Levels of Hospital Management

1. Administrative, Managerial, or Top Level of Hospital Management:

This level of management consists of a hospital’s board of directors and the chief executive or medical director.

It is the ultimate source of power and authority, since it oversees the goals, policies, and procedures of a hospital. Their main priority is on the strategic planning and execution of the overall hospital’s success.

The roles and responsibilities of the top level of hospital management can be summarized as follows:

• Laying down the objectives and broad policies of the hospital enterprise.
• Issuing necessary instructions for the preparation of department-specific budgets, schedules, procedures, etc.
• Preparing strategic plans and policies for the hospital.
• Appointing the executives for middle-level management, i.e. departmental managers.
• Establishing controls of all hospital departments.
• Since it consists of the Board of Directors, the top management level is also responsible for communicating with the outside world and is held accountable towards a hospital’s stakeholders for the performance of the enterprise.
• Providing overall guidance, direction, and encouraging harmony and collaboration.

2. Executive or Middle Level of Hospital Management:

The branch and departmental managers form this middle management level.

These people are directly accountable to top management for the functioning of their respective departments, devoting more time to organizational and directional functions. For smaller hospitals, there is often only one layer of middle management, but larger hospitals can see senior and junior levels within this middle section.

The roles and responsibilities of the middle level of hospital management can be summarized as follows:

• Executing the plans of the hospital in accordance with the policies and directives laid out by the top management level.
• Forming plans for the sub-units of the hospital that they supervise.
• Participating in the hiring and training processes of lower-level management.
• Interpreting and explaining the policies from top-level management to lower-level management.
• Sending reports and data to top management in a timely and efficient manner.
• Evaluating the performance of junior managers.
• Inspiring lower level managers towards improving their performance.

3. Supervisory, Operative, or Lower Level of Hospital Management:

This level of management consists of supervisors, nurses, section officers, superintendents, and all other executives whose work must do largely with HR oversight and the direction of operative employees.

Simply put, managers at the lower level are primarily concerned with the execution and coordination of day-to-day workflows that ensure completion of patient care and that deliverables are met.

The roles and responsibilities of the lower level of hospital management can be summarized as follows:

• Assigning patients and tasks to various staff members.
• Guiding and instructing staff members in day-to-day activities.
• Overseeing both the quality and quantity of patient care.
• Maintaining good relations within lower levels of the hospital.
• Acting as mediators by communicating the problems, suggestions, and recommendatory appeals, etc. of staff members to the higher level of management, and in turn elucidating higher-level goals and objectives to staff members.
• Helping to address and resolve the grievances of staff members.
• Supervising and guiding their subordinates.
• Taking part in the hiring and training processes of their staff members.
• Arranging the necessary medical supplies, equipment, tools, and resources, etc. necessary for accomplishing hospital tasks.
• Preparing periodical reports regarding the performance of the staff members.
• Upholding discipline, decorum, and harmony within the workplace.
• Improving the hospital’s image as a whole, due to their direct contact with the staff members.