By: Kendall Upton
Professional insights: Dr. Heather Alonge
Project management occurs in many different jobs across numerous industries, making it an expansive skill that must shapeshift according to every industry, organization and individual project at hand. It’s a must-have skill for students and professionals within the field of healthcare administration and management.
“Project management in healthcare administration involves organizing, planning and executing projects to improve healthcare services and operations,” said Dr. Heather Alonge, PhD, MPH, a faculty member for the Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program at Walden University. At the end of the day, the goal of just about any healthcare project is to improve and streamline operations in some way, which in turn are meant to improve patient outcomes.
What does project management look like in healthcare administration?
Healthcare administrators and managers in a variety of roles will likely manage some type of project at some point in their career. This could be something as simple as creating an affinity group among employees or as grand as opening a second hospital location.
“Project management skills are critical for healthcare administrators,” Alonge said. “By utilizing project management skills, healthcare administrators ensure that healthcare facilities run efficiently, projects and tasks are completed on time and that the budget to do so is maintained, and that there is continuous quality improvement for patient care and outcomes. Effective project management efforts can lead to excellent resource allocation, heightened communication among staff and improved patient outcomes.”
Projects for one healthcare administrator versus another could be wildly different depending on their role, but the foundations of project management itself remain fairly consistent no matter what you’re working on:
- Initiation:
- Identify the scope of the project, its purpose, anticipated risks, challenges and more.
- Planning:
- Once the project is approved, project managers and their teams can start breaking the project up into necessary steps, assigning responsibilities, formulating a budget and setting deadlines.
- Execution:
- Teams execute their assigned tasks, notify leaders when challenges arise, make adjustments to the plan and follow through on the project.
- Conclusion:
- Managers evaluate the success of the project, what could be done differently next time and determine if any follow-up projects are needed.
These are just a few examples of projects that healthcare administrators might manage:
- Adding a new hospital wing or department
- Opening a new location
- Implementing a new technology within the organization, such as a new electronic health record (EHR) system
- Creating and implementing a new personnel training program
- Replacing outdated resources like hospital beds or computers
- Developing a new patient experience survey to collect feedback from patients
- Establish employee resource groups to improve employee retention
- Create a system that allows patients to schedule appointments online
Essential skills for successful healthcare project managers
Though we can think of project management as a skill in itself, it might be more accurate to say that project management is a skillset comprised of many different skills that must each be honed:
- Communication:
- Project managers must confer with and delegate responsibilities to a wide range of people, as well as report on the project’s progress to relevant stakeholders and leaders. To minimize errors caused by miscommunication, project managers should have strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
- Resource allocation:
- Project managers have to create a plan to execute a project that abides by a given set of constraints (e.g. finances, staffing, resources and others). Figuring out how to work within these restraints requires some creative problem solving and a firm understanding of resource allocation. “A very prominent skill for project management is resource allocation. Project managers ensure that resources, including staff, equipment and finances, are used efficiently. This involves budgeting, scheduling and prioritizing tasks to meet project goals,” Alonge said.
- Risk management:
- Projects often encounter roadblocks along the way, whether that’s realizing that a project is more expensive than anticipated, difficulty getting approvals from stakeholders or something else entirely. Project managers must be able to adapt to issues as they come up. “Risk management is another example of a project management skill used by healthcare administrators. Project managers develop strategies to handle potential issues, ensuring projects stay on track and within budget.”
- Leadership:
- Project managers are the leaders of their projects. They need to be able to motivate their staff, cultivate positive relationships and make tough decisions when called for.
- Quality control and assurance:
- Project managers need to ensure that each step of the process is done correctly so that problems don’t arise further down the line. “Ensuring high standards of care is of utmost importance. Project managers implement quality control measures and continuous process improvement to improve patient care,” Alonge said.
- Organization and attention to detail:
- A project can often be described in a few words or sentences to capture its intent, but the project itself consists of so many more small pieces and steps that make the big picture come together. It’s imperative that project managers are organized and can keep track of all these details, like who is handling what, deadlines and more.
Ways to improve your project management skills
Whether you’re a current healthcare administrator or still a student, there’s never a better time than now to start developing your project management skills.
“Healthcare administrators and those students in healthcare administration programs can improve their project management skills through a combination of education, real experience and continuous learning,” Alonge said. “Pursuing degrees in healthcare administration or similar healthcare fields, along with certifications such as Project Management Professional (PMP) or Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) provides a solid foundation.”
You’ll start to develop project management skills in a healthcare administration degree program, but for those that may already have a degree, a certificate program in project management could also be a good option. Many colleges and universities offer these kinds of programs which typically take around nine months to complete. If you don’t want to invest in a formal education program, there are also tons of project management continuing education courses available from a variety of organizations including the Project Management Insitute (PMI).
Early-career professionals may even consider healthcare management internships or fellowships.
Developing leadership, communication, problem-solving and adaptability skills is essential for managing teams and navigating the vigorous healthcare environment.”
“Seeking internships or fellowships in healthcare management roles also provides real-world experience in project management. Networking with professionals and seeking mentorship can offer significant guidance and insights. Developing leadership, communication, problem-solving and adaptability skills is essential for managing teams and navigating the vigorous healthcare environment,” Alonge said. “By incorporating these methods, healthcare administrators and students can effectively lead projects that improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.”
Project management certifications for healthcare administrators
Getting certified in project management can be a great way to validate your skills, buff up your resume and show employers what you’re capable of. A certification may even lead to a higher earning potential. If you’re a healthcare administrator, you may want to consider earning one or several of these industry certifications from the Project Management Institute (PMI):
- Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM):
- With no formal work experience required, this entry-level credential requires only that you’ve completed at least 23 hours of project management education to qualify for the certification exam.
- Project Management Professional (PMP):
- Considered the gold standard in project management certifications, candidates must have three to five years of project management experience depending on your education background to qualify for the exam.
- Program Management Professional (PgMP):
- Demonstrates advanced project management expertise managing multiple projects. Must have four to seven years of experience to qualify.
- Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP):
- For high-level project managers with over eight years of experience managing a portfolio of projects.
Putting it all together
Project management skills are incredibly important for healthcare administrators and managers. By taking the time to cultivate these skills—which include things like communication, resource allocation, risk management and more—you can set yourself up to be a vital leader within your healthcare organization. To develop these skills, you might consider earning a healthcare administration degree, completing a project management certificate program, earning an industry certification or attending continuing education workshops and seminars.
