Healthcare Administrators Part 2

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22 Healthcare Administrators Part 2 Brittany Blanchard Aspen University Professor Bennet Course Number: KBN8-08-29-23

2 Abstract Healthcare administrators work behind the scenes to make large-scale decisions for the healthcare facility or institution. They deal directly with policy and budgets to create better patient experiences and ensure the safety of guests and staff. Healthcare administrators have in-depth knowledge of the regulatory framework in patient care. Their responsibilities are entirely different from the responsibilities of a doctor or physician. While physicians manage patients directly, healthcare administrators oversee the facility itself and usually have a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in healthcare administration. Some healthcare administrators may manage an entire facility, while others may focus on a single department within a facility. No matter where the healthcare administrator is employed, they are required to know both state and federal laws and ensure that HIPAA laws are followed within their area of responsibility and expertise. This paper will discuss the skills and day to day duties of a healthcare administrator in different healthcare settings. Keywords: Healthcare Administration, office manager, HIPAA, healthcare facility, management, operations

3 Healthcare Administrators Part 2 The healthcare administration industry is growing at a rapid rate. You are provided with the opportunity to work in different healthcare settings that all require a different level of skillset depending on where you work. Healthcare administration is a field that merges elements from a broad range of professional disciplines, such as business development, risk management, accounting, human relations, regulatory compliance, and healthcare. Every duty does not apply to every position. For example, those healthcare administrators working in the government usually focus on health policy and won’t have a lot of these administrative duties. You may also move into a higher position at a facility and take on greater responsibilities, like shaping programming for the entire organization. The healthcare administration field ranges across a diverse variety of occupations. While various entry level positions are open to applicants with a bachelor’s degree and minimal work experience, many employers and/or job positions require candidates to hold an advanced degree, such as a master’s degree or a doctoral degree, in addition to substantial experience in prior relevant roles. My first career choice would be to work remotely for a mental health company, with my second choice being to work in as a hospital healthcare administrator. My last option would be to work in a smaller more slow-paced environment, like a medical office. Working Remotely as a Healthcare Administrator Remote healthcare administration jobs focus on providing clerical services for a health care provider . Since the pandemic I have been working as a care coordinator and a patient financial coordinator for healthcare companies that focus on mental health, also known as telepsychiatry. Telepsychiatry, a subset of telemedicine, can involve providing a range of services including psychiatric evaluations, therapy (individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy), patient education and medication management. Working remotely has given me the opportunity to work a more relaxed and flexible schedule from the comfort of my own home. Telemedicine is a modern method of healthcare using remote communications to provide medical consultations and services. Telehealth has fixed most complications healthcare administrators endure. The real-time data encompasses patient issues, outcomes,

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4 treatment results, and resource allocation. Instead of manually tracking resources and analyzing treatment data, healthcare administrators can simply view an automatically generated report containing all the information they need. This enables healthcare administrators to make informed decisions regarding resource allocation, to further improve patient outcomes. As a healthcare administrator working remotely, I would be responsible for fostering effective communication within virtual teams, assisting in monitoring telehealth platforms for potential security risks, and overseeing operations. The population served ranges from those dealing with mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and ADHD to those who use street drugs and are looking to get sober with counseling and methadone treatment. With the telehealth companies being remote thy have the ability to expand their practices across the U.S. to serve and reach patients who may not have mental health resources in their area. Some of the pros of working for a telehealth company in a remote environment include flexibility, diversity, and being able to service patients who are unable to receive in-person care. According to an article on Forbes, flexibility is one of the main reasons, women in the workforce choose to work remotely (Jamous, 2023). This gives them the opportunity to tend to their tasks at home while still working to bring in money. Because remote and hybrid work allows for companies to have access to a large talent pool all over the United States. This gives them the opportunity to be more diverse and inclusive. As a result, remote companies tend to employ people from different backgrounds and cultures all over the world. The last pro to working remotely as a healthcare administrator would be access to care. As stated previously, patients sometimes have a hard to accessing care if they live in a rural town that does not have a lot of resources. Patients in rural settings or suburban settings often do not have the reliable resources to travel to a provider. This can also be a hassle for patients in an urban environment, as public transportation can be tedious and exhausting. Older or disabled patients might also not have family or friends who can be their caretaker and take them to clinics. Telemedicine can help them feel more independent and confident. One study found that the use of a specific home-telemedicine strategy for care coordination improved functional independence in non-institutionalized veterans with chronic disease (Gajarawala & Pelkowski, 2021) . With the pros, there are some cons to working remotely as a healthcare administrator. The main con

