Introduction
Management of a healthcare facility is very important due to associated outcomes. The kind of healthcare management in place determines the quality of care and financial performance. In the contemporary world, where society, science and patients’ needs are rapidly evolving, each manager in the hospital setting should have a good comprehension of their roles and functions. In an attempt to achieve the overall objectives in a healthcare organization, managers at different levels should play their part towards achieving their specific objectives.
However due to the different departments within a hospital, there may be more than one manager at a particular level. This paper therefore aims at discussing the roles and functions of managers to ensure the effective and efficient running of the health care organization/institution.
Discussion
Every manager at every level is mandated to fulfil the following four major functions: organizing; Planning; Controlling; and Leading. Organizing entails giving specific responsibilities to specific individuals as a way of properly distributing resources (McConnell, 2007). I have worked as an intern in a hospital hospital and this function is very important because when one is given his or her own responsibility and asked to complete it by a certain time, greater work output and results are achieved. This is as opposed to having two or more people tag along to accomplish a task that can be easily done by a single person.
Planning entails laying out objectives and coming up with a structure of how these should be achieved. This is very important to a manager because working becomes directional rather than a formality. Controlling is very important because all the success of all the other functions is manifested here. Control entails taking charge of activities carried out to evaluate their validity in achieving the organization’s objectives. At this point, a manager questions any reasons for failure and the steps taken to redress lack of achievement. Leading involves a manager’s ability to influence and guide the employees. This is very important because different leadership styles yield different results (Ekaterini, 2010).
The most important role of a health care manager and leader in the diversified healthcare industry is leadership because it determines how he or she interacts and relates to other people and especially his or her junior colleagues (Lombardi & Schermerhorn, 2007). This role is essential because it enables a manager to assert his or her position as he or she maintains an accommodating atmosphere. A manager should be respected and loved rather than feared, because in such a case employees work from the heart rather than as a routine and the former helps to achieve better results and performance.
The most important element of healthcare management that I wish to gain in this class is the power of influence. This is because as a manager, one should be able to win people on his or her side. In addition, one should have the power of moving the masses. Otherwise, one cannot be successful in execution of his or her objectives because the people under him or her are not moved by his or her authority. In addition, it becomes impossible to form networks with other people and organizations. These are very important in determining outcome. If people do not value the authority of the manager, then they lack commitment to assigned duties and as a manager, it becomes difficult to accomplish performance accountabilities for work done.
Conclusion
Managerial roles and functions are many and complex. They require a fully qualified and competent person to execute them. The performance and end results of a health care organization attribute to the type of management system in place.
References
Ekaterini, G. (2010). The Impact of Leadership Styles on Four Variables of Executives Workforce. International Journal of Business and Management, 5 (6), 3-16.
Lombardi, D. N., & Schermerhorn, J. R. (2007). Health care management: Tools and techniques for managing in a health care environment. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
McConnell, C. R. (2007). The Effective Health Care Supervisor. 6th Ed. Canada: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.