8 Non-Clinical Healthcare Jobs That Make a Difference

Medical records and health information technicians are responsible for the organization, management and coding of healthcare information. By organizing and coding the data obtained during the care process, they not only help the clinical staff in their work, but the data they collect can also be used to help management make decisions regarding a healthcare facility’s revenue and help streamline their processes.

These technicians tend to be computer literate and have some level of training in medical billing and coding. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), some positions in this field may require candidates to have postsecondary education like an undergraduate certificate or an associate degree, while some other positions may only require candidates to have a high school diploma.

Billing specialists, sometimes called medical billers, ensure the accuracy of all procedure codes and patient information on record before sending a bill. They also work closely with insurance companies to make sure that any bills filed meet the specifications set by the insurance company. The work that medical billers do directly impacts the patient’s cost of care and helps make the process run more smoothly for both the patient and the insurance company.

Like health information technicians, some medical billers might only need a high school diploma to enter the field, while some others may choose to earn additional credentials such as an undergraduate certificate in medical billing and coding. Some billing specialists may even choose to pursue professional certifications in the field to help increase their chances of finding a job, getting promoted or if a position they want to consider requires it.

Health insurance claims specialists use medical billing knowledge to process insurance claim information. They tend to work for insurance companies but may also be employed by care facilities where they work to build accurate claims that are more likely to be covered by insurance companies. By doing this, they not only help the patient receive care that is covered, they help expedite the billing process, allowing administrative staff to move on to other tasks more quickly.

Coding professionals, also known as clinical coders, review clinical statements created during the care process and assign codes to each of the individual services performed. These codes directly correlate to specific procedures, treatments, equipment and ailments and are used by billing professionals to assign costs on a billing statement. The codes also simplify the data regarding treatment, allowing it to be more easily analyzed. This analysis can also inform staff on where to make adjustments about how a care facility is run and help make it more efficient.

Like both of the careers we’ve discussed so far, coding professionals may have some level of postsecondary education.

Healthcare administrators work in a care facility’s offices and oversee its day-to-day operations. Their work makes a serious impact on doctors, nurses and patients as they are often responsible for setting up work schedules, monitoring budgets and training hospital staff. Because of the degree of oversight and influence that healthcare administrators have, it is often preferred for healthcare managers to hold at least a bachelor’s degree, according to another article from the BLS.

Health information managers analyze data in order to determine more effective management and decision-making strategies. While they often do not make these decisions themselves, the data they gather play a key role in influencing decisions that are made at the highest levels of hospital management.

Most health information managers, as with other management roles, typically need to have a bachelor's degree in a field such as healthcare management, which can provide them with industry insight to help prepare them to pursue the role.

Medical office managers are responsible for overseeing administrative tasks within the offices of a care facility. Their work enables the facility to effectively generate revenue and attract talented clinical staff to provide better care for patients.

Medical office managers may utilize many of the skills that they learned from a business or healthcare management degree program to implement effective management practices.

Admissions coordinators are critical to the healthcare process and are often one of the first people to interact with a patient. They help patients fill out paperwork and ask questions to get accurate information for the facility’s records. Once information is collected, they check it for accuracy, ask any necessary follow-up questions and admit the patient to the facility.