3 musts for hiring the right practice manager

Hiring the right practice manager is critical to your medical practice.

“Finding the right practice manager or administrator is essential to the health of your medical practice. No other position routinely touches upon each and every practice area, function and staffing on a daily basis, like a top-notch administrator,” writes Lucien W. Roberts, III, on Physicians Practice.

Based on insights from physicians and managers who have successfully found the right practice manager, Roberts, administrator of Gastrointestinal Specialists, Inc., a 22-provider practice in Central Virginia, offered a number of tips for hiring to fill this key position. Among his advice:

  • Do your homework and make an assessment of your practice’s most pressing needs, he says. For instance, if your practice has poor financials, you'll want to look for someone who has strong skills in revenue cycle management.
  • Know who you are hiring. It should go without saying, but conduct a thorough background check and check references, according to Roberts. Talk to doctors the applicant has worked with, as well as employees who have worked for your potential manager, he says.
  • Spend time interviewing. You want to get know candidates for the job beyond their paper resume. Look for shared values, Roberts says. You’ll want to look for a manager with the right traits who can help your practice succeed.