Jobs in Healthcare

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the health care sector is one of the largest industries in America, employing over 13.5 million individuals. A common misconception about this field is that you have to be a doctor to find physician jobs or a register nurse to find a nursing job benefit from the employment opportunities. This is not so. There are numerous jobs that do not require a Ph.D. With an expected twenty seven percent rise in wage and salary employment by 2014, many employees will be needed to fill those positions.

These jobs include, but are not limited to patient representatives, billing, transcription, and informational specialist. Deciding if one of these positions is worthy of your consideration can be a difficult task. Having a general knowledge of what each entails and the required training/education is a must.

Patient representatives are administrators who handle and address the concerns of the families and the patient themselves. They evaluate the level of satisfaction with treatment and investigate complaints. A degree in either social services or health care is preferred. These individuals can work with a myriad of different establishments from nursing homes and private practices to public health organizations.

Medical billing positions entail submitting claims to insurance companies and government agencies such as Medicaid so that doctors can receive the payments due to them. Good typing skills and a basic knowledge of medical terms are preferred. There are no set educational requirements, although there are certain certification programs that can make getting hired easier. In some circumstances it is possible to actually work from home through the use of medical billing software and the internet.

A medical transcriptionist listens to reports dictated by doctors and transcribes them into medical reports and other administrative materials. These reports then become part of a patient’s permanent medical file. Like medical billing, the internet has made it possible to do this job from home. An associates degree or certification is preferred, but not necessarily required, although basic grammar and editing skills are a must along with the ability to type proficiently.

Health care informational specialist is a general category broken down into several different subgroups. Record administrators organize various information and handle some supervisory responsibilities. Record technicians double check different medical records to make sure the information is correct. Many places offer on job training for these positions, but passing an exam is required to become certified.

Along with these specialized jobs there is also a great need for regular clerical staff. Receptionist, book keepers, and informational clerks currently make up over twenty percent of those in the health care industry.

Whether one is looking for a career that will utilize their knowledge of medical terms, their efficient office skills, or their ability to carefully handle the concerns of others, the medical profession offers many opportunities. As the general populace ages, the employment needs of these professions will continue to increase and recruiting more competitive, much to the benefit of jobseekers.