A certified medical manager is a person who has been certified by a regulating body in the profession and is responsible for supervising and coordinating medical care in a health care setting. A certified medical manager works in a variety of settings, including nursing homes, physician offices, hospitals and community clinics. Medical managers oversee the delivery of patient care and coordinate medical billing, coding, patient scheduling and patient records. In some settings, a medical manager will manage medical staff members and coordinate staff scheduling. A certified medical manager often is responsible for handling personnel and human resource issues, as well as financial planning for healthcare facilities.
A medical office manager is often required to seek certification to qualify as a certified medical manager. The Professional Association of Health Care Office Management (PAHCOM) facilitates the certified medical manager examination, evaluating each candidate’s knowledge of medical practice administration. Prior to taking the exam, applicants must possess three years of experience as a medical office manager and complete a minimum of 12 hours of higher education courses in business management and healthcare. Additional years of experience might reduce an applicant’s course requirement.
A certified medical manager is required to participate in continuing education courses to maintain certification from PAHCOM. When applying for re-certification every two years, a medical manager must show proof of a minimum of 24 credit hours of healthcare or business management courses. Most educational seminars, workshops and courses at higher education institutions qualify for PAHCOM’s continuing education requirement. In many cases, employers will sponsor or reimburse a medical manager for continuing education courses.
In most healthcare settings, a certified medical manager works with employees to ensure that patients receive the best customer service. A healthcare office manager facilitates training sessions on customer service, healthcare procedures and privacy regulations with the staff on a regular basis. As healthcare policies change and evolve, it is the responsibility of a certified medical manager to communicate these changes and offer training for the staff. In administrative settings, a certified medical manager might appoint an employee to facilitate workshops and informational sessions for the facility’s staff and community members.
In order to obtain employment as a certified medical manager, individuals will need to obtain a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management or business management. A variety of higher education institutions offer bachelor's and master’s degree programs focused on the skills needed to oversee patient care, medical staff members and medical billing and coding. Typical coursework covers healthcare management practices, medical terminology, patient privacy regulations, payroll procedures, federal and state tax regulations and medical coding and billing. If a medical office manager is preparing for certification, additional management courses might be required.
