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Health facility administrator vs medical director

The differences between health facility administrators and medical directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a health facility administrator and a medical director. Additionally, a medical director has an average salary of $230,317, which is higher than the $60,836 average annual salary of a health facility administrator.

The top three skills for a health facility administrator include patients, public health and health care facilities. The most important skills for a medical director are patients, medical care, and medical services.

Health facility administrator vs medical director overview

Health Facility AdministratorMedical Director
Yearly salary$60,836$230,317
Hourly rate$29.25$110.73
Growth rate28%28%
Number of jobs102,35075,810
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age4747
Years of experience66

What does a health facility administrator do?

Every healthcare facility has someone who oversees its day-to-day administration, and that person is referred to as the health facility administrator. This person doesn't interact with patients directly and is not responsible for patient care. Instead, they take responsibility for the organizational side of health services in the facility. There is responsibility for some management functions in the healthcare facility like the services offered, staff management, programs, budgets, etc. However, depending on the size and type of the organization, the administrator may have to do other duties, as the case may be.

What does a medical director do?

A medical director is responsible for handling the overall supervision of different medical departments, managing the coordination between medical teams to ensure smooth operations and achieve high-quality care services for the patients. Medical directors enforce strict guidelines and safety measures for everyone's adherence. They also implement medical care programs, recruit medical staff, inspect the adequacy of medical equipment, respond to patient's inquiries and concerns, and oversee the facilities' procedures. A medical director manages the budget of the department, allocating equal resources to address every need.

Health facility administrator vs medical director salary

Health facility administrators and medical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Health Facility AdministratorMedical Director
Average salary$60,836$230,317
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $87,000Between $143,000 And $369,000
Highest paying CityCampbell, CASeattle, WA
Highest paying stateMassachusettsAlaska
Best paying companyThe Carlyle GroupUnitedHealth Group
Best paying industryHealth CareInsurance

Differences between health facility administrator and medical director education

There are a few differences between a health facility administrator and a medical director in terms of educational background:

Health Facility AdministratorMedical Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common majorNursingMedicine
Most common collegeUniversity of Michigan - Ann ArborUniversity of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Health facility administrator vs medical director demographics

Here are the differences between health facility administrators' and medical directors' demographics:

Health Facility AdministratorMedical Director
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 28.9% Female, 71.1%Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 8.2% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between health facility administrator and medical director duties and responsibilities

Health facility administrator example responsibilities.

  • Achieve and maintain 5-star rating by CMS.
  • Lead staff in the creation of high-performing and culture of superior quality care and collaboration with patients and staff.
  • Hire, manage payroll and provide oversight for research and administrative assistants.
  • Direct and ensure individual residents' healthcare by overseeing outcomes of physician orders, social well-being, rehabilitation and dietary needs.
  • Monitor financial performance v/s budget promote rehabilitation services within the community.
  • Provide information, education and consultation regarding the Medicaid state plan program.
  • Show more

Medical director example responsibilities.

  • Manage OPD for acute injuries.
  • Manage patients with diabetes, hypertension and other medical problems.
  • Manage patients living with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other sexually transmit infections.
  • Manage hypertension and diabetes in elderly patients
  • Conduct psychiatry evaluations and treatment, manage co-occurring disorders.
  • Manage budget planning, forecasting and accruals for improve financial management.
  • Show more

Health facility administrator vs medical director skills

Common health facility administrator skills
  • Patients, 21%
  • Public Health, 11%
  • Health Care Facilities, 9%
  • Home Health, 7%
  • Medical Care, 4%
  • Rehabilitation, 4%
Common medical director skills
  • Patients, 12%
  • Medical Care, 7%
  • Medical Services, 6%
  • Utilization Review, 5%
  • Appeals, 5%
  • Internal Medicine, 4%

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