Roles and Responsibilities of a Healthcare Project Manager

There are an estimated 16.5 million project managers in the world, but that still represents a severe shortage, particularly in the healthcare industry as it continues to see such dramatic growth; working in the healthcare industry is complicated, creating even more of a challenge for a healthcare project manager.  

With such a focus on providing quality care to patients, complying with regulatory needs, and running efficiently in the healthcare domain, it’s more important than ever to consider healthcare project management experts when important initiatives need to be undertaken.

Understanding what a Healthcare Project Manager is and what skills and expertise you may need for the role will help you to be successful with your goals. Consider also looking at how TempDev’s team of project management experts can help you implement your organization's initiatives.

Who are Healthcare Project Managers? 

Healthcare Project Managers coordinate the projects and resources for ambulatory clinics, medical facilities, IPAs, MSOs, payers, hospitals, and other organizations involved in patient care. A Healthcare Project Manager puts together a project plan to address any problem or programmatic requirement that might arise in an organization. They also help manage the budget, develop a risk register, and assist with risk mitigation. They are dedicated to keeping the project on schedule, managing the team and other resources, and taking other decisive actions that ensure the project’s successful completion.  

Essential Skills of a Healthcare Project Manager 

A Healthcare Project Manager must have a few basic skills that will allow them to handle the challenges of managing a team while juggling the many responsibilities and maintaining a tight hold on the project timeline. Here are a few of the skills that a Healthcare Project Manager must have to be thriving in their role.  

Problem Solving Skills 

You must have the ability to identify and resolve issues that come up. It takes intuition, with the power to overcome seemingly impossible situations. You must be dependable with the ability to make decisions, even when that sometimes requires creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. You must foster trust so that you can take a more collaborative approach with your proposed solutions for integrating PM and EHR systems into your organization.  

Interpersonal Skills 

You must be effective with your communication as you interact with your team and patients. With interpersonal skills, you’re proving that you can show empathy with active listening skills, motivation, and patience. Another key part of interpersonal skills is how you coach and mentor your team to improve their productivity, awareness, and communication so they’re more effective with project deployments.  

Leadership skills 

While you’ll see obvious overlaps with some of these skills, your leadership allows you to organize and inspire your team with emotional intelligence. Leadership skills mean that you’ve got expertise in time management, with a careful eye for your budget, schedules, and standards. It also means that as tasks may get behind schedule, you can diplomatically lead the team to get back on track.

Flexibility Skills

As a Healthcare Project Manager, you must be able to go with the flow. Since no project is perfectly conceived or carried out, you must be able to think and plan on the fly to resolve issues that come up.  Even if all your projects end up being a success, you will still need to shift your focus to deal with emergencies that arise, while giving your full attention to projects that become time-sensitive and critical.  

Organizational Skills

Projects require a heavy amount of documentation including project plans, business requirements, technical specifications, agendas, and meeting minutes. They also require someone who can effectively communicate to different levels of stakeholders like analysts, developers, and executives. Many organizations also require their software development life cycle (SDLC) is adhered to, the project manager typically handles this requirement also. All of these requirements can become overwhelming quickly if a project manager doesn't have keen organizational skills and a routine or system they follow.

Responsibilities of a Healthcare Project Manager 

One of your key responsibilities is to successfully complete projects by their deadline. A Healthcare Project Manager (PM) must ensure that the organization is compliant with all the regulatory requirements including SOX and HIPAA.  As a PM you:

It’s all part of your effort to manage a budget that takes into consideration the ebbs and flows of capacity, overhead costs, and billing.

Educational Requirements and Certifications of a Healthcare Project Manager 

A Healthcare Project Manager typically has a bachelor’s degree in Public Health Administration, Business Administration, Nursing, Health Management, Health Administration, or a technical field. In a competitive market, you might need a more advanced degree and a specialized background to stand out among qualified candidates. It’s also helpful to be certified with Project Management and other accredited training coursework to prove that you have the expertise for the job.  

While certifications may ensure that you are a better candidate for competitive healthcare markets, you may have even more opportunities for growth with training and support from TempDev’s team.  

Salary Expectations of a Healthcare Project Manager 

As a Healthcare Project Manager, your salary expectations will vary depending on your location, level of education, certification, specialization, and type of healthcare facility. The salary for a Medical and Health Services Manager will average $104,280, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Approximately 90% of Project Management Specialists and Business Operations Specialists can expect upwards of $135,220. The BLS median salary estimate is $77,420. 

How TempDev Can Help with Project Management

TempDev’s NextGen consultants, developers, and trainers support your needs as a Project Manager. They will help support your requirements for implementing, switching, or upgrading your current system. They can also lead your projects to ensure successful outcomes.

With TempDev, you’ll also have access to custom dashboards, revenue cycle consulting, automation, and workflow redesigns to support your Project Management needs. Their top tips and tricks will help to ensure your success, even as you integrate with electronic health records, practice management, and other tools. 

Contact us here or call us at 888.TEMP.DEV to get the help you need as a Healthcare Project Manager that specializes in EHR or revenue cycle manager.