How to Become a Healthcare Practice Manager

Recently, we discussed what you can do with an accredited Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration, and today, we will outline how you can use your degree to land one of the best jobs in the industry, healthcare practice manager. 

This is an excellent job that allows you to oversee the policies and procedures that keep a medical office operating efficiently, but because of the intricacies and significance of the role, you will need a robust educational foundation in healthcare management to meet the qualifications for open positions. 

In this post, we will discuss why you should seriously consider pursuing a career in this line of work, what you will need to prepare for a job in the field, what a typical day will look like on the job, and how you can tip the odds in your favor to kick-start your career in this highly competitive field. 

After you have read everything there is to know about becoming a practice manager, fill out our information request form to receive additional details about our completely online Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration, which is designed to put you on the right track towards becoming a professional practice manager.

If you’re ready to get started, submit your application today.

What is a Practice Manager, What is Healthcare Administration, and Why are they Important?

Without knowing it, you have probably interacted with a practice manager while receiving healthcare treatment. 

Broadly defined, a practice manager is an administrator who runs a physician’s office, medical clinic, hospital department, or another form of a medical office.

Healthcare administration is a multi-faceted discipline aimed at running the operational side of medical facilities, and you can think of it as being the process a practice manager uses to accomplish their work. 

The overall goal of healthcare administration and management is to ensure that processes, tasks, and regulations for facilities dedicated to helping patients are upheld to the highest standard.

Some specific examples of healthcare administration include:

• Large hospital departments are operated on the practices and principles of healthcare administration. The services offered by major hospitals are usually separated into different subdivisions, specializing in specific treatment options and in some cases, the distinctions between departments and services can become quite complex. Sound healthcare administration techniques are needed to keep operations organized. 
• Small medical offices are another area where healthcare administration is needed, as these offices usually require someone to both run the operations and oversee office management tasks.
• Private and multi-system healthcare facilities rely on healthcare administration and depend on practice managers to lead efficient operations and processes, as well as oversee the financial health of the company’s business model.

As the list above clearly shows, healthcare administration best practices are applied in a variety of different settings by practice managers.

This is why practice managers are so important, and why anyone looking to become a practice manager needs to develop a solid background in healthcare administration and management. 

Is Becoming a Practice Manager a Good Career Option?

Yes, practice managers play a critical role in the modern healthcare system, which means that trained professionals with healthcare administration skills are likely to be presented with numerous career opportunities.

This is an especially good career option for anyone who wants to help serve an important role in ensuring facilities can deliver effective, efficient healthcare services. 

There are three excellent reasons to consider becoming a practice manager, including:

1.  Practice managers play an incredibly important role in today’s society by ensuring healthcare systems can serve those who require medical attention.

2.  From a salary standpoint, practice managers earn a very respectable salary, with Glassdoor.com reporting the average annual salary for practice managers was $72,877 as of February 9, 2023. 

3.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates there will be on average 56,600 openings each year for medical and health service managers between 2021 and 2031, marking a 28% increase from current levels.

If you’re interested in a career that has a positive impact on society but does not necessarily put you on the front lines of delivering healthcare services directly to patients themselves, then becoming a practice manager could be the perfect position for you. 

What Do Practice Managers Actually Do?

As a practice manager, you will be responsible for managing a multitude of tasks, all dedicated to making sure that the healthcare or medical facility you work with is operating efficiently and cost-effectively. 

Typical daily tasks for practice managers include:

• Supervising the finances of a medical facility such as budgeting, billing, and other associated financial responsibilities.
• Hiring, credentialing, training, and directing staff members.
• Communicating with various departments and medical personnel regarding current procedures and guidelines.
• Creating schedules for all staff based on projected patient volume.
• Adhering to industry laws and regulations and ensuring the facility is 100% compliant.
• Developing methods for effective and efficient operations.
• Maintaining equipment and supply chain management to ensure materials are available when needed.
• Negotiating employee benefits, developing personnel policies, and resolving any labor conflicts that may arise.
• Ensuring clinic staff receive the required ongoing education and training.

