Most Practice Managers do not consider themselves  to be in the power seat of our healthcare system. Most claim to be overworked and underpaid. If you look at job satisfaction indexes,  Practice Managers are not considered a happy lot. There is plenty to make the job difficult; misbehaving employees, excessive red tape, difficult patients, and demanding doctors. However, ask any medical sales rep and they will tell you that the Practice Managers is the one who wields all the power in our healthcare system.  It is the manager who determines who talks to the doctor and what gets purchased, the technology that gets implemented into the office, and the upgrades to administrative processes. Sure, the doctor rants and raves around the office and thinks he or she is in control, but when push comes to shove, most office managers determine what gets done.

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Physicians’ offices are hotbeds of patient information – not just medical records, but insurance and other financial data – that must be kept secure.  The amount of data is increasing, and so are incidences of information pilfering, identity theft, and fraud.  At the same time that the amount of recorded data is going up, medical practices are becoming increasingly large as doctors create partnerships to better serve their patients and conserve expenses.  This means that a greater number of people than ever have access to a given medical or financial record.  All this information must be kept secure, but many medical practices are struggling with this requirement because keeping data secure is time-consuming and can reduce the efficiency of the practice as staff members spend time logging in and out of computers and going for help when they forget their passwords.

What are the traits a Practice Manager must possess to be effective in the upcoming healthcare system? How will healthcare reform change the job of a Practice Manager? Will there be fewer jobs available for Practice Managers?