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Health Services Manager

Health services managers are responsible for the day-to-day running of a hospital, primary health organisation, clinic or community health service.

Tasks & duties

Health services managers may do some or all of the following:

provide overall direction and management for their service
ensure their service meets government health policy requirements and local health needs
prepare, manage and review budgets
manage staff and ensure they follow the organisation's policies and procedures
interview and hire staff
prepare reports for the board of directors
review planning policies
meet with other health providers, district health boards and funding bodies to discuss possible areas of co-operation and co-ordination between services
lead public education campaigns about current health issues
advise government organisations about measures to improve public health
consult iwi and other local groups to ensure services are culturally appropriate to patients
prepare funding applications to district health boards and the Ministry of Health for new services

Specialisations

Health services managers can specialise in:
Māori health care
mental health
health care for people with disabilities
information technology (design, development and management of IT systems)
primary care such as general practice management
managing non-governmental organisations
human resources

Skills & knowledge

Health services managers need to have:

knowledge of health systems and services
knowledge of the regulations and laws relevant to their organisation
management and budgeting skills
planning and organisational ability
decision-making skills
written and oral communication skills
the ability to analyse statistical information and government reports
knowledge and understanding of different cultures

Entry requirements

To become a health services manager a tertiary qualification in health management, such as the Postgraduate Diploma in Health Management or Master of Business Administration, is usually preferred. You also need to have experience in management or health services.

Secondary education

A tertiary entrance qualification is required to enter further training. Useful secondary school subjects include English, accounting and economics.

Training on the job

Health services managers gain many skills on the job. They also continue their professional development by attending relevant courses, such as executive management programmes, and industry conferences to keep up with current practices.