As you can see from the list above, to become a practice manager, you must be able to handle a series of important responsibilities, including managing competing priorities, adapting to a constantly changing environment, and taking on a leadership role to help guide and direct an entire team of medical and administrative professionals. 

With this in mind, if you are determined to enter the healthcare administration industry as a practice manager, you will have to develop a wide-ranging skillset before any medical facility would consider you for this critical position.

The best way to build the required skills you need to succeed in this position is to get your degree in healthcare administration. 

What Skills & Abilities Are Needed to Become a Successful Practice Manager?

The position of practice manager is difficult and complex, as the role requires one to have a full range of both hard and soft skills, as well as knowledge of both healthcare and business best practices.

To become successful in this role, you will need to develop a broad portfolio of skills and abilities, including:

• Communication Skills – You will have to interact with a variety of people in different roles such as nurses, technicians, patients, physicians, vendors, salespeople, and patients. With everyone you meet communicating in different ways, having well-defined and open communication skills will ensure important tasks and objectives are conveyed clearly.
• Conflict Resolution Skills – Part of a practice manager’s role is to effectively handle disputes that may arise between staff and patients. Being able to mediate and resolve issues in a highly sensitive environment will be critical to success.
• Time Management & Organizational Skills – Practice managers take on many different tasks and roles every day, and because of this, they must be able to prioritize their energy and focus to ensure pressing issues are completed within time and budget constraints. 
• Leadership Skills – Because of their duties overseeing staff, a practice manager must be able to motivate and encourage staff to bring their best every day. The practice manager sets the example for the level of work expected from their staff, and those who hold the position must hold strong leadership skills to be capable of inspiring those around them to produce high-quality work under high-stress situations. 
• Financial Management Skills – An important part of ensuring that any medical facility is being run efficiently is ensuring that costs are kept in check. As a practice manager, you will be responsible for ensuring that budgets are maintained and that the team and staff do their best to pursue any potential cost-reducing initiatives. To do this, practice managers must know how to properly construct budgets and invoices, but they also need a solid understanding of basic accounting principles. 
• Information System Management – This practice manager role requires competent and comprehensive oversight of patient medical information. Safety and security of records and technology systems are required for regulatory compliance.  

The most effective way to learn and develop the skills a practice manager uses daily is to complete a degree focused on healthcare administration and management, like CSU Global’s Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration. 

Our 100% online program will ensure that you’re fully prepared to deliver real value to any medical facility big or small from your first day on the job. 

Do I Really Need a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration to Get a Job in The Industry?

Not necessarily, but earning a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration could substantially increase the probability of getting a highly sought-after job in the industry.

For those who haven’t yet attained a bachelor’s degree, Indeed.com suggests you consider getting one in health management or business administration, and CSU Global has two options that would be perfect for people who still need their bachelor’s degree, including our Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare Administration and Management and our Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management.

If you’ve already obtained a bachelor’s degree, then you’ll want to consider our Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration, which will prove to be the best way for you to launch your career as a practice manager.

Alternatively, if you’re not sure about becoming a practice manager, but are sure you want to get into healthcare administration, then you might also want to consider our Master’s Degree in Management program.

The reason it’s so important to get your degree in healthcare administration is that potential employers hiring practice managers are going to be looking for candidates who have developed the skills needed to succeed in this dynamic and competitive industry, and completing the MHA degree will prove to them you have what it takes to succeed. 

How Will CSU Global’s MHA Help Prepare me for a Career as a Practice Manager? 

Our online Master’s Program in Healthcare Administration is designed to train you on the most important and common job responsibilities of practice managers, including tasks like:

• Analyzing current processes and operations aimed at improving effective and efficient patient health outcomes.
• Identifying and solving healthcare administration-specific problems using a well-defined decision-making structure.
• Implementing and managing healthcare information systems. 
• Properly enforcing quality management techniques and ensuring that policies, procedures, laws, and regulations are upheld.

