Why We Love It
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$34,330Potential Avg. Salary
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20.5%Job Growth Rate
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Growing DemandJob Outlook
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Don't Take Work HomeCareer Attribute
A patient care coordinator’s job is to make sure that a medical facility is running smoothly and consistently providing high quality services to its patients. Their purpose is to help patients get the best possible care and better understand their medical issues.
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What is a Patient Coordinator?
Duties
The duties that must be performed by a professional patient care coordinator include the following points:
- Taking detailed interviews of patients in a functional yet approachable way to get the required information for registration forms and updating their recent medical data for records on the computer filing system.
- Answer questions regarding services offered by the medical facility and re-direct the queries to relevant personnel where required, in a courteous manner.
- Clearly explain the associated hospital costs for both staff and patients, which includes but is not limited to acceptable methods of payment, and which companies to call for insurance purposes.
- Coordinate frequently with the managerial staff and other team leaders to make suggestions for improving existing processes falling under reception services.
Day In The Life
A patient care coordinator’s work may vary based on which type of facility he or she is working at. Irrespective of other factors, the primary function of a patient care coordinator is to promote high quality healthcare services as the first point of contact for a patient. You will greet and direct patients, vendors and visitors from the reception service desk. This includes assisting patients to fill up their information in the registration forms, such as their address, telephone number and name of insurance.
It is up to you to make sure that patients comprehend their medical problems, while also working with other staff to create customer-oriented policies geared towards their best interest. In this role, you will also provide clerical assistance when necessary to the medical department or care team. This may involve recalling letters, scheduling appointments correctly and setting reminder calls for groups. Further, you might make note of information in electronic medical records to effectively respond to patient’s queries quickly.
Work Schedule
A patient care coordinator typically works at a physician’s office, nursing or medical clinic or a hospital. Due to the nature of the work, one might have to travel occasionally for meetings or workshops. Since healthcare facilities are usually open 24×7, coordinators work full-time but take shifts during the day or night. You may have to work long hours over weekends and holidays should there be a need.
Growth Of The Job
While there is no clear data on the job growth of a patient care coordinator, relevant professions such as nursing are expected to grow at a promising rate, by 19% until 2022. An aging population and an increasing range of serious diseases affecting individuals, means that healthcare professionals will continue to find a range of opportunities for skill development.
Typical Employers
You might find yourself working at a hospital, physician’s office, dental care office, medical clinic or other care facilities as a patient care coordinator. Employers generally favour candidates that can demonstrate at least two years’ prior experience working in a related industry and some knowledge of patient care management, customer relations, medical billing systems and general medical terminology.
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How To Become a Patient Coordinator
At minimum, a patient care coordinator is expected to have some level of professional medical training in an area like social work or nursing. Depending on the role, all employers do not require a nursing degree but having an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in medical or healthcare administration is beneficial for those looking to take on this profession as a career path. Through the course of the program, one can master important concepts such as medical coding, leadership, office procedures in a medical context, human resources, ethics and financial management. After graduation, you will also have to obtain your license as a nurse in accordance with state laws.
A patient care coordinator should have the skills to work closely with diverse staff members like public relations, human resources and medical care personnel when required, to promote effective medical aid for patients. In addition, you should be able to operate basic computer systems such as Microsoft Office, billing software and other web applications.
Patient Coordinator Salary Data
We’ve provided you the following to learn more about this career. The salary and growth data on this page comes from recently published Bureau of Labor Statistics data while the recommendations and editorial content are based on our research.
National Anual Salary
Low Range
$27,070Average
$34,330High Range
$48,670National Hourly Wage
Low Range
$13/hrAverage
$17/hrHigh Range
$23/hrHow do Patient Coordinator salaries stack up to other jobs across the country? Based on the latest jobs data nationwide, Patient Coordinator's can make an average annual salary of $34,330, or $17 per hour. This makes it an Above Average Salary. On the lower end, they can make $27,070 or $13 per hour, perhaps when just starting out or based on the state you live in.
Salary Rankings And Facts
#629 Nationally for All Careers
Programs and Degrees
Here are the most common degrees for becoming a Patient Coordinator. a is usually recommended and specifically a degree or coursework that prepares you for the particular field, see below.
Highest Education Among Patient Coordinators
- 0.4% Doctorate
- 3% Masters
- 17.7% Bachelors
- 14% Associates
- 33.5% College
- 29.2% High School
- 2.1% Less than High School
Job Growth Projections and Forecast
2014 Total Jobs
527,6002024 Est. Jobs
635,800Job Growth Rate
20.5%Est. New Jobs
108,200How does Patient Coordinator job growth stack up to other jobs across the country? By 2024, there will be a change of 108,200 jobs for a total of 635,800 people employed in the career nationwide. This is a 20.5% change in growth over the next ten years, giving the career a growth rate nationwide of Below Average.
Growth Rankings And Facts
#50 Nationally for All Careers
What Companies Employ The Most Patient Coordinators
| Industry | Current Jobs | New Jobs Needed | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offices of physicians | 182,700 | 41,200 | 41% |
| General medical and surgical hospitals; private | 109,200 | 7,700 | 8% |
| Offices of dentists | 79,600 | 14,800 | 15% |
