Learn  about Project Management in Healthcare

What is Project Management in healthcare?

Project management in healthcare is an organizational process which not only involves systematically planning, organizing, but also executing a predetermined set of steps in order to help a medical facility run smoothly. If one sees basically its purpose is to resolve issues in the current operations and implement policies in hospitals. Thus, it can be inferred that effective and efficient project management can strengthen the following areas:

Communication

A healthcare project manager acts as a link and establishes effective  communication between medical staff, such as doctors and nurses, and encounters between physicians and patients. They  also ensure hospital administrators have updated patient and insurance information to maintain health records and keep the workplace organized.

Productivity

Project Manager delegates tasks to staff members that helps in handling influx of patients during emergencies. Thus  increasing the productivity of hospitals.

Allocation of resources

Budgeting is another aspect handled by the project manager. They monitor organizational spending habits and dedicate funds to certain departments as per requirements.Thus helping in effectively utilizing resources of hospital

Stages of Project Management in Healthcare

There are four stages in Project Management in Healthcare which are as follows:

Initiation

This is the starting phase where healthcare project managers determine the purpose and extent of the project. They perform cost estimation to predict the financial resources the project may require, and also anticipate challenges and prepare solutions to solve them. Once the initiation stage is complete, they send their plan and strategies to organizational leaders for approval.

Planning

In the planning phase the task of the project is outlined. The managers establish deadlines for the completion of each task and assign the professional responsible for finishing it.They also finalize the budget, and also dictates the equipment they need and the time line they  have to accomplish their goals without wasting resources.

Execution

The execution of the project involves working on the assigned tasks as planned and then monitoring the  progress of the project . It may happen that challenges will occur during this stage, and managers modify their objectives as desired, but the same may require additional approval from supervisors or stakeholders.

Conclusion

On Completion of a project, managers evaluate the success of their efforts and compile information into a document which can be used as a reference for future endeavors. To understand the effectiveness of project managers, also discuss with members of their team and organizational leaders.

Examples of Project Management in Healthcare

Following are the examples of activities project management in healthcare organizations:

Adding a new hospital wing

Hospital stakeholders decide that their facility will offer neonatal surgical services. A new service addition will require a new building and a new team of surgical staff members. The healthcare project manager performs the cost estimation of constructing a new hospital wing and acquiring new medical technology and plan the expansion of the wing After Execution of expansion of new wing with new staff the manager needs to track the positive or negative outcomes of the project. 

Implementing personnel training

A need for new employee training is identified for improving the bedside manner of physicians and nurses while communicating with patients are identified. The project begins with cost estimation of hiring consultant to conduct the training. Next, the managers ensure that the time is reserved from the busy schedule of physicians and nurse so that no one misses the training.

 Replacing the beds in hospital rooms

After receiving feedback from patients about discomfort on the hospital beds administrators decide to replace the beds. The healthcare project manager creates a cost-effective plan to replace every bed in the facility by proposing to buy a brand of mattresses that would relieve back pain and stabilize a patient’s spine, thus making it more comfortable for patients for their post-operation recoveries.

Skills for Project Management in Healthcare

Healthcare is one of the vast and fast moving sector.So the healthcare  project managers has to To be pro in all skill sets as they have to deal with more projects at a single stretch with constant deadlines. Sticking to a time schedule, monitoring the project progress, and managing the team are some of the key responsibilities of a Healthcare Project Manager. Some essential skills required by project managers are as follow:

Leadership

Leadership is fundamental to the healthcare project manager role.He must have the influencing power to influence and motivate his team  in completing the task by adhering to schedules, standards, and budget. Also he  needs to build confidence and good rapport with the clients and medical staff.

Problem-solving

There are  many unforeseen scenarios and challenges during the project execution .The Project Manager should be  proficient enough to come up with the desired solutions timely.

Adaptability

The medical facility faces constant changes ,this is why project managers must have the ability to cope up with changes and adapt to it to maintain productivity.

Interpersonal communication

Project manager has to deal with multiple professionals with different backgrounds  like his team ,staff ,client, hospital management etc. So communicating with each of them is also an art as he has to be clear to make his audience understand.So a project manager has to excel in interpersonal skills.

How to become Manager in Project Management in Healthcare

To become a  healthcare project manager, consider taking the following actions:

Gain a college education

Minimum education requirement for healthcare project management is a bachelor’s degree. Understanding how medical facilities operate and the terminology physicians use when caring for patients is the utmost requirement.The colleges offer following discipline for the professional to study:

• Health administration
• Public health administration
• Business administration
• Nursing
• Economics

Earn a master’s degree

Earn a  master’s degree to specialize one industry knowledge and expose one to  more employment opportunities. For example, if one has an undergraduate degree in business administration or economics, then it may be helpful to earn an advanced degree in a subject related to medicine. 

