Running head: ANALYZING A LEADER OR MANAGER ROLE
Analyzing a Leader or Manager Role
Jackie A. Wirth
Ferris State University
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ANALYZING A LEADER OR MANAGER ROLE
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Analyzing a Leader or Manager Role
Introduction
This paper will explore the role of a leader in the health care field. Specifically, Kitty
Harington’s management role at Pediatric Associates of Big Rapids will be analyzed and
explained. Pediatric Associates is a primary care, pediatric practice in the rural town of Big
Rapids, Michigan. It has a total staff count of fifteen that includes three doctors, six nurses, and
six front office staff members. The clinic serves children from birth to adulthood with well-child
checks, immunizations, sick visits, allergy injections, and various other primary care services.
The clinic aims to be a patient-centered medical home, taking into account the patient’s needs by
providing “accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family-centered, coordinated, compassionate,
and culturally effective care” (Henderson, Princell, & Martin, 2012, p. 55).
Kitty has an Associate’s Degree in Mental Health from Lake Superior State University. She
began her career working in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for an Internist for five years. She
then decided to move to the Lower Peninsula and found herself working at a hospital in
Frankfort, Michigan. After a few years in Frankfort, she applied for the office manager position
working for a physician just starting his practice. In 1989 she began employment with Pediatric
Associates of Big Rapids and has been in that role since, giving her fourteen years of leadership
experience today.
Job Duties
Kitty has a number of different job duties as office manager of Pediatric Associates. She
explains that she is part of the administrative board, which consists of Dr. Mekaru, Dr. Rao, and
herself. She states that the two physicians are equal partners within the practice, with Dr.
Mekaru being the founder and president of the board. Kitty reports to both physicians equally.
ANALYZING A LEADER OR MANAGER ROLE
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In reference to the organizational chart, the chart would start with the administrative board
overseeing all staff employees. The employees report to Kitty, who in turn reports to both
physicians. There is also a third physician in the practice who is contracted and employed by the
local hospital. This physician does not formally report to Kitty, but works with her and the other
employees in a way that respects the organizational chart.
The job duties of the office manager range from general operations to employee leadership.
General office duties described by the office manager include opening and handling all the mail,
managing the office budget and finances, paying the office bills and employee payroll, managing
employee sick and vacation time, creating staff schedules and other various office duties. Twice
a week she has certain tax documents to work from and handle. She oversees medical claims
billing and works with those employees to file claims and post incoming payments. Kitty stated
that one of her main duties is to create a good work environment by maintaining positive
employee moral. She does this by ensuring fair, timely, and adequate conflict control. For
example, if an employee is unhappy and having issues for whatever reason, Kitty will personally
speak to that employee to try to identify the issue. She then takes measures to resolve the issue
quickly if able. Either way there is an open line of communication encouraged to create a nice
work atmosphere.
Collaborative Role
Leaders in health care should possess the skill to effectively collaborate with not only other
disciplines, but also their superiors and the staff they may oversee. Kitty collaborates with all
employees in the practice to provide effective, quality patient care to those served by the clinic.
“Truly effective care is the result of efforts by the total healthcare team. Effective collaboration
includes honesty, directness, and listening to others’ point of view” (Yoder-Wise, 2011, p. 54).
ANALYZING A LEADER OR MANAGER ROLE
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Kitty listens to employees and communicates with the administrative board. She works with the
nurses, the billing staff, the secretaries, and the physicians to ensure quality patient care is
provided daily. She also communicates with the families served and has led efforts to connect
with the neighboring hospitals electronic medical records system to provide effective
communication between the two organizations. Communicating with the lab, x-ray, and
emergency department are essential in providing the best care possible. It also helps to prevent
medical errors if the physician and nurse have all the information available to care for the
patient. As the office manager, she collaborates with the physicians when there are issues to
resolve and/ or when there are ideas for areas of improvement. Collaboration is an essential
skill of leadership.
