OVERVIEW
What is a Healthcare Coordinator?
A healthcare coordinator supports patients in a clinical setting throughout every stage of the patient treatment process. Upon intake, healthcare coordinators answer patient questions and address any immediate patient concerns. While a doctor is meeting with a patient, healthcare coordinators can organize health records, process insurance paperwork, and track vitals. After treatment concludes, a healthcare coordinator answers any lingering patient questions and schedules any necessary follow-up appointments.
Education is important for students aspiring to become healthcare coordinators. As one of several career options for health services coordination graduates, this role is ideal for those who are passionate about healthcare but don’t want to be doctors or nurses. You will need to obtain at least a relevant undergraduate degree to be considered for a healthcare coordinator position. Some healthcare coordinator applicants also benefit from secondary degrees or certifications.
RESPONSIBILITIES
What Does a Healthcare Coordinator Do?
Healthcare coordinators maintain busy schedules. A healthcare coordinator might personally communicate with patients and their families, process vital health information, check on patient progress, and assist doctors in administrative duties. The responsibilities of a healthcare coordinator can include:
- Communicating with patients to answer any questions they might have about treatment modalities.
- Document patient treatment updates in their personal health records.
- Assisting healthcare teams in providing care, checking patient vitals, and fulfilling non-clinical service needs.
- Empathizing with patient concerns and taking the time to encourage their progress.
- Ensuring continued compliance with healthcare laws and standards.
- Educating patients on all stages of their treatment process, providing relevant information on therapy types, medications, and other details.
- Researching additional resources that can facilitate an even better patient experience.
The role of a healthcare coordinator is nuanced, often requiring you to provide services as they are needed. Sometimes, you may spend a majority of your day simply communicating with patients scheduled to receive care. On other days, you’ll find yourself processing insurance records, updating patient medical information, and completing other secretarial duties.
EDUCATION & BEST DEGREES
How Do I Become a Healthcare Coordinator?
Before you can embark on a rewarding career as a healthcare coordinator, you’ll need to receive the necessary education. Typically, this means you must complete a healthcare degree, where you’ll learn how to thrive while providing care in a patient-first setting.
Students have options when obtaining a degree in healthcare. You can choose to obtain a bachelor’s degree in health and human services, where you’ll learn how to improve the safety of any healthcare system. You’ll also learn the specifics of care coordination and how to identify potential social health determinants that could affect a patient’s treatment.
As you work toward obtaining this degree, you'll learn about the healthcare regulations that keep the industry safe and productive. Among other principles, you’ll also learn about the value of healthcare data systems, technology, and healthcare coding.
Best Degrees for a Healthcare Coordinator
Health & Nursing
Health and Human Services – B.S.
An online health degree program for students who are committed to making a...
An online health degree program for students who are committed to making a difference for patients in a variety of ways.
- Time: 63% of students finish this program in 24 months
- Tuition: $4,210 per 6-month term
- Courses: 35 total courses in this program
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Epidemiology
- Community and Public Health
- Cultural Awareness
- Pathophysiology
- Healthcare Values and Ethics
- Substance Abuse Support
This degree allows you to work inside the healthcare industry, while also directly working with patients who need help.
How Much Does a Healthcare Coordinator Make?
$46,149
As a healthcare coordinator, your exact income can vary based on a number of influences. These factors can include your employer, employer location, years of experience, facility funding, active certifications, and education. In general, the salary of a healthcare coordinator can average $46,149 annually.
What is the Projected Job Growth?
28%
In general, employment for healthcare coordinators (or health services managers) is expected to grow 28% from 2022 to 2032. This forecasted growth should add an expected 654,200 health service manager positions, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
SKILLS
What Skills Does a Healthcare Coordinator Need?
Healthcare coordinators put a portfolio of skills to use. These skills allow them to communicate well in a healthcare setting while focusing specifically on improving the quality of patient care across the board. The skills a healthcare coordinator needs can include:
- Interpersonal communication. The ability to correspond effectively with all patients, patient family members, and medical staff.
- Problem-solving. The ability to creatively identify, empathize with, and solve any issues that patients might be experiencing while receiving care.
- Technological proficiency. The ability to fully use all necessary pieces of technology in the office, including computers, tablets, phones, and online software programs.
- Teamwork. The ability to collaborate effectively with each staff member, physician, and patient on a medical floor.
- Research. The ability to search for, find, and implement improved patient care techniques in a clinical setting.
- Phone etiquette. The ability to communicate with patients, their family members, insurance providers, and representatives from other medical facilities over the phone.
- Data analysis. The ability to identify trends in patient information to help patients and healthcare professionals draw useful conclusions about a patient’s treatment and outlook.
These and other skills help healthcare coordinators find success in medical settings. As a healthcare coordinator, you will develop and use many of the above skills on a daily basis, to serve patients any time they visit or call the office.
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