Related: 6 Jobs for MBA Graduates in Healthcare.

Work in a clinical role

Gain some professional experience in the medical field . Seek entry-level positions to learn about the industry . It will also help one to build a professional network.For example, one  can work as a healthcare administrator, where one learns to process paperwork for patients and organize the admittance and discharge process.

Pursue a project management certification

Getting a  certificate as  healthcare project manager can boost one’s qualifications and make him a prospective candidate for the job . 

Institutes that provide Project Management Courses in India

1. Henry Harvin Education

Henry Harvin is one of the best institutes to pursue Project Management Course. They provide the following courses for  project management.

1. PMP® Certification Training Course
2. Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® Certification Training
3. Post Graduate Program in Project Management

The Program Modules have been thoughtfully crafted to make students Industry Ready. The course structure is designed in such a way that it foster leadership skills and expertise in students so that they can lead projects confidently.PMP® Exam of Henry Harvin is protected by 100% Money-Back Guarantee . PMP® certification of Henry Harvin  is the gold standard for Project Management professionals.The new PMP course is as per PMBOK Guide – 7th Edition and aligns with the latest PMP Examination Content Outline 2021 .There are 91 End of Chapter Quizzes & 7 Simulation Exams .Also 35 PDUs + 32 Credits Certificate is there. They  also provide a Complimentary Business Analytics Course at no extra cost.

Course Highlights

• They provide 36-hours Instructor-led Training a virtual tour on project management strategies, principles, and its implications.
• One gets lifetime Membership of Henry Harvin® Management Academy.
• There  are Live Bootcamp Sessions of up to 24 hours, spread over the next 12 months after completion of core training sessions.
• One also gets updated Study Material.
• Access is provided to the Learning Management System (LMS)
• Recorded Videos of Multiple Sessions is also provided
• 100% Placement Assistance, Internship, and Project Support for PMP® certification training course enrollees.
• Hallmark of PMP® next to one  name. For Ex: Karan Singh (PMP®)
• One also gets excellent marketing knowledge about all social media platforms.
• Opportunity to work with renowned companies
• Free Access to #AskHenry Hackathons and Competitions
• One will get a 1-Year Gold Membership of Henry Harvin® Management Academy for the PMP® Training Course.
• One gets Certification of PMP® Training Course from Henry Harvin®, Govt of India recognized & Award-Winning Institute

PMP Certification Training Course Fee

Rs 14900/- with emi option available.

Other Courses of Henry HARVIN

• Design Thinking Course
• Blockchain Certification Training Course
• Product Management Course
• HR US Payroll Course Training
• HR UK Payroll Course Training

Other Cities where Henry Harvin Project Management Course is provided:

Agra, Ahmedabad, Noida, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ernakulam, Kolkata, Kanpur, Online,Chennai, Gurgaon

Demo video for PMP® Project Management Course by Henry Harvin Education – YouTube

2. L&T Institute of Project Management

IPM  is an academic body of the L&T group that has motto to create high-quality Global Project Management Professionals who gain expertise  with the necessary skills through their Project Management Courses,

It  offers multiple flagship programs, foundation courses, online courses, Project Management Professional (PMP) prep courses.  Working professionals with experience of 5,10 and 20 years can also undergo these courses. The programs are offered in partnership with world-class institutions which give exposure to  international best practices.

Here are their flagship programs which you can look up to to gain expertise and experience on Project Management.

• PG Certificate of Master’s Program in Business and Project Management in Business and Project Management
• Program for Excellence in Project Delivery
• Advanced Program for Excellence in  Project Execution
• International Project and Program Management

3. SPJIMR

SPJIMR is an authorized training partner approved by PMI USA which offers various Project Management Courses. The Courses aim to provide the necessary knowledge and develop skill sets for comprehensive Project Management.  The following are the courses offered in Project management

• Post Graduate Project Management courses offered by SPJIMR 
• PMI Certification Preparatory Program
• Post Graduate in Advanced Project Management 
• Agile Project Management Prep Course, for PMI- ACP

 

4. MIT School of Distance Education

MIT School of Distance Education  is one of the best institute that  offers best-designed distance education programs that are industry-driven in General Management and Project management.MITSDE’s PG Diploma in Project Management course is designed by eminent trainers and experts which is based on the curriculum of the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Courses Offered

• PGDM-Executive in Modern Project Management
  • Eligibility : Duration :15 months | Semesters : 2 | Eligibility : Graduate + 5 years work experience
• Post Graduate Diploma in Management – Project
  • Duration: 21 months | Semesters : 3 | Eligibility: Any Graduate

Course Fee

Ranges between Rs. 50000 to Rs. 80,000.

