How do I become a good patient care coordinator?

To become a good patient care coordinator requires empathy, communication skills, time management, and reliance. Empathy As a healthcare professional, being able to put yourself in a patient's shoes allows you to understand their feelings and anticipate their needs. For care coordinators, you will have to get a detailed medical history of your patient, which requires trust and compassion.

How much does a patient coordinator make?

A patient coordinator makes $35,000 a year, on average ($17.02 an hour). The range in what a patient coordinator can make starts from as little as $27,000 a year to as much as $52,000 a year. Factors such as location and company type impact where on the pay scale a patient coordinator will fall.

How To Become A Patient Care Coordinator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a patient care coordinator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

A patient care coordinator acts as a liaison between patients and healthcare providers. They help to ensure patients receive the appropriate care and support throughout treatment. Patient care coordinators work closely with doctors, nurses, and social workers to develop and implement personalized patient care plans. They also help patients navigate the healthcare system and connect them with resources such as insurance, financial assistance, and community support. Overall, they provide patients with high-quality, coordinated care.

ScorePatient Care CoordinatorUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $34,884

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

8.3

Growth Rate -4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.68%

Asian 6.33%

Black or African American 10.78%

Hispanic or Latino 24.05%

Unknown 5.20%

White 52.97%

Gender

female 88.33%

male 11.67%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress Level

8.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

7.6

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.5

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Patient Care Coordinator?

Pros

Competitive salary and benefits
Room for growth and advancement within the organization
Flexible scheduling options available
Opportunities for continuing education and professional development
Potential for job stability and security

Cons

High stress levels due to dealing with patients and their families during difficult times
Long and irregular hours, including night and weekend shifts
Need to maintain accurate records and documentation
Limited autonomy in decision-making processes
Emotional toll of witnessing patient suffering and loss

Newest jobs for Patient Care Coordinator in Columbus, OH

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Key steps to become a patient care coordinator

Explore patient care coordinator education requirements

Most common patient care coordinator degrees

Bachelor's

40.1 %

Associate

27.1 %

High School Diploma

12.2 %

Start to develop specific patient care coordinator skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	32.25%
Customer Service	12.65%
Home Health	5.62%
Data Entry	2.86%
Patient Appointments	2.80%

Complete relevant patient care coordinator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New patient care coordinators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a patient care coordinator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real patient care coordinator resumes.

Research patient care coordinator duties and responsibilities

Communicate with insurance companies on a continuous basis to ensure hospital reimbursement and attain authorization for home and rehabilitation services.
Manage caseload by providing care coordination to individuals with a primary intellectual/developmental disability diagnosis all of whom receive community-base waiver services.
Check in, check out patients, and do EKG's.
Gain knowledge relate to bundle payments for orthopedic patients and the rules and regulations set forth by CMS.

Prepare your patient care coordinator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your patient care coordinator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a patient care coordinator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Patient Care Coordinator Resume templates

Build a professional Patient Care Coordinator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Patient Care Coordinator resume.

Apply for patient care coordinator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a patient care coordinator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do patient care coordinators rate their job?

4/5

Based On 1 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Patient Care Coordinator reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros

Putting that patient/customet first and directing (directions) that person to their Doctors office and setting or cancelling their appointments, just helping people.

4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros

Gaining valued insurance knowledge and expertise.

Cons

Limited opportunity for an advanced position supervisor leading to manager.