A certified medical manager is a health care administrator who has passed the Professional Association of Health Care Office Management’s (PAHCOM) CMM exam. This credential verifies that the holder is a competent professional who can handle the business operations and health care administration of a medical organization. The exam also means that the holder has verified experience and knowledge of health care environments and upholds a set of high ethical standards that are maintained by the PAHCOM.
Who is the PAHCOM?
PAHCOM is a national organization that offers support, testing and networking opportunities to members. This includes a centralized membership directory that allows members to easily connect with each other and a private email distribution service that allows members to post questions to thousands of medical office managers across the country. Their online member library provides access to member-submitted documents used in medical office management. These include templates of performance reviews, employee forms and HIPAA privacy letters to patients. Education resources include the Certified Medical Manager (CMM) and Health Information Technology Certified Manager for Physician Practice (HITCM-PP) exams and designations. There are also useful webinar series, annual conferences and the academic credentialing program with college programs.
Exam Eligibility for Medical Manager Certification
Exam candidates must have at least three years of experience in the field health care management. Work positions must reflect support of patient care, health care providers and clinical environments. Possible jobs include nursing home administrators, who oversee staff and residents in nursing homes, and clinical managers, who manage hospital departments like nursing, surgery and occupational therapy. Other jobs include health information managers, who manage IT resources and security, and administrators who handle daily operations. Exam candidates must have at least twelve college credits in courses related to health care or business administration. The credit requirement will be reduced to one hour for every year of employment experience. Final, candidates must be members of PAHCOM.
Exam Questions
The CMM exam tests the candidates’ skills, abilities and knowledge that are used to manage physician offices, hospital departments and health care service centers. There are nine domains of medical administration that are tested. First, revenue management covers coding analysis, insurance billing and patient collections. Second, risk management asks questions about compliance, human resources, medical liabilities and personnel management. Fourth, finance involves payroll, accounting and financial planning. Fifth, contract management covers vendor negotiations and patient agreements. Sixth, business management covers facilities and licensure administration. Seventh, technology and data management asks about systems analysis and Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems. Additional domains cover clinical performance reporting, physician quality reporting systems (PQRS) and patient clinical education and practice marketing.
Advantages of Becoming a Certified Medical Manager
There are recognized benefits of earning the Certified Medical Manager designation, because it communicates to patients, co-workers and the public that the holders are professionally competent, adheres to the code of ethics and knowledgeable of health care office management. This assures employers that the manager is able to minimize risks, handle financial and personnel affairs and maintain patient safety and quality. By becoming a member of PAHCOM and passing the CMM test, the candidates also continually improve their professional skills and knowledge. Having the CMM is a definite advantage when submitting resumes and interviewing for medical management positions.
Related Resources:
Bachelor’s in Health Management
20 Highest Paying Public Health Jobs
A certified medical manager has passed the PAHCOM’s CMM test and maintains their designation through earning continuing education credits.