Medical Office Manager

What Is a Medical Office Manager?

A medical office manager, also known as a healthcare office manager or clinical office manager, handles the daily responsibilities involved in keeping doctor’s offices, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities running. While doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals perform clinical functions, medical office managers cover the non-clinical side of operating healthcare facilities and medical offices, from front-desk customer service to securing medical records.

Job Responsibilities of Medical Office Managers

Medical office managers have a wide range of responsibilities to handle or oversee on a day-to-day basis. Some of these typical office management responsibilities involve focusing on customer service, while others involve interacting or collaborating with clinical staff. The medical office manager job description often includes the following responsibilities:

• Managing finances for the medical office or facility 
• Overseeing day-to-day operations 
• Supervising patient and staff schedules 
• Supervising the patient registration process 
• Organizing and maintaining medical records and staff records 
• Improving customer service and patient satisfaction 
• Planning, implementing, and overseeing office policies and procedures 
• Ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, including OSHA and HIPAA regulations 
• Planning staff meetings for clinical staff, non-clinical, and administrative staff 
• Conducting interviews and hiring medical office staff 
• Training medical staff and conducting performance reviews

Common Employment Settings for Medical Office Managers

Medical office managers work in a medical office or healthcare facility, such as physician offices, nursing home facilities, hospitals, clinics, and outpatient care centers. They typically spend their entire workday on site, although they may occasionally attend meetings, conferences, or events in other locations. 

Medical office managers in physician offices and similar settings often work during typical weekday office hours. Those working in facilities that are open around-the-clock, such as hospitals, might be expected to work weekends and evenings. In some cases, medical office managers remain on call, so they can be reached immediately if an emergency occurs.

Career Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that employment of medical and health services managers is projected to grow 28 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations.  

About 54,700 openings for medical and health services managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.  

As the large baby-boom population enters older age groups, which typically experience more health problems, there should be increased demand for healthcare services. This means there will be greater need for physicians and other healthcare workers, medical procedures, and healthcare facilities, and therefore greater need for managers to organize and oversee medical information and healthcare staff. These managers are important for improving care coordination, which is key in team-based care.  

In addition, widespread use of electronic health records (EHRs) will continue to create demand for managers with knowledge of health information technology (IT) and informatics systems. Medical and health services managers will be needed to organize, oversee, and integrate these records across areas of the healthcare industry. 

Additional Training/Requirements for Medical or Clinical Office Managers

Additional training and requirements for medical office managers vary depending on the facility type and state you work in. If you work as a manager in a nursing home, note that each state requires licensing for nursing home administrators. Exact requirements vary by state, but may include having a bachelor’s degree, passing a national licensing exam, and doing a state-approved training program. In some states, previous experience working in a healthcare facility is required for licensing. 

Working as a medical office manager does not require certification, but you can choose to become certified. For example, you can earn the medical management certification from the Professional Association of Health Care Office Management. Becoming certified as a medical manager indicates that you have met a professional organization’s standards for excellence, often by completing an application and passing a written exam.

Medical office managers have the option to advance their careers, such as moving up to an executive position in a healthcare facility. This typically requires an advanced degree, such as a master’s degree. 

If you’re looking for more information on becoming a medical office manager, healthcare office manager, or clinical office manager, please contact Bryant and Stratton College. We can provide you with more details on our online medical services management bachelor’s degree program, which can help you gain the education you’ll need for this kind of career.