Healthcare management and administration in the USA are characterized by innovation, patient-centeredness, and sustainability. Health-related organizations provide care to patients, contribute to the maintenance of a proper level of public health, and manage to gain profit or remain cost-effective (when it comes to non-profit organizations). The modern U. S. healthcare system has been criticized due to such features as high costs and growing disparity. However, the government and practitioners try to create a system that ensures meeting the health needs of all people. Healthcare managers are regarded as key figures in ensuring the high effectiveness of healthcare companies’ functioning and development (Dehe & Bamford, 2017). This paper includes a brief analysis of the role played by healthcare managers in the sustainable growth of healthcare organizations, their management, and administration.
The healthcare manager has diverse responsibilities aimed at ensuring the proper functioning of a healthcare facility. They develop budgets, run billing, approve or craft schedules, manage projects, and tend to be the central figure in creating an effective team where all employees can contribute to the accomplishment of established goals (Rubino, 2016). This professional is responsible for the establishment and maintenance of organizational culture and employees’ compliance with existing standards and regulations, the availability of resources, reaching the best patient outcomes, and improving public health in the community (Thompson, 2016). Healthcare managers are the leaders who develop strategic plans, as well as operational tactics, needed for sustainable organizational development and addressing the emerging issues.
For instance, healthcare managers have to respond to numerous challenges associated with the COVID pandemic these days. The major burden these professionals had to face appeared in 2020 when healthcare managers had to allocate funds to cater to the needs of their communities when a few if any, people understood what exactly started to unwind. These leaders had to ensure the availability of resources (especially the workforce), and the development of policies employees could use to provide high-quality care (Thompson, 2016). Healthcare managers were the professionals to implement all the necessary procedures to obtain federal help (the CARES Act of 2020) which was pivotal, especially during the onset of the pandemic (U. S. Congress, 2020). These practitioners were also accountable for ensuring each employee’s compliance with the existing norms and regulations.
These leaders also had to make wise choices regarding the allocation of these funds to ensure the undisrupted work of their organizations. In addition, effective leaders became ethical and even spiritual guides for employees and the community as they created clear plans to follow to overcome the difficulties people faced. Healthcare managers have to make quick decisions that can have various long-term effects on the entire organization.
Strategic planning is one of the areas of specific attention for healthcare managers as they need to ensure that their organizations are guided by a strategic vision. Strategic planning enables health-related companies to remain agile and maintain their competitive advantage (Bryson et al., 2018). Healthcare managers utilize strategic planning to set the strategic path for their organization and follow the created plan. The development of standards and the articulation of values to the staff enables healthcare managers to achieve their organizations’ sustainable growth. The focus on long-term objectives and having a clear plan is instrumental in addressing multiple uncertainties the U. S. healthcare system has to address (David et al., 2017). Healthcare managers keep track of certain milestones to reach and directions to follow, which helps their organizations to achieve the set goals. Importantly, following a cut-plan is necessary for remaining compliant with existing legal agendas (Dehe & Bamford, 2017). The U. S. government introduces standards, principles, and guidelines aimed at improving the quality of provided care and facilitating the development of an effective healthcare system.
It is noteworthy that the use of effective marketing strategies is one of the critical components of healthcare organizations in the private and public sectors. Marketing in the healthcare sector has certain peculiarities, but it still serves as the platform for communicating organizations’ mission and services. Health-related organizations need effective marketing strategies to reach the target population and offer the available services (Jamal Ali & Anwar, 2021). In the USA, healthcare organizations focus on such aspects as quality, cost, and sustainability when addressing their customers. Healthcare managers choose various marketing tools to reach their potential customers and develop proper relationships with different stakeholders (Elrod & Fortenberry, 2018). With the employment of social media, healthcare managers can articulate their messages to wide audiences and build relations leading to their organizations’ sustainable growth.
It is important to add that marketing tools are instrumental in increasing the number of loyal customers, as well as reliable partners. Cross-functional collaboration is one of the characteristic features of modern healthcare organizations, so healthcare managers try to manage projects involving a range of partners to address the needs of patients and communities (Dehe & Bamford, 2017). For instance, health-related organizations tend to collaborate with IT companies to come up with projects that involve the integration of advanced technologies in the provision of care. The close interaction with communities helps organizations remain aware of the needs potential and existing customers have at certain periods.
To perform the roles mentioned above, healthcare managers need to have certain skills and competencies. First and foremost, these professionals have to be effective leaders who can choose the right approach to any problem and the right words for every employee. Healthcare managers need to utilize the most appropriate leadership style to help their organizations evolve ad retain competitive advantage. Transformational leadership has gained momentum in healthcare management, as this approach has proved to be effective in the U. S. context (“Research, business intelligence, and market analysis,” 2021). Healthcare managers do not simply set tasks and reward high-performers. Due to the complexity of the American (or any other country’s) healthcare system, healthcare managers need to create and lead effective teams working on diverse projects contributing to sustainable growth (Rubino, 2016). The empowerment of staff and facilitation of collaboration has become the most apparent objectives for modern healthcare managers.
It is also important to add that the incorporation of biblical principles can be the necessary background for effective management. Such biblical values as human dignity, the focus on the common good, solidarity, and compassion are consistent with the highest values of modern health care (Cuellar De la Cruz & Robinson, 2017). An effective leader has to concentrate on the incorporation of these principles in their organization’s everyday operations, which can be attained with the help of transformational leadership. Such leaders inspire people to work hard on building a community where all the stakeholders strive for the common good and invest their time and competencies to reach this goal.
The incorporation of biblical values is also associated with emotional intelligence. Effective leaders can listen to and hear their followers and make sure the entire team is functional and collaborative. The leader should understand the needs and aspirations of team members and be able to create an environment where these needs will be met. The construction of the organizational culture based on central biblical values will assist in building a team where each stakeholder is ready to balance their needs and focus on organizational objectives. This working atmosphere is specifically critical in the healthcare setting that is characterized by a high level of workload, stress, and employee burnout.
In conclusion, it is necessary to state that healthcare managers play one of the central roles in ensuring the sustainable growth of their organizations and the entire healthcare system in the USA. These professionals have the necessary competencies in such spheres as healthcare administration, management, and marketing, which is instrumental in making health-related organizations able to contribute to the improvement of public health and catering to the needs of Americans. Healthcare managers have to make diverse decisions in different spheres such as resource allocation, marketing, innovation, and others. The development of the organizational culture is an important goal these professionals should be able to achieve to make their organizations competitive. The creation of the appropriate atmosphere for employees is the necessary background for the provision of high-quality care to customers. Hence, healthcare managers are practitioners who have a wide range of responsibilities and ensure the strategic development of their organizations. Healthcare managers are the leaders who make all the stakeholders collaborate and contribute to achieving certain goals.
References
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