Throughout your studies in our program, you will gain knowledge about how to succeed as a practice manager, as we will train you to:

• Create strategic long-term plans to ensure any complex problems or issues that may arise will be handled appropriately.
• Implement leadership techniques to build team cohesion and trust for employees.
• Build cohesion between the competing disciplines of healthcare administration including operations management, human resources, healthcare policies, finance, and marketing. 
• Use principles and techniques to foster innovation and help ensure that organizational change happens smoothly. 

These foundational skills will enable you to successfully overcome the challenges that come with being a practice manager. 

Earning your Masters of Healthcare Administration from CSU Global could prove to be the key catalyst in starting your lifelong career in the industry.

What Else Can I Do to Increase My Chances of Success?

Earning a degree in healthcare administration is arguably the most promising way to prepare yourself for a career as a practice manager, but there are also other steps that you can take to increase your chances of success.

 According to Zippia.com, there are several certification programs that could help prepare you for a career in practice management, including: 

• PAHCOM’s Certified Practice Manager (CPM) certificate
• AAPC’s Certified Physician Practice Manager (CPPM) program
• CMOM’s Certified Medical Office Manager certification
• MGMA’s Certified Medical Practice Executive (CMPE) program
• CMM’s Certified Medical Manager certification
• AHIP’s Managed Healthcare Professional (MHP) Designation
• ACA’s Certified Health Service Administration (CHSA) credential

Completing these certifications could help aid you in developing the required skills and abilities needed to succeed in this field, while also bolstering your resume to help you stand out from other job candidates when it comes time to pursue open positions.

To be clear, obtaining a master’s degree or certification may not be required to become a practice manager, however, if you are looking to maximize your potential and help set yourself apart from others in this field, then you should seriously consider these educational opportunities. 

Should I Get My Degree in Healthcare Administration Online?

Whichever education you decide to pursue, we recommend completing them online rather than in person for multiple reasons. 

The most significant reason to choose an online program is that it is a much more efficient and convenient way to get your degree. 

Online degree programs offer a level of flexibility in terms of how and when you complete your studies that in-person programs can’t. 

Should you choose to pursue your education online with us at CSU Global, you will benefit from several exceptional advantages offered by our customized, 100% online programs, including:

• No requirements to show up at set times or in physical locations.
• Monthly class starts.
• Accelerated courses.

These benefits are perfect for anyone with a full schedule from work and family obligations, and who requires the freedom that only online programs can offer. 

If you have always felt that you haven’t had the time to pursue educational programs, but you’re committed to preparing to advance your career as a practice manager, then you should consider getting your degree online with us at CSU Global.

Why Should I Choose CSU Global’s Healthcare Administration Program?

Our 100% online Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration was designed to provide you with all of the information and abilities you need to launch a successful, lifelong career as a practice manager.

This program is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which ensures that your degree will be respected by hiring managers looking to fill available positions. 

Our program is also widely viewed as one of the finest in the industry, as it has been awarded several excellent rankings, including:

• A #2 ranking for Best Online Master’s in Healthcare Administration from Best Health Degrees.
• A #5 ranking for 25 Best Affordable Online Healthcare Administration and Management Degree Programs 2020 from Affordable Schools. 
• A #5 ranking for the 5 Best Master’s in Healthcare Administration Online from Best College Reviews.

CSU Global itself is also widely regarded as an industry leader in higher education, having recently won several significant rankings, including:

• A #10 ranking for Best Online Colleges for ROI from OnlineU.
• A #1 ranking for Best Online Colleges & Schools in Colorado from Best Accredited Colleges.
• A #1 ranking for Best Online Colleges in Colorado from Best Colleges.

Finally, we offer affordable tuition rates and a Tuition Guarantee which ensures your rate won’t increase for as long as you remain enrolled as a student. 

To get additional details about our fully-accredited online Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration, please give us a call at (800) 462-7845, or fill out our Information Request Form.

Ready to get started today? Apply now!