5 would be communication gaps. No matter what company you work for communication is always key to ensuring the company is running smoothly. Working on-site allows you the ability to receive immediate feedback on something you need assistance with. In a remote setting, there are platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and Slack that allow you to be able to chat via messaging and video to communicate with team members. However, you sometimes don’t receive feedback right away or have to wait for a response, which can interrupt your workflow. Another con would be work-life balance. In my experience working remotely, it was almost impossible to have a healthy work-life balance. Having to meet daily and weekly deadlines and metrics, I would sometimes grab my laptop during my downtime off the clock and start working to stay on top of things. This became very intolerable, as I started to experience burnout. Because my superiors were accustomed to me working odd hours, and always being available rather than seeing my new schedule of 8am-5pm as creating a healthy-work life balance, they thought my performance had slowed down. The last con would be lack of interaction and isolation. For some people working on-site gives them a chance to escape any problems or issues they may be experiencing at home. Unfortunately, while working from home is literally “work” from home, it does not allow someone to separate themselves from whatever issues they have at home. Hospital Healthcare Administrator Working as a healthcare administrator would be my second choice. The size of a hospital can ranges from holding less than 100 to more than 500 beds. Smaller hospitals in rural and suburban areas tend to house less patients than those in urban and metropolitan locations. Those hospitals that are larger can provide care to various populations ranging from acute to critical care. Some of them even have the ability to have both inpatient and outpatient services on-site at the same location. Smaller hospitals also service various populations. However, most of them only provide acute care. Being specialized in financial management, patient advocacy, and health informatic—just to name a few, hospital healthcare administrators manage the daily operations of the hospital. It is their duty to make sure excellent care is being provided. They use a budget, funding, and resources available to be able to plan and coordinate. Hospital administrators are also responsible for establishing clear goals and evaluating the performance of

6 their healthcare providers and medical staff. Some of the pros of working in a hospital would be larger salaries. Working for a hospital organization that has been up and running for decades would allow me to make more money and receive more benefits than I would working remotely for a startup company. Another pro would be the ability to communicate more effectively with hospital staff and other administrators. I would be able to approach whomever I need to speak with face-to-face and notice non- verbal cues in meetings that would give me an idea of what the person is thinking or feeling. The last pro for working In a hospital as a healthcare administrator would be doing meaningful work. What this means is working onsite would give me the chance to see and interact with patients in halls, waiting rooms, and even the hospital cafeteria. I could also walk patient floors and witness the care the patients are receiving from nurses and allied health staff. Some of the cons are longer hours, more stress, and lack of flexibility. Working in a hospital environment can be stressful. Not only are you interacting with patients, but you also must be in constant contact with providers, coworkers, social workers, and even the patient’s family members. The hours are also longer, most hospital staff work an average of 12+ hours a day. Even as an administrator, because there is always something happening you have to be prepared for last-minute meetings, phone calls, and even being on call. The lack of flexibility can make it even more difficult to have a work-life balance, whereas working remotely I am able to shut my laptop off and the end of the day and set my status as “away” so that my team will know I am not available. Working on-site someone may still knock on your door or just so happen to run into you on your way out, small acts like this can lead you back to the office for another 15-20 minutes. Medical office Healthcare Administration My last and least favorite preference would be working in a medical office as a healthcare administrator. This would be my last option because I like the flexibility and comfortability of working from home, but I also thrive in fast paced environments like the hospital. Medical offices could see a large number of patients a day, but the hustle and bustle of the hospital is what motivated me throughout the day, when I worked in that environment. Most medical offices are usually in metropolitan areas, close

