Healthcare
is one of the hottest career fields in America today. The aging and
retiring of the largest population segment in the country, known as
“baby boomers”, has left the healthcare industry racing
to find enough employees to fill the void. Advances in medical technology
and treatment are causing people to live longer as well. Add the fact
many universities and colleges don’t have enough teachers to
train new employees; there becomes a ripe market for healthcare careers.
You would be amazed how many types of healthcare careers there are
available. This article will discuss three main categories; patient
care, non-patient care and operations. We’ll also discuss an
amazing new trend with tremendous opportunity – home health.
Three main healthcare jobs in the category of patient care are nursing,
medical assisting and dental hygiene.
Nursing consists mainly of direct patient care, but this can take
place in a hospital, private doctor’s office, or an institution
like a school, ski resort or cruise ship. With additional education
or experience, some nurses become nurse managers, shift supervisors,
epidemiologists, or counsel to insurance companies and law offices.
Medical assistants primarily provide patient care; performing routine
medical functions to free up the time of the doctor. In the past,
some of these medical services could only be provided by doctors.
Medical assistants administer medication, take vital signs and update
medical history.
Dental hygienists perform a similar function to medical assistants,
only in a dentist’s office. A hygienist will clean teeth, advise
patients on proper dental health and assist dentists with more complex
procedures. The outlook for this profession is excellent, with demand
far outpacing supply.
Many non-patient care positions also exist in the healthcare field.
Medical coding is one such profession. Medical coders must know terminology
and how to read a patient’s chart. They update medical records
every time a patient receives healthcare. Some upward mobility is
available in management. Many people secure a job as a coder as a
way to subsidize further medical education.
Medical office administration is another healthcare position that
doesn’t involve patient care. These positions answer phones,
coordinate with hospitals and check in/out patients. Moves to office
management or medical coding/billing are advancement opportunities.
Some people also use this position to further their education.
Healthcare institutions are a large employer of operational positions
as well.
Information technology professionals are in strong demand since hospitals
utilize state of the art databases to store patient’s medical
and billing records. Database administrators and web programmers are
a vital part of a hospital’s daily operations.
Medical billing and administration is another key component of healthcare
operations. Medical facilities hire for billing positions, collections
and administrative support. Special courses / experience are required
in medical terminology and billing to obtain these types of jobs.
A rapidly growing sector of healthcare where all of these positions
are required is that of home health. In the next six years, Medicare
funding of home healthcare is expected to double. Over 7.6 million
patients are being treated at home for both long term and short term
care. Home healthcare is considered by the medical field and health
insurers to be the most cost effective, humane and compassionate method
of care.
The shortage of experienced healthcare workers in the United States
is creating a boom for people who want to enter this field. There
are many career options including positions that involve patient care
and those that don’t. The current shortage of employees has
created excellent starting salaries, generous benefits and signing
bonuses.
For more information on how you can get the proper training, go here
www.top-colleges.com.
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