Practice Manager Job Description, Duties, and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the practice manager job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also highlights the major requirements you may be expected to meet to be hired for the practice manager role by most recruiters/employers.

What Does a Practice Manager Do?

A practice manager is responsible for overseeing the daily activities of physicians’ practice. His/her job description involves managing office staff, maintaining financial records, and creating policies that will serve as a guide to the office.

It also entails placing orders for necessary supplies (in most cases, he/she negotiates with the medical supply vendors so as to help in managing the cost of supplies).

The practice manager makes sure that laws that guide health practice are adhered to at all times by regularly reviewing office policies and ensuring that all physician licenses are up to date and that the office meets all safety standards.

In some cases, his/her role may involve handling of complaints from patients, encouraging feedbacks from them, as well as overseeing their referral processes.

The practice manager is also responsible for the activities of office personnel. Part of his/her duties in this regard include supervising the recruitment process, carrying out training for newly recruited staff, and drawing up contracts of employment for staff.

He/she also resolves issues that may arise amongst employees and carry out regular employee performance checks.

The manager may also schedule meetings with office staff on a regular basis and draw up and maintain the budget of the office.

His/her work description entails keeping record of payments made by patients, managing company hospital pay roll, and working closely with insurance companies to get the best form of insurance for the practice, as well as keeping an inventory of clinical supplies.

The manager develops every aspect of risk management in both clinical and administrative areas of the company (hospital/medical unit).

He/she also ensures that there is good communication channel amongst members of staff by creating good relationship amongst them.

He/she encourages good relationship between staff and patients, making sure patients are aware of services available in the hospital, and helping them to access it.

He/she prioritizes and/or manages staff workload, appropriately assigning duties to them.

The practice manager handles many activities in a health facility, particularly the business aspects of health/medicine so as to properly manage physicians’ time and enhance the care patients get.

On a general note, the duty of a practice manager is to make sure that the medical practice is being run smoothly at all times.

Practice Manager Job Description Example/Template

Practice managers perform various functions to keep physicians’ offices running smoothly and providing quality care to patients.

The common duties, tasks, and responsibilities performed by practice managers in most medical offices are shown in the job description example below:

• Handle patients’ complaints in a timely and orderly manner
• Oversee the paperwork in the admission or registration of patients
• Interact or discuss with patients in a bid to get feedbacks on the services being rendered to them
• Handle the recruitment, training, and supervision of new employees in the administrative section
• Supervise and control the supply of medications and every other medical equipment
• Oversee daily practice operations which may include scheduling of appointments and procedures that have to do with billing, safety measures, and security
• Work hand-in-hand with physicians to develop business strategies and improve the services being offered to patients
• Work closely with medical practice employees to make sure they provide the necessary and adequate support
• Supervise the progress of the practice in terms of meeting government targets and goals.

Requirements – Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities – for Practice Manager Job

If you are interested in working as a practice manager, here are major requirements and qualifications most medical facilities may expect you to meet to be granted an interview:

• Must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills (i.e. he/she must be a people person).
• Must be able to coordinate series of activities simultaneously
• Good leadership skills
• Must show willingness and ability to work as part of a team
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills
• Must have good management skills and ability to work and achieve targets within stipulated time limits
• Must be able to work independently with little or no supervision
• Must be detail and customer service oriented
• Must be able to apply basic book keeping and computer skills
• Ability to motivate staff whenever it is necessary
• Must have at least basic knowledge of medical terminology and good understanding of medical software applications
• Must possess a Bachelor’s degree in either Health or Business Management field
• Any certification that relates to primary care and health management
• MS in any relevant field would be of added advantage
• A minimum of 3 years works experience in a similar management role.

Conclusion

If you need to make a description for the practice manager role for use in recruiting for the position in your organization, the sample copy and information provided in this post can help you to easily and quickly create one.

You can produce and publish a comprehensive practice manager work description that enhances your chances of getting the best qualified candidates to respond to your job offer.

This post also helps you to learn about what practice managers do, including the duties and responsibilities that characterize the position in the healthcare industry, if you are interested in the career.