Medical and Health Services Managers

A Day in the Life

In many facilities, you will likely wear multiple hats. Today begins with several staff out ill, and you seize the opportunity to assist and gain valuable patient feedback. You escort patients to exam rooms and ask them about their experiences. Their honesty gives you insight into your center's front lines.

Interfacing with the community is a key part of your role as a hospital representative. For lunch, you meet with the head of a local business association concerned about your facility's expansion plans. You discuss the projected healthcare and employment benefits and agree to speak at an upcoming meeting.

Your next stop is the pathology lab to finalize proposed equipment purchases. As chief administrator, you must weigh the expected benefit against cost. You must also prioritize the many departmental needs competing for the same budget dollars. The lab receives funding for its two most urgent requests and delays the rest. As a skillful manager, you have learned the art of compromise.

You meet next with the new wing's architect and your finance manager to review the latest budget. The recent decision to include radiation therapy means that a specialized vendor must be hired, which adds considerably to costs. You review other project expenses to identify savings that won't sacrifice quality.

After a five-minute break, you hold a conference call with executives from company headquarters. You brief them on the new wing and gain approval for the revised budget. An hour later, you close your office door and attend to volumes of email, voice mail, and paperwork. You will return some messages tonight from your home office. Like the hospital, you are always on duty.