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What does a health services administrator do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read

A health services administrator is responsible for performing administrative functions in a health care setting, such as sorting medical reports, updating patients' information in the database, and ensuring the adequacy of medical inventory. Health services administrators also organize medical programs and activities, coordinate with suppliers and third-party vendors, and assist in strategizing efficient procedures to maintain quality care services for patients' satisfaction. A health services administrator may reach out to other organizations to gather medical information and interview patients to validate their details in the system for accurate reference.

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Health services administrator responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real health services administrator resumes:

  • Lead and train staff through initial certification of Medicare and Medicaid programs resulting in increase revenues and cash flows.
  • Lead transformation form top-down control organization to a model focuse on everyone's accountability to patients and co-workers.
  • Evaluate compliance with state licensing and federal certification requirements of Medicare and Medi-Cal programs.
  • Maintain all hospital functions within JCAHO, Medicare and Medicaid standards.
  • Prepare hospital for JCAHO and implement plan to assure ongoing compliance with regulatory agencies.
  • Develop curriculum for health and fitness programs and begin developing the health manual for the ministry.
  • Conduct critical incident stress management (CISM) to mitigate the impact from psychological trauma due to combat exposure.
  • Coordinate CLIA certification and proficiency testing.
  • Function as primary officer for facility according to HIPAA guidelines.
  • Provide leadership and direction for a multi-specialty practice and CLIA laboratory.
  • Prepare and document all information to comply with OSHA injury reporting regulations.
  • Interface with facility personnel in implementing health-relate programs and complying with appropriate OSHA regulations.
  • Conduct surveys of health facilities according to establish federal protocols to evaluate compliance with Medicare requirements.
  • Design and implement all marketing and advertising for practices, surgery center and full service optical dispensary.
  • Prepare quality assurance activities and develop and maintain tracking system for all patients enroll in behavioral health services.

Health services administrator skills and personality traits

We calculated that 20% of Health Services Administrators are proficient in Patients, ACA, and Cost Effectiveness. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Interpersonal skills, and Leadership skills.

We break down the percentage of Health Services Administrators that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Patients, 20%

    Led transformation form top-down controlled organization to a model focused on everyone's accountability to patients and co-workers.

  • ACA, 7%

    Ensured compliance with ACA and/or NCCHC standards and Correctional Medical Services (CMS) clinical services and administrative policies and procedures.

  • Cost Effectiveness, 7%

    Drafted present proposal aimed at expediting inmates' cases which is beneficial to the inmate, and impacts cost effectiveness.

  • Medical Services, 6%

    Manage orientation of new Correctional Medical Services personnel by conducting and coordinating all initial new hire and annual orientation/training activities.

  • Statistical Data, 6%

    Coordinate facility capability reports, compile statistical data, and ensure the accuracy of all documentation.

  • Operational Efficiency, 5%

    Assisted in development, implementation, monitoring and annual review of health care policies and recommended ways to improve operational efficiency.

Most health services administrators use their skills in "patients," "aca," and "cost effectiveness" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential health services administrator responsibilities here:

Detail oriented. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a health services administrator to have is detail oriented. Their role and responsibilities require that "medical and health services managers must pay attention to detail." Health services administrators often use detail oriented in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "conducted detailed procedural medical evacuation briefings with patients and troubleshot automated data processing equipment. "

Leadership skills. health services administrators are also known for leadership skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to health services administrator responsibilities, because "medical and health services managers hire, train, and direct staff." A health services administrator resume example shows how leadership skills is used in the workplace: "provided direct environmental health & safety leadership and management. "

Technical skills. For certain health services administrator responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "technical skills." The day-to-day duties of a health services administrator rely on this skill, as "medical and health services managers must stay up to date with advances in healthcare technology, such as the coding and electronic health record (ehr) systems their facility adopts." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what health services administrators do: "provided public information/education, training, consultation and technical assistance about the north dakota children's mental health system of care. "

Analytical skills. Another common skill required for health services administrator responsibilities is "analytical skills." This skill comes up in the duties of health services administrators all the time, as "medical and health services managers review and evaluate healthcare metrics for ways to improve efficiency and meet goals." An excerpt from a real health services administrator resume shows how this skill is central to what a health services administrator does: "develop and manage annual budgets for the facility and performs periodic cost and productivity analysis. "

Communication skills. Another skill commonly found on health services administrator job descriptions is "communication skills." It can come up quite often in health services administrator duties, since "medical and health services managers must convey information to their staff, other healthcare workers, and, sometimes, patients and insurance agents." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day health services administrator responsibilities: "attended and actively participated in meetings to ensure open communication and quality patient care. "

All health services administrator skills

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Compare different health services administrators

Health services administrator vs. Nurse manager

The primary role of nurse managers is to supervise the nursing staff in a clinical or hospital setting. They are the ones who are in charge of patient care, setting work schedules, and making budgetary and management decisions. They are also responsible for making personnel decisions, coordinating meetings, and creating safe environments that promote patient engagement and aid the healthcare team's work. Their role is vital in promoting a culture in which team members contribute to professional growth and patient outcomes.

