What Is Health Systems Management?

The health care industry is complex and relies on the coordination of a multitude of moving parts for it to function. From the programs and systems that keep information organized, to the nurses and physicians providing care, to the administrators and health systems managers coordinating the delivery of care, medical facilities require the integrated work of a variety of passionate professionals to succeed.

Professionals in health systems management work at hospitals, government agencies, clinics and other care settings. They develop and oversee the policies and procedures that ensure smooth operations and quality of care. By pursuing a degree, such as a Master of Public Health, health systems professionals can build the knowledge and skills to guide organizations with confidence.

Health Systems Management Definition

Health systems management involves the planning, organization, and monitoring of care programs and services across a “system.” While there isn’t a set model for what a health system is, many consider a “health system” to be — the combination of one or more hospitals or facilities and a group of physicians providing comprehensive care — with systems management professionals ensuring all parties work together efficiently.

The role of health systems management is to provide structure to a health system by developing care plans and programs, organizing the resources to provide preventive care services, and influencing decisions behind health care policies.

Why Is Health Systems Management Important?

Providing high quality care to patients requires medical professionals to make educated and time-sensitive decisions on a daily basis. Many of these decisions rely on factors such as a patient’s history or medical records; testing and diagnosis; and the technology, services or medications available. Often, the provision and coordination of these elements rely on the availability of different medical programs, supplies, insurance factors, equipment and specialists. Effective health systems management is critical to managing these resources and their availability.

Health systems management is equally important in the area of public health, where many communities are underserved and must make careful use of their budgets, available resources, and the programs or systems they invest in. The role that administrators play in this equation is to provide the planning and oversight to coordinate operational variables, and work to provide communities with the much needed care and resources they require.

Health systems managers accomplish their goals through tasks such as:

• Assessing the need for different health services
• Budgeting and planning
• Making policy recommendations in line with current laws and regulations
• Implementing health education programs
• Integrating health care service and technological advancements
• Collaborating with health care professionals and providers
• Managing medical records

In a nutshell, health systems managers help organizations in both the public and private health sectors reach their goals. They accomplish this by ensuring that factors such as staffing, budgets, records management, training and advancement, and available care services are managed in accordance with both the needs of patients and a facility’s bottom line.

Careers in Health Systems Management

Health care facilities rely on their managers and administrators to ensure services and operations run smoothly. An advanced degree in administration or health care, such as a Master of Public Health, can provide professionals with the leadership, communication and organizational skills to pursue careers in a variety of environments and take on a range of roles and challenges.

Individuals working in medical and health services management careers earned a median salary of $101,340 per year as of May 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition, the BLS projects that these occupations will grow 28 percent from 2021 to 2031, which is much faster than the average growth rate of 5 percent for all occupations. These professionals work in a variety of settings and roles, some of which are described below.

Health Care Administrator

Occupying a crucial leadership role in a variety of care facilities, health care administrators aim to provide an environment that fosters positive patient outcomes, a healthy working environment, and overall budgetary and functional efficiency. They handle the business fundamentals of their facilities with an eye on effective delivery of care. The work of administrators is a key example of what health systems management is, and why it is important to both private and public health care facilities.

Working in a broad range of facilities, including hospitals, private practices, nursing homes, and research facilities or universities, health care administrators may handle an organization’s finances, staff scheduling, patient billing and insurance, and facility efficiency.

Clinical Director

Many large organizations are divided into departments and require a team of administrators and skilled professionals to function efficiently. In the case of clinical directors, they fulfill many of the same management roles as health care administrators, but they specialize in overseeing the clinical side of a facility’s operations. Often combining a background in medicine or nursing with administrative skills, clinical directors ensure the proper and positive delivery of care to patients.

Nursing Home Facilitator

Working as a nursing home facilitator can be both challenging and fulfilling. What health systems management is for a nursing home includes elements like the coordination of specialized resources. This may involve the recruitment and development of key personnel including advanced practice nurses trained in geriatric care, fitness or activity managers, dietary aides and associates, and receptionists or administrative assistants to coordinate with a patients’ families and loved ones.

Public Health Manager

Working in the public health sector, public health managers typically oversee the efficient provision and dissemination of care resources to communities in need. Utilizing administration and management skills, public health managers monitor the efficiency of health and wellness programs, identifying the ones that are successful and strategizing to improve those that are less effective.

With a background knowledge of both the health care industry and leadership strategies, public health managers work to improve the lives of those within their community and ensure that the population has access to the resources they need.

Become a Leader in Health Care with a Career in Health Systems Management

What is health systems management? It’s coordinating the programs, systems, policies, and skilled professionals who are fundamental to our health care industry. The contribution of health systems managers goes far beyond basic administration and can impact the quality of patient care and public health.

As an essential member of their health care facility or organization, health systems managers ensure day-to-day operations work for providers and allow them to administer the best possible care to their patients. Ultimately, these managers have the potential to directly impact the future of their organizations, and to optimize health care delivery itself.

Pursuing an advanced degree, such as the Master of Public Health program from Augusta University Online, can be instrumental for students who wish to build the foundational knowledge to be leaders in health care. The AU Online program, which offers a Health Management concentration, prepares students of all backgrounds with the focused skills to achieve success in health care management. The program was created with a clear vision to champion health and health equity in Georgia and across the country.

Discover how you can become a leader in health care with a career in health systems management.

Sources:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Defining Health Systems
Betterteam, Clinical Director Job Description
Betterteam, Health System Specialist Job Description
Chron., A List of Qualifications for Health Care Management
Indeed, Healthcare Management Careers With Salary and Job Descriptions
Indeed, What Does a Healthcare Manager Do? (And How to Become One)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical and Health Services Managers