What is a Health Unit Coordinator?

A health unit coordinator is a person who works in a hospital, nursing home, or similar facility, providing services in support of the facility's staff. The tasks a person in this field performs help to keep things running smoothly with doctors, nurses, other staff members, and patients. For example, a person with this job may facilitate communications between medical staff and patients. He may also perform a range of other tasks, including those related to checking patients and scheduling appointments.

The duties a health unit coordinator has may depend on where he works. Generally speaking, a person in this position may provide a wide range of help that is important not only for staff members of a facility, but also for the facility's patients. For example, a person in this field may greet patients and check them into the facility. He may also collect pertinent information and patient records. Often, a person in this field has the job of scheduling patients for examinations and procedures as well. He may work to handle the completion and processing of forms used in both admitting and discharging patients, and greeting people who visit the facility as well.

An individual with this job typically provides numerous support services that help doctors and other medical staff focus on their jobs and do them well. For example, a person in this field may transcribe orders created by medical staff members and help with organizing, completing, and making copies of the information contained in patient charts. A person in this field may graph temperatures and other vital sign data and complete information needed for certificates of birth and death. He may also order medical supplies, facilitate communication between medical departments and teams, answer phones, and take messages intended for staff members. A health unit coordinator may also have the job of reaching the appropriate staff members in emergency situations.

A person who wants to become a health unit coordinator usually needs a high school diploma or general educational development (GED) diploma in order to secure a job in this field. Many employers provide on-the-job training, but some may prefer candidates who have completed health unit coordinator educational programs or similar courses of study. These programs may be found at vocational schools and community colleges, and they often require less than a year to complete. Some job candidates may also seek certification in the field, but certification is usually voluntary.