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What does a practice administrator do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a practice administrator do

A Practice Administrator is responsible for the daily activities of a medical facility. They prepare prescriptions for patients, provide leadership in developing and implementing business plans, and oversee the billing and collection processes of departments.

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Practice administrator responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real practice administrator resumes:

  • Lead the hospital through a successful CMS validation survey.
  • Manage multiple SharePoint sites by adding and editing accurate data for each team within the department.
  • Deploy, configure, and manage enterprise systems; monitoring, windows, linux, aws, vmware.
  • Manage accounts payable and accounts receivable activities using QuickBooks and online banking applications.
  • Compose monthly productivity reports, manage payroll; develop and implement policies & procedures.
  • Manage the overall operations of a large pediatric practice that provide services to a predominantly Medicaid population
  • Plan and implement LTC facility programs and activities.
  • Migrate Wal-Mart applications from HPUX to AIX platform during change windows.
  • Assist payroll by monitoring Kronos (timekeeping software) and payroll activities.
  • Enforce radiology laws and guidelines, as well as hold radiologysafety meetings within the hospitals.
  • Hold various certifications in safety field including CPR, spill response, and HAZMAT ,.
  • Operate and troubleshoot specialize equipment, process district charges, and prepare reports as required.
  • Commit to creating a culture of compassion, integrity, innovating thinking, and leadership excellence.
  • Review work assignments; monitor status of work in progress; inspect complete work; troubleshoot problem situations.
  • Monitor and review patient registration and data entry into the EHR system for timeliness, accuracy, and thoroughness.

Practice administrator skills and personality traits

We calculated that 14% of Practice Administrators are proficient in Patients, Patient Care, and Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Leadership skills, and Technical skills.

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

  • Patients, 14%

    Initiated collection calls to patients for outstanding balances and Generated collection letters and followed up on outstanding /delinquent accounts.

  • Patient Care, 7%

    Evaluated patient care procedural changes for effectiveness and implemented new methods to improve patient satisfaction and quality of care.

  • Customer Service, 6%

    Developed, negotiated, and managed business contracts with medical supply vendors while delivering exceptional customer service and enhancing existing relationships.

  • Payroll, 5%

    Performed all business functions including payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, personnel administration and information systems administrator.

  • Practice Management, 4%

    Implemented new practice management and electronic health record program ensuring better collections and meeting meaningful use requirements.

  • Oversight, 4%

    Developed Business plan and build-out model for free-standing ambulatory care clinic with project management oversight of all aspects of build-out.

Most practice administrators use their skills in "patients," "patient care," and "customer service" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential practice administrator responsibilities here:

Detail oriented. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a practice administrator to have is detail oriented. Their role and responsibilities require that "medical and health services managers must pay attention to detail." Practice administrators often use detail oriented in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "create and maintain a positive, customer-oriented environment ensuring excellent patient care from registration to check out. "

Leadership skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling practice administrator duties is leadership skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "medical and health services managers hire, train, and direct staff." According to a practice administrator resume, here's how practice administrators can utilize leadership skills in their job responsibilities: "managed four physician offices (ob-gyn/family practice) and provided leadership to nine direct reports. "

Technical skills. practice administrators are also known for technical skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to practice administrator responsibilities, because "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." A practice administrator resume example shows how technical skills is used in the workplace: "solicited and negotiated it proposals for enhanced network server, workstations, emr integration and technical support services. "

Analytical skills. Another crucial skill for a practice administrator to carry out their responsibilities is "analytical skills." A big part of what practice administrators relies on this skill, since "medical and health services managers review and evaluate healthcare metrics for ways to improve efficiency and meet goals." How this skill relates to practice administrator duties can be seen in an example from a practice administrator resume snippet: "created a sound market analysis and business plan for start-up of private practice. "

Communication skills. While "communication skills" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to practice administrator responsibilities. Much of what a practice administrator does relies on this skill, seeing as "medical and health services managers must convey information to their staff, other healthcare workers, and, sometimes, patients and insurance agents." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of practice administrators: "maintain a bridge between front office and clinical operations; assessed communications constantly to identify opportunities for improvement. "

All practice administrator skills

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Compare different practice administrators

Practice 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.

If we compare the average practice administrator annual salary with that of a clinical manager, we find that clinical managers typically earn a $5,573 higher salary than practice administrators make annually.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both practice administrator and clinical manager positions are skilled in patients, customer service, and payroll.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a practice administrator are more likely to require skills like "patient care," "practice management," "practice operations," and "human resources." On the other hand, a job as a clinical manager requires skills like "home health," "direct patient care," "quality patient care," and "patient education." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Clinical managers tend to make the most money working in the health care industry, where they earn an average salary of $72,510. In contrast, practice administrators make the biggest average salary, $87,971, in the professional industry.clinical managers tend to reach similar levels of education than practice administrators. In fact, clinical managers are 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Practice 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.

On average, medical managers earn a $51,448 higher salary than practice administrators a year.A few skills overlap for practice administrators and medical managers. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "patients," "patient care," and "oversight. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that practice administrator responsibilities requires skills like "customer service," "payroll," "practice management," and "practice operations." But a medical manager might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "healthcare," "home health," "quality care," and "oncology."

Medical managers may earn a higher salary than practice administrators, but medical managers earn the most pay in the pharmaceutical industry with an average salary of $166,924. On the other hand, practice administrators receive higher pay in the professional industry, where they earn an average salary of $87,971.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Medical managers tend to reach lower levels of education than practice administrators. In fact, they're 5.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Practice administrator vs. Interim director

An interim director is responsible for supporting business operations, organizing training, as well as specific department programs for staff to maximize their productivity and improve optimal performance to meet project deliverables and achieve client satisfaction. Interim directors coordinate with the management and board executives on corporate decisions, implementing company guidelines and procedures, and identifying business opportunities to generate more revenues and profitability. They also analyze financial statements and business transactions, developing strategies to reduce expenses and minimize loss without sacrificing the organization's quality services.

On average scale, interim directors bring in higher salaries than practice administrators. In fact, they earn a $25,649 higher salary per year.Using the responsibilities included on practice administrators and interim directors resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "patient care," "payroll," and "oversight.rdquo;

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, practice administrators are more likely to have skills like "patients," "customer service," "practice management," and "practice operations." But a interim director is more likely to have skills like "healthcare," "patient safety," "bed facility," and "federal regulations."

Interim directors earn the highest salary when working in the professional industry, where they receive an average salary of $110,000. Comparatively, practice administrators have the highest earning potential in the professional industry, with an average salary of $87,971.interim directors typically earn similar educational levels compared to practice administrators. Specifically, they're 3.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Practice 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.

Nurse managers typically earn higher pay than practice administrators. On average, nurse managers earn a $5,191 higher salary per year.While both practice administrators and nurse managers complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like patients, customer service, and oversight, the two careers vary in some skills.While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "patient care," "payroll," "practice management," and "practice operations" are skills that commonly show up on practice administrator resumes. On the other hand, nurse managers use skills like home health, cpr, performance improvement, and quality patient care on their resumes.In general, nurse managers earn the most working in the health care industry, with an average salary of $90,775. The highest-paying industry for a practice administrator is the professional industry.nurse managers reach similar levels of education compared to practice administrators, in general. The difference is that they're 3.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of practice 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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