of people, as the job offers both of these in spades.
