Practice Administrator

Practice administrators play an integral role in many organizations such as accounting firms and hospitals. They are hired for their organizational and leadership skills and are needed in order to take over the running of the business so that the other employees are able to focus on their specialties.

One of the most common places where practice administrators are employed is in hospitals. In this capacity, they are expected to work with physicians and other medical personnel in order to ensure the efficient running of the practice, facility management issues, patient billing, as well as other challenges that arise during the daily running of the hospital. Practice administrators are also responsible for quality assurance in order to make sure that Excellent service is being provided to patients.

Practice administrators are responsible, in large part, for the financial activities of a company or other facility. They also may participate in the planning of events related to marketing in order to generate revenue or donations. Once any financial information is obtained, they are also responsible for passing along any and all information to upper management and administrators.

Although some practice administrators are employed in the hospital or facility itself, many spend a good part of their career traveling. However, in recent years, this has lessened due to advances in telephone and web conferencing capabilities. Practice administrators have a challenging schedule. In addition to traveling a good portion of the time, working over 40 hours a week is not uncommon.

Practice administrators typically have at least a bachelor’s degree in fields such as business or health care administration. However, the majority of employers would expect the candidate to also possess a master’s degree as well as some years of experience. In rare cases, a high school diploma or GED may be acceptable but this is not at all common. In addition to educational requirements, practice administrators are expected to have good personal as well as computer, financial, and planning skills.

There are a wide range of salaries for those in the practice administration field depending upon their employer as well as their skills and abilities. The average starting salary for this occupation is typically about $53,000 with the average being approximately $78,000 a year.