6. IIBM

IIBM offers Project Management courses in online mode. It is a comprehensive program on planning,managing and executing projects that is aimed to impart necessary skills to aspiring and working professionals The course covers  all aspects of  Managing the Project, the project scoping and planning process, planning the schedules, costs, quality, communication, and managing risk, change management, and stakeholder engagement and management. 

Course Highlights

• It offers industry Centric High-quality e-learning content  
• 24×7 Access to Course Material is provided
• Online Exam/Test.
• Certificate is  awarded By IIBM Institute

Course Duration 

3 months |

Course Fee

 Rs. 15000 

Minimum Eligibility 

10 + 2 or equivalent 

7. Alison

Alison is an online learning platform that offers free Project Management Certification Courses . It is open for all working professionals who are seeking to upskill their project management skills or are looking to start as Project Managers. All key aspects of Project Management from planning to managing different life stages of a project including  methodologies, tools like GANT and PERT Charts, resources, planning and design, communication, analysis, documentation, etc., are covered in this course. 

Course duration  

6-10 hours |  27 modules 

Certification Prerequisite

The candidate has to acquire 80% or above, in each module assessment to earn a certificate.

Course Fee

Free

8. Brain Sensei

Brain Sensei is a famous  e-learning institute for Project Management. It  offers Project management and PMP exam preparation courses. It is credited with  enabling many project managers at world-leading companies to get  PMP certification. They offer 2 programs as below for those who wants to  take the PMP exams: 

• PMP Exam Prep Course
• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)

The programs above are for experienced corporate professionals who want to excel in  their careers as project managers. 

Both programs offer 9 modules and 4 full practice exams which has multiple assessments in each module and over 800 practice exam questions to ensure that the students  have hands-on practice of all necessary questions in order to gain the Certification. 

Course Fee

$499.99 for 1 year of access ( PMP) 

$ 349 (CAMP) for 1 year of access 

9. Coursera

Coursera offers an online program in Applied Program Management which has 6 Courses that can be completed in less than  6 months devoting only 1 hour per week. It is designed by Google and thus gives one  exposure  to Google’s project management expertise. The program prepares aspirants in the high-growth field of project management.The 6 courses cover key modules like the foundation of project management, project initiations, project planning, project execution, agile project management, and project management application. This program equips one  with over 100 hours of project management education, thus enabling them to prepare for Project Management Institute Certifications like Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®

One can apply for jobs directly with Google and also  over 130 U.S. employers after undergoing this course from Coursera

Course Fee

Approx. USD 300 for 6 months. 

10. Master of Project Academy

Master of Project Academy is an e-learning institute that extends specialized training on Microsoft projects and PMP exams. For each course completed by the students, they get a certificate of completion.

Courses Offered

• PMP certification training, 
• PMP Online Class Virtual Training
• PMP Master Plus
• PMP ACP ( Agile Certified Practitioner) 
• PMP One on One Coaching

Course Duration

Varies for each course. 

Types of subscription

Monthly ($97), Annual ($670), and Lifetime ($970).

Job outlook and salary of healthcare project managers

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the profession  may increase by 32% from 2019 to 2029, . People continue to grow older  thus  may seek medical attention at hospitals, increasing the demand for healthcare project managers.On average, healthcare project managers earn $64,084 per year. Though,  salary can also depend on the city and state of your employer and the size of the organization. The countries which have  higher cost of living may have higher salaries . Also, healthcare project managers may earn higher incomes at metropolitan hospitals than at urgent care clinics.

Benefits of healthcare project management

Project management when applied successfully can significantly improve healthcare and the broader healthcare industry. It can help in following aspects:

• The  quality of patient care is improved  as the processes that are directed to provide care are enhanced.

• Communication between doctors, healthcare staff, and other people caring for the patients becomes effective.

• It also helps in making organizational systems, processes, technologies, and planning effective.

• By aligning and ensuring the right resource allocation it aids in budget allocation.

• It leads to an increase in  productivity of the entire healthcare unit.

• It also helps in reduction of errors that can potentially lead to lawsuits, especially due to negligence in patient care.

• Relations with stakeholders like  insurance companies, government agencies, patients, and others are enhanced.

Hope for tomorrow

There is  mounting pressure in the form of patient demands, regulatory concerns, diverse stakeholders, high litigation risk, rising healthcare costs, etc., –thus  emphasizing more heavily the need for project management. For an organization it is wise to be open to the changes of tomorrow and accept project management as an integral part of their organizational functioning. Smart decisions of today can pave a smooth way for a better future . So the time to act  is now!