We looked at the average health services administrator salary and compared it with the wages of a nurse manager. Generally speaking, nurse managers are paid $1,179 higher than health services administrators per year.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between health services administrators and nurse managers are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like patients, correctional health, and home health.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a health services administrator are more likely to require skills like "aca," "cost effectiveness," "medical services," and "statistical data." On the other hand, a job as a nurse manager requires skills like "cpr," "customer service," "performance improvement," and "surgery." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Nurse managers earn the highest salaries when working in the health care industry, with an average yearly salary of $90,775. On the other hand, health services administrators are paid more in the health care industry with an average salary of $84,428.On average, nurse managers reach similar levels of education than health services administrators. Nurse managers are 3.6% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.7% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Health services administrator vs. Patient care manager

Patient care managers are executives who are in charge of supervising a clinical team. The managers take responsibility for directing patient care within an organization. Also called health care managers, they protect every patient's safety and health in a clinical setting. They interact with the healthcare team members to maintain open communication. It is also part of their duties to supervise the daily operations in the clinical care units. Managing clinical budgets and maintaining quality health services are also their responsibilities.

Patient care manager positions earn lower pay than health services administrator roles. They earn a $17,136 lower salary than health services administrators per year.A few skills overlap for health services administrators and patient care managers. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "patients," "mental health," and "social work. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real health services administrator resumes. While health services administrator responsibilities can utilize skills like "aca," "cost effectiveness," "medical services," and "statistical data," patient care managers use skills like "quality care," "community resources," "substance abuse," and "resident care."

Patient care managers earn a lower average salary than health services administrators. But patient care managers earn the highest pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $54,278. Additionally, health services administrators earn the highest salaries in the health care with average pay of $84,428 annually.patient care managers earn similar levels of education than health services administrators in general. They're 2.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Health services administrator vs. Clinical manager

A clinical manager is responsible for monitoring medical procedures and administrative duties to ensure the smooth flow of operations in a healthcare facility. Clinical managers manage the facility's staffing needs, evaluate budget reports, assist healthcare professionals on administering medical duties, and develop strategic procedures to optimize treatments and maximize productivity. A clinical manager enforces strict sanitary and safety regulations for everyone's strict compliance. They also need to have excellent knowledge of the medical industry to promote medical processes and provide the highest quality care.

On average scale, clinical managers bring in higher salaries than health services administrators. In fact, they earn a $1,561 higher salary per year.health services administrators and clinical managers both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "patients," "healthcare administration," and "clinical services," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, health services administrators are more likely to have skills like "aca," "cost effectiveness," "medical services," and "statistical data." But a clinical manager is more likely to have skills like "customer service," "direct patient care," "quality patient care," and "patient education."

Clinical managers earn the best pay in the health care industry, where they command an average salary of $72,510. Health services administrators earn the highest pay from the health care industry, with an average salary of $84,428.Most clinical managers achieve a similar degree level compared to health services administrators. For example, they're 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Health services administrator vs. Medical manager

A medical manager is a health care expert primarily in charge of overseeing a particular department or office, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities typically revolve around performing administrative tasks such as arranging schedules and appointments, handling calls and correspondence, maintaining personal records of patients, updating medical histories, and liaising with insurance companies for updates and verification. There are also instances where they must produce progress reports, delegate tasks, and train new staff, all while adhering to the hospital's policies and regulations.

Medical managers tend to earn a higher pay than health services administrators by an average of $47,436 per year.While their salaries may vary, health services administrators and medical managers both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "patients," "medical services," and "patient care. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "aca," "cost effectiveness," "statistical data," and "operational efficiency" are skills that commonly show up on health services administrator resumes. On the other hand, medical managers use skills like healthcare, quality care, oversight, and oncology on their resumes.medical managers enjoy the best pay in the pharmaceutical industry, with an average salary of $166,924. For comparison, health services administrators earn the highest salary in the health care industry.medical managers reach lower levels of education compared to health services administrators, in general. The difference is that they're 5.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.8% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of health services administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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