What Do Patient Care Coordinators Do?
Wondering what the job is really like for patient care coordinators?
You've come to the right place.
Keep reading to find detailed information about what patient care coordinators do, including the type of work they are tasked with on a daily basis, industries in which they work, and the specific skills needed for a successful career.
Patient Care Coordinators Overview & Description
Let's get started with the basics about patient care coordinators by taking a look at a simple description and popular job titles.
Patient Care Coordinators plan, direct, or coordinate medical and health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, public health agencies, or similar organizations.
Popular Job Titles For Patient Care Coordinators
Sample of Reported Job Titles
- Directors of Nursing
- Patient Care Coordinators
- Medical Directors
- Clinical Supervisors
- Directors of Rehabilitation
- Patient Services Coordinators
- Care Coordinators
- Patient Coordinators
- Referral Coordinators
- Laboratory Managers
- Clinical Directors
- Clinical Managers
Read on for insight into the industries where the highest concentration of jobs for patient care coordinators can be found.
Best Industries for Patient Care Coordinators
Patient Care Coordinators Jobs By Industry
- General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: 23.4%
- Offices of Physicians: 13%
- Outpatient Care Centers: 7.3%
- Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities): 5.5%
- Home Health Care Services: 4.9%
- Offices of Other Health Practitioners: 4.4%
- Other: 41.5%
When it comes to jobs in the United States, the largest single category of patient care coordinators can be found working in the General Medical and Surgical Hospitals sector. In 2023, about 23.4% of all jobs for patient care coordinators were found there.
Other top industries by percentage include Offices of Physicians (13%), Outpatient Care Centers (7.3%), Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) (5.5%), Home Health Care Services (4.9%) and Offices of Other Health Practitioners (4.4%).
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Degree Options for Patient Care Coordinators
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- Cost Per Credit: $398
Strengthen your leadership skills to play a pivotal role in creating, evolving, and sustaining scientifically based and economically focused healthcare initiatives.
- Class Type: Online coursework
- Years To Complete: 2
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Advance your leadership role and improve the effectiveness of healthcare.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Years To Complete: 3
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 14
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 14
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 14
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
Be an expert in health policy, operational effectiveness and global healthcare with this online graduate program.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 14
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 21
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
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- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 14
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
What Do Patient Care Coordinators Do on a Daily Basis?
So you have a high-level understanding of what patient care coordinators do and the types of industries in which they work - but what do they really do each day?
A great way to understand the type of work patient care coordinators do is to examine actual job postings and focus on the specific skills that employers are seeking. That will help paint a clearer picture of the tasks that patient care coordinators tackle each day.
Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for patient care coordinators, as well as common skills - interpersonal qualities and attributes - that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Patient Care Coordinators
Based on 461,000 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Patient Care Coordinators
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 96,012 | 21% |
| Care Coordination | 61,088 | 13% |
| Medical Records | 46,051 | 10% |
| Billing | 39,906 | 9% |
| Auditing | 36,715 | 8% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Patient Care Coordinators
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 184,028 | 40% |
| Management | 177,312 | 38% |
| Leadership | 161,187 | 35% |
| Operations | 141,907 | 31% |
| Customer Service | 107,452 | 23% |
Based on 461,000 job postings related to patient care coordinators, nursing was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 21% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for care coordination, medical records, billing, auditing and electronic medical record were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communication was the most desired skill found in job postings for patient care coordinators, followed by management, leadership, operations, customer service and coordinating.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 96,012 | 21% |
| Care Coordination | 61,088 | 13% |
| Medical Records | 46,051 | 10% |
| Billing | 39,906 | 9% |
| Auditing | 36,715 | 8% |
| Electronic Medical Record | 33,840 | 7% |
| Marketing | 33,824 | 7% |
| Social Work | 31,707 | 7% |
| Case Management | 31,439 | 7% |
| Workflow Management | 30,960 | 7% |
| Quality Improvement | 29,898 | 6% |
| Project Management | 27,891 | 6% |
| Behavioral Health | 27,342 | 6% |
| Mental Health | 26,624 | 6% |
| Home Health Care | 26,190 | 6% |
| Rehabilitation | 25,747 | 6% |
| Medical Terminology | 25,409 | 6% |
| Clinical Experience | 24,460 | 5% |
| Healthcare Industry Knowledge | 24,075 | 5% |
| Medicare | 23,611 | 5% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communication | 184,028 | 40% |
| Management | 177,312 | 38% |
| Leadership | 161,187 | 35% |
| Operations | 141,907 | 31% |
| Customer Service | 107,452 | 23% |
| Coordinating | 83,413 | 18% |
| Scheduling | 76,454 | 17% |
| Planning | 74,792 | 16% |
| Problem Solving | 66,607 | 14% |
| Writing | 57,944 | 13% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 50,536 | 11% |
| Research | 45,609 | 10% |
| Detail Oriented | 44,353 | 10% |
| Microsoft Office | 44,073 | 10% |
| Microsoft Excel | 42,953 | 9% |
| Computer Literacy | 42,373 | 9% |
| Organizational Skills | 39,979 | 9% |
| Supervision | 37,928 | 8% |
| Coaching | 37,839 | 8% |
| Decision Making | 33,647 | 7% |
Most In-Demand Jobs for Patient Care Coordinators
Top 5 Posted Job Titles
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Directors of Nursing | 74,532 | 21.1% |
| Patient Care Coordinators | 44,567 | 12.6% |
| Medical Directors | 25,499 | 7.2% |
| Clinical Supervisors | 24,187 | 6.8% |
| Directors of Rehabilitation | 31,461 | 8.9% |
According to job postings that were published between September 2022 and August 2023, the top job sought by employers was directors of nursing, with 21,886 unique job postings. Patient care coordinators were second, with 7,273 postings, followed by medical directors, clinical supervisors and directors of rehabilitation.
Expand the section below to see unique job postings for all occupations related to patient care coordinators.
| Job Title | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Directors of Nursing | 74,532 | 21.1% |
| Patient Care Coordinators | 44,567 | 12.6% |
| Medical Directors | 25,499 | 7.2% |
| Clinical Supervisors | 24,187 | 6.8% |
| Directors of Rehabilitation | 31,461 | 8.9% |
| Patient Services Coordinators | 14,952 | 4.2% |
| Care Coordinators | 11,875 | 3.4% |
| Patient Coordinators | 12,025 | 3.4% |
| Referral Coordinators | 10,538 | 3% |
| Laboratory Managers | 12,562 | 3.6% |
| Clinical Directors | 18,585 | 5.3% |
| Clinical Managers | 12,931 | 3.7% |
| Referral Specialists | 6,551 | 1.9% |
| Clinic Managers | 7,456 | 2.1% |
| Nursing Home Administrators | 10,635 | 3% |
| Directors of Nursing/Registered Nurses | 8,446 | 2.4% |
| Clinical Coordinators | 6,381 | 1.8% |
| Patient Care Managers | 7,354 | 2.1% |
| Laboratory Supervisors | 6,298 | 1.8% |
| Directors of Behavioral Health | 6,492 | 1.8% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information for patient care coordinators? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for patient care coordinators.
How much do patient care coordinators make?
Patient Care Coordinators: How do you become one?
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