5 Support Roles That Are Vital to Running a Medical Center

When you think of a successful medical facility, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? If you’re like most of us, you envision a scene where doctors are quickly moving between patients, white jackets are blowing in the air and hundreds of technical names are being rattled off at lightning speed.

Although in some situations this may be true, a successful medical center operates with optimal efficiency only when every sector is completing certain tasks to maintain the whole. In short, the medical field is reliant on many moving pieces to accurately and thoroughly treat and engage patients on a daily basis.

From the person that greets you when you walk in through the door to the individual that makes sure the operating room is clear of debris, they all come together to serve the patient.

This article shines much-deserved attention on the individuals that work tirelessly to make sure patients are cared for in the manner that they deserve.

The “Front of the House”

Although the receptionist and office staff are often overlooked in the grand scheme of things, they’re vital in the process of treating and helping patients get the service that they require.

Without a hardworking group in place, a medical facility would fall apart from the inside out. Although each job is unique and requires a specific set of skills to complete the job, they are usually responsible for:

• Making sure patients arrive on time and are placed into the system.
• Creating a relaxing and comfortable environment for newcomers.
• Scheduling and planning upcoming events, procedures, consultations and patient interactions.
• Small administrative tasks such as ordering supplies, contacting contractors and reaching out to patients.
• Checking in with patients and ensuring they’ve met certain standards put in place by their physician.

The Cleaning Staff

The life of a cleaning staff, from an outside perspective, may seem dull, boring and mundane to the nth degree. However, any professional medical center will tell you that keeping the property clean, fresh, smelling great and visually appealing keeps clients coming back in the future. Similarly, the act of disinfecting reusable items allows facilities to save money and keep patients safe from bacteria, infection and the spread of harmful diseases.

Entire manuals and powerful products are created for the staff to use to ensure the integrity of the tools they use on a daily basis. This is going to include training on how to use CIDEX OPA to disinfect medical equipmentfor example, or how to get rid of disposables like gloves and gowns.

Community Organizers and Researchers

To successfully build a client base for a medical practice, one must first understand the needs and wants of the local community. Community experts dive into the surrounding population to find certain statistics that are pertinent for doctors to understand.

Similarly, these much-needed professionals give insight into the medical underpinnings that encapsulate small and large communities surrounding the area.

With these statistics laid out on the table, doctors and specialists can modify their services to fit the needs of the individuals in the area.

Human Resources

To create an optimal flow of productivity and efficiency within a medical setting, certain professionals are put in place to deal with the inner-office politics and behavior of workers. Instances like insubordination, complaints about certain behavior, team-building activities, disciplinary actions and discreet communication allows workers to breathe a sigh of relief.

Similarly, these individuals create an atmosphere where developing personal communication and working through difficult problems is the standard. When everyone is working on the same page, patients can be treated in a more timely fashion.

General Caregiver

If you’ve ever stepped foot into a medical practice and wondered how all of the carts, wheelchairs and general assembly gets done, look no further than the general caregiver! These workers have a main focus of creating a practical and easy-to-access environment for all visitors that come through the door.

Without these people in place, the facility would be overrun by clutter and inconvenienced by broken items, lost tools and unsavory work conditions. These individuals, without a doubt, create a stress-free environment for medical professionals to work in.

While a television shows EMTs rushing gravely injured patients to the ER for the doctors and nurses to save makes a more compelling storyline than one that would focus on the support groups (unless it is a steamy soap), the latter might show us all who makes it work together.