RESPONSE discussion

Respond to two other students’ initial post. What is the role of the project manager for an EHR or other health IT project?

• What characteristics are needed in a successful project manager?
• Complete the EHR project manager checklist in your textbook (Table 8.3, page 225). Students are not required to submit the checklist.
• After completing the checklist, give a summary of why you would or would not be a successful project manager.

response 1:

Project Managers are the bread and butter to a business who uses an electronic health system. These are the individuals who know the plans and goals of the business or project and their job is to carry them out. As many would presume, there are qualifications and criteria that the project manager must meet or exceed before being able to efficiently carry out tasks to get the job done. These managers know a little bit of everything around the medical office in order to ensure that everything goes smoothly throughout the whole process. They also make it a priority to understand what each team (front desk, clinical duties, IT services, and other administrative staff under them) is doing under them to keep them on track to achieve the goal. The textbook uses the description that “he or she may not be technically skilled in any of these roles but can read a blueprint and understands the skills needed to perform each role” (Amatayakul , 2017, p.224).

To be a successful project manager, you must display multiple different characteristics. It has been stated that “health care project managers must deliver results on time and within budget while within tight schedules and with limited material, financial and human resources” (5 characteristics of a successful healthcare project manager, 2020) . Project managers must be hard-working, determined individuals with self-discipline. They are honest and quick paced. However, they are compatible, adaptable, and willing which makes them a strong leader and role model. For this role, the ability to resolve and avoid conflict is essential. The biggest qualities to look for are the ability to efficiently communicate and delegate roles and responsibilities.  It is important to be able to put aside your emotions and properly delegate positions to those that will get the task done correctly. 

I feel as if I will be a successful project manager with time and practice. When I get a task, I ensure that it gets done efficiently and effectively. I am very work motivated and love a challenge. Once I finish one task, I am ready for another. I am usually the first to volunteer and have a strong desire to learn as much as I can to ensure that I am passing along as much knowledge as possible to our patients. My goal is to grow the business as much as I possibly can. We want to keep both patients and employees happy. As I have been working in a medical office and have taken on a role that is now above some of my other colleagues, the only place I have found a weakness is enforcing tasks. As I am only 22 years old, some of the older staff members (who have been there longer) feel as if they do not need to have tasks delegated to them by someone as new and young as I am. With those the same age or younger, is hard to find a balance between “friend” and coworker. While I want to have a good relationship with all of my coworkers, I have a job to do. When everyone is delegated a task and have the ability to effectively communicate with one another, business is booming.

References 

Amatayakul, M. (2017). Health IT and EHRs: Principles and practice. 6th edition. Chicago, Illinois: American Health Information Management Association. 

5 characteristics of a successful healthcare project manager. Master’s in Public Health Degree Programs. (2020, June 30). Retrieved March 26, 2023, from https://www.masterspublichealth.net/list/character… 

RESPONSE 2

The project manager “aids an organization in planning the tasks required to achieve the project goals and objectives, determining what resources are needed, associating budgets and timelines for completion, and then managing the project” (Amatayakul, 2017, p.214). The role of the project manager for an EHR or health IT project is to oversee the completion of every aspect of the project (Amatayakul, 2017). They report to the project sponsor and help to support the steering committee by providing ongoing coordination and support. A project manager in charge of an EHR or health IT project should have a healthcare background, understand health IT, and understand project management tools and techniques (Amatayakul, 2017).

Project managers must exhibit certain characteristics and skills to be successful and in turn achieve project success. Project managers should be able to motivate, lead, and communicate with employees (Elmezain et al., 2021). Human skills are an important aspect of a successful project manager. One of the human skills is the ability to motivate. Motivating employees and the project team is important in successful completion of a project and it ensures that the project is completed on time and within budget (Elmezain et al., 2021). Team building is another human skill that a successful project manager must possess. “Project managers who are equipped with good team building skills can improve project team cohesiveness as well as enhancing the overall project team performance” (Hwang & Ng, 2013, as cited in Elmezain et al., 2021, p.5). Decision making and problem solving is another important part of being a project manager. The project manager should be able to identify and solve problems that arise in a project in a timely manner. These are just a few examples of characteristics that define a successful project manager.

After completing the checklist, I do not think I would be a successful project manager. I checked yes to only five out of the ten questions. The ones I did not check were “Are you entrepreneurial?”, “Are you a diplomatic straight-shooter?”, “Do you see the big picture, while attending to detail?”, “Are you comfortable with change?”, and “Do you delegate appropriately?” (Amatayakul, 2017, p.225). I do not think I would be a successful project manager because I do not like leading and I am not very fond of change. When I am comfortable, I tend to stay in that comfortable, stable environment. As I have gotten older, I am less resistant to change, but my introverted personality still struggles with big changes. The other question that stood out to me was about delegating tasks. I would not do well with giving people tasks to do. I tend to think I can do things on my own or feel they will get done more efficiently if I just do them myself. As a project manager this would not be a good characteristic to have as I would not concentrate on my project management duties and the project would be poorly managed. Overall, I have a lot of respect for project managers and the job that they can do, but I do not think I have enough of the skills to become successful in that position.

?References

Amatayakul, M. (2017). Health IT and EHRs: Principles and Practice (6th ed.). American Health Information Management Association.

Elmezain, M., Baduruzzaman, W. H. W., & Khoiry, M. A. (2021). The Impact of Project Manager’s Skills and Age on Project Success. Brazilian Journal of Operations & Production Management, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.14488/bjopm.2021.017