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7 to a hospital in case a patient needs urgent medical attention. However, in larger cities like Houston, Atlanta, and New York City, they are also located in suburban and some rural areas to allow patients to have access to care. Some medical offices even have multiple practices under the same group. Each medical office group treats different types of patients. For example, a pediatric medical office only sees pediatric patients, which in simple terms means kids. A cardiology group only sees patients with heart conditions at their location, so on and so on. In a medical office, health care administrators are involved in both direct and indirect patient care. They perform tasks that require interactions with patients, doctors, and insurance companies but also work behind the scenes . Some of the duties that I would perform are checking in patients at the front desk, scheduling patient appointments, answering the phone, transferring lab results to appropriate parties, and managing medical charts and records. The first pro to working in healthcare would be the ability to interact directly while also working behind the scenes in the office. When patients have to embark on a healthcare journey it can be very stressful. As a healthcare worker I find it fulfilling to be able to make a positive impact in their day whenever I must interact with patients. Another pro is flexibility. Because there are so many medical offices throughout the city I live in, finding a job in a medical office would not be hard. There will also be opportunities for advancement that could even lead me to getting a job in a hospital. This goes hand in hand with my last pro which is, job security. If there is a need for their services, I will likely be able to find work. Some of the cons would be lack of growth. Working remotely or in a hospital there is an opportunity for me to be able to get promoted to VP and corporate positions, while working in a medical office there is not room for advancement after becoming a healthcare administrator in the office. The next con would be that most medical offices are open 8am-5pm Monday-Friday, it would be hard to attend doctor’s appointments or do anything pertaining to business. The last con would be workflow. The medical office usually has a small staff. This means I would be responsible for ensuring every department is compliant and doing their job.

8 In conclusion, my first choice as a healthcare administrator would be to work remotely, secondly, in a hospital, and lastly in a medical office. While each work location has its pros and cons, I think that the overall role as a healthcare administrator would be very fulfilling and allow me to contribute to ensuring patients receive excellent care.

9 References Gajarawala, S. N., & Pelkowski, J. N. (2021, February). Telehealth benefits and barriers . The journal for nurse practitioners : JNP. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7577680/ Jamous, T. (2023, February 22). Remote and flexible working remain the biggest opportunities for inclusive workplaces. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/02/22/remote-and-flexible-working- remain-the-biggest-opportunities-for-inclusive-workplaces/?sh=6a2fed2a3ccdURLURL URL . https://nccusa.edu/blog/adapting-healthcare-administration-for-telehealth/

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10 Footnotes 1 For APA reports, add footnotes manually on their own page following references. Do not use the Insert Footnotes method on the References tab as they will not be formatted correctly. For APA formatting requirements, it’s easier to type your own footnote references and notes. To format a footnote reference, select the number and then, on the Home tab, in the Styles gallery, click Footnote Reference . The body of a footnote, such as this example, uses the Normal text style. If you delete this sample footnote, don’t forget to delete its in-text reference at the end of the sample Heading 2 paragraph on the first page of body content in this template.

11 Tables Table 1 Table Title Column Head Column Head Column Head Column Head Column Head Row Head 123 123 123 123 Row Head 456 456 456 456 Row Head 789 789 789 789 Row Head 123 123 123 123 Row Head 456 456 456 456 Row Head 789 789 789 789 Note : Place all tables for your paper in a tables section, following references and footnotes. Start a new page for each table, include a table number and table title for each, as shown. All explanatory text appears in a table note that follows the table, like this one. Use the Table/Figure style, available on the Home tab, in the Styles gallery, to get the spacing between table and note. Tables in APA format can use single or 1.5 line spacing. Include a heading for every row and column, even if the content seems obvious. A default table style has been set up for this template that fits APA guidelines. To insert a table, on the Insert tab, click Table .

12 Figures Title Figure 1. Include all figures in their own section, following references, footnotes, and tables. Include a numbered caption for each figure. Use the Table/Figure style for easy spacing between figure and caption. For additional information on APA Style formatting, please consult the APA Style Manual, 7th Edition .

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Healthcare Administrators Part 2

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