8.5 Clinical Director and Office Manager
Katie Baker
Clinical directors, sometimes referred to as clinical supervisors or managers, are responsible for organizing the medical professionals in a clinical facility. They focus on guiding healthcare teams to fulfill the mission and vision of the organization. In smaller organizations, clinical directors may also assist with the daily running of the clinic, stepping in to support office managers. In larger organizations, such as hospitals, clinical directors usually oversee a specific department, such as obstetrics, pediatrics, or outpatient surgery.
A clinical director’s primary responsibilities involve managing employees. This includes tasks such as hiring, firing, training, and monitoring staff. Clinical directors must ensure that healthcare staff, such as nurses, comply with legal requirements, continuing education, training regulations, and unit and hospital policies. Additionally, clinical directors are responsible for budgeting, staff scheduling, and coordinating projects with other departments.
In contrast, an office manager is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of a clinic, including supervising roles such as patient services representatives, medical records clerks, and billing and coding specialists. In smaller offices, office managers may also handle accounts receivable and accounts payable. Depending on the size of the organization, office managers may also be involved in public relations, advertising, marketing campaigns, and patient outreach efforts. They may also develop and implement patient incentive programs, employee training initiatives, and the adoption of electronic health records. Essentially, the office manager in a small clinic takes on many of the tasks that a small business manager would oversee.
Career Opportunities in Clinical Direction and Office Management
There are many possibilities in the fields of clinical direction and office management, all of which require a strong sense of responsibility, self-direction, and the ability to develop relationships with coworkers and supervisors. Leadership skills such as communication, commitment, and delegation are helpful in these roles. Many of these skills can be developed through workshops and seminars that support those who aspire to leadership roles in healthcare.
As previously mentioned, clinical directors may work in smaller group practices or manage a single department within a hospital or healthcare facility. In larger organizations, the role may be referred to as a department director rather than a clinical director.
A clinical director position can be attained with a bachelor’s degree, but many employers now prefer candidates who have a master’s degree. A master’s degree in healthcare administration is commonly held by clinical directors in the United States.
Office managers, on the other hand, may enter the field without a degree or may have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in business or a healthcare-related field. Many office managers in smaller practices start as front desk personnel and work their way up to overseeing the operations of the entire clinic.
It is possible to start a career in office management by gaining part-time employment as a student in areas such as medical records or as a patient services representative while simultaneously working toward a degree. These opportunities require strong interpersonal skills, communication abilities, and a desire to form connections within the workplace.
A customer service agent in the medical office or hospital whose duties may include scheduling appointments and collecting patient information, checking patients in or out for appointments, collecting balances at the time of service (co-pays, deductibles, etc) and showing patients to treatment rooms.