Legal & Ethical Issues
Kitty described handling legal and ethical issues by seeking guidance from appropriate areas.
She said that she would consult with the practice lawyers, the American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP) or on a regional level, the Michigan American Academy of Pediatrics. Not all ethical
issues require consultation with the AAP or lawyers. The office is a small clinic and when staff
schedule vacations or call in sick, there are less staff to cover such events. This causes the
doctor’s to run behind schedule and may even have patients waiting up to an hour or more for
service. The office manager and staff are faced with an ethical dilemma because the values
conflict. The patient has the right to know about administrative factors, but also the patient’s
problem should be the focus and not that of the office staffing issue (Olsen, 2013). There are
reasons to share the information because “adequate information is needed for patients to give
consent or refuse care” (Olsen, 2013, p. 62). The patient may decide to seek care somewhere
else, such as the emergency room, or they may decide to stay and wait for their physician.
ANALYZING A LEADER OR MANAGER ROLE
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“Sharing information shows respect for the patient as a partner in care” (Olsen, 2013, p. 62).
The office manager, Kitty, has been faced with this dilemma and reports that she believes being
honest with the patients about the staffing is the best policy. The opposing idea to the dilemma
is that telling the patient or family “about staffing levels constitutes self-serving excuse making,
which detracts from good nursing care. Nurses may sometimes wish to tell patients about
staffing problems to avoid blame or even to get sympathy from the patient” (Olsen, 2013, p. 63).
Considering the two sides of this dilemma, the office manager has lead the team to honesty and
informing patient families, allowing them to make the decision giving them an active roll in their
care.
Power & Influence
The influence the office manager has on the practice as a whole is significant. The choices
she makes directly affect staff and patients. She has the power to initiate policy change and
ensure a safe, positive work environment. Each and every decision can affect patients and their
personal health. For example, she makes the decision to provide certain immunizations or not to
provide them in the office. In this office the recommended Gardasil or HPV vaccine is not
available. Patients are educated in regards to the recommendation and refereed to local health
departments for the vaccine. The office manager has the influence and decision-making ability
to add the vaccine to the services provided, making it convenient for patients to get the vaccine
while at doctor visits.
Decision-making and Problem-solving
Decision-making is a skill Kitty has practiced and refined through her years of experience in
her current role of office manager. A manager’s decisional activities include being responsible
for employee evaluations, resource allocation, hiring and firing employees, planning for the
ANALYZING A LEADER OR MANAGER ROLE
future, and job analysis (Whitehead, Weiss, & Tappen, 2010). Kitty decides who to interview
for job vacancies and who to hire. She completes annual employee evaluations and decides
when justification to terminate employment may be warranted.
Conflict Resolution
Kitty also manages conflict resolution. When conflicts between employees arise, she
collects information and speaks to both employees to resolve the issue fairly. She also is
involved in discharging patients from the practice if there is sufficient conduct or noncompliance by the patient’s parent. Patient discharge is a decision she makes after consulting
and reviewing the individual case with the patient’s physician.
Conclusion
A manager or leader in health care has many duties and influence. They are essential
members of the health care team. Decision making, conflict resolution, knowledge of legal and
ethical issues, and collaboration with others makes leadership a skill that is respectful and
essentially adds to quality health care services.
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ANALYZING A LEADER OR MANAGER ROLE
References
Henderson, S., Princell, C. O., & Martin, S. D. (2012). The Patient-Centered Medical Home.
American Journal of Nursing, 112(12), 54-59).
Olsen, D. P. (2013). Telling Patients About Staffing Levels. American Journal of Nursing,
113(5), 62-64.
Whitehead, D. K, Weiss, S. A., & Tappen, R. M. (2010). Essentials of Nursing Leadership and
Management (5th ed., pp. XX-XX). Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis Company.
Yoder-Wise, P. S. (2011). Leading and Managing in Nursing (5th ed., pp. 54-XX). St. Louis,
MO: Elsevier Mosby.
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