Creative Health Unit Coordinator Job Description

Summary

Health Unit Coordinators are responsible for taking care of health care facilities in terms of service and performance. They are also known as war clerks, unit clerks or unit secretaries. They keep things run smoothly with doctors, nurses, staff, patients and even family members. Health unit coordinators possess basis knowledge of medical terminology, medical pharmacology, and nursing procedures.

Duties

Health unit coordinators have the reception desk as their station supervising day-to-day operations and administrative functions of a particular unit. Their utmost objective is to ensure a high level of patient care and interaction. They are the ones that schedule appointments, prepare and maintain important documents such as birth and death certificates, patient’s charts and records, medical orders and admission and discharge forms. They also coordinate the patient’s activities and schedules, order supplies, and communicate with the dietary department. Aside from this, they’re also capable of taking temperature, pulse and blood pressure from patients as they remain under the supervision of registered nursing staff.

Education and Training Requirements

The minimum requirement for a health unit coordinator is a high school diploma or an equivalent. Although there is no specific degree program available for health unit coordinators, several schools offer health information technology as a program that comes very similar to it. Other community colleges, vocational schools, technical schools as well as training departments offer courses and programs related to health unit coordinators with a combination of classroom and clinical training. Certification is then obtained through passing the National Association of Health Unit Coordinators exam to advance their careers.

Knowledge and Skills Requirements

A health coordinator usually acts like a bridge between the patients and staff which means that they must possess exception communication skills and confidence. Not only this, a pleasing personality is also needed as a health coordinators deals with the public on a daily basis. They shall be detail- oriented, reliable and dependable as well as have the ability to follow instructions with minimal or no supervision.

Working Conditions

Health unit coordinators work in different health care facilities such as: clinics, hospitals, public health care agencies, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, home health agencies, health maintenance organizations, insurance companies and government agencies. It is a fast-paced environment that requires a lot of interaction with people every day. Working hours can vary from being employed part-time or full-time.

Salary

The average annual salary of a health coordinator is around $44,000 although salaries will greatly vary depending on the employer, location, industry involved in, and the practice of the employee as further education and longer experience can assure a higher salary.