22 Jan Guide to Home Health Care Office Careers
The home healthcare industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the country. In 2015, it was valued at 244.4 billion USD and estimated to grow by leaps and bounds as the population in the US and the world continue to live longer and healthier lives. With rapid growth comes a massive demand for employees in the home health care space, but there simply aren’t enough home health aides to meet demand.
This should be good news for people working in the field. Salaries are on the rise and opportunities for career advancements are plentiful. Unfortunately, there tends to be a gap and most home health aides find themselves stuck in minimum wage jobs with sporadic assignments and little to no benefits.
This does not have to be the final word. There are opportunities within the industry that do pay higher salaries, that are less physically demanding and have better career prospects and employment stability. Not only do these opportunities exist, but having a home health care background is a big plus for potential employers.
In a sector where a large number of new home health aide agencies join the industry front; retirement communities, assisted living communities and hospice communities are also expanding and in need of a host of employees ranging from customer service representatives, to administrators to operational directors. There are entry level jobs that start at 25-30k a year to executive positions which are well into a six figure salary. The greatest motivator of all is that in many places you can start your career path at the entry level and work your way up to greater opportunities. With dedication, a commitment to learning and a real passion for the industry this is the time to start looking for a rewarding career within the home health care industry.
As per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the ranks of personal and home care aides are likely to experience a hike of around 70% by 2020.
This article seeks to lay out some examples of opportunities within the home health care field and a possible transition points for people who want to move out of the home health aide role.
Home Care Scheduler
Also known as home care coordinator, a home care scheduler is responsible for coordinating care coverage for home health care clients by communicating with care providers in the field. Being able to think on your feet and solve problems creatively and quickly is a must in this role and even small offices are known to employ 2-3 coordinators.
Education Required- Minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent.
Median Salary – $22,170 per year, according to the facts of Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Projected Growth- 40% (Faster than Average) (2016-2026)
Job Responsibilities of Home Care Scheduler
- Organizing and arranging schedules for customers and caregivers in line with health care plans. Arranging client appointments for care coordinators
- Maintaining the various reports and statistics of both healthcare personnel and clients.
- Contacting clients and care providers in case of any change in schedule.
- Building professional relationships with healthcare personnel and clients.
- Keeping the management updated regarding conflicts in the schedule if any.
Requirements to become a Home Care Scheduler
When hiring for home care scheduler, most employers look for the following requirements.
- Candidate must be able to multitask with an incredible level of flexibility.
- Good knowledge and understanding of customer care ethics.
- Must have good leadership qualities.
- Candidate should be someone who has a keen eye for details so that conflicting schedules and other confusing issues can be avoided.
- Candidate must be a good problem solver and be able to think on their feet.
Home Health Care Receptionist/Administrative Assistant
Responsibilities for receptionists and administrative assistants vary greatly from company to company. But generally they include answering incoming calls, taking and passing messages, coordinating meetings, following up with vendors, general office maintenance and providing assistance to the senior management team.
This is a great entry level role for those who are interested in exploring the business side of the industry. Interacting with staff at all levels will expose you to many aspects of the business and provide you with the insight to streamline your interests and career goals. Many organizations, especially small businesses, prefer to promote from within as these employees can be trusted to take on more responsibility and are already familiar with the operations of the company.
Future promotions could include caregiver coordinator, customer service representative, facility manager and an executive assistant (some executive assistants themselves make six figure salaries).
Education Required – GED or High School Diploma; Post Secondary training is helpful.
Median Salary – According to U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics – as of 2016 the median salary for these professionals is $27, 920.
Job Responsibilities of Medical Office Receptionist
- Answering incoming calls, taking and passing messages and responding to emails.
- Gathering client information and following up on various forms or data required by the office
- General office maintenance (maintaining a clean office, supplies are well stocked and ensuring corporate and regulatory office space requirements are met)
- Vendor communication
- Assisting field staff
Requirements to Become a Home Health Care Receptionist
- According to BLS, (Bureau of Labour Statistics) a medical office receptionist is required to have a minimum education i.e. High School Diploma or its equivalent such as GED.
- In some cases, employers may require formal training to meet their hiring criteria. However, most of the time it is on-the-job-training.
- Some colleges and institutes also provide certification courses and degree programs to become a medical receptionist. These courses usually include medical study, insurance information, and office procedures. Certificate programs take less than 1 year to be completed whereas degree program may take 1 to 2 years.
- Although no licensure or certification is required for the job of medical receptionist; candidates who also want to serve as a medical assistant may need to obtain the license from associated bodies.
- Must have strong computer skills as typically all medical records are kept and managed electronically. Candidates who need to brush-up on their computer skills may join data-entry courses and computer classes online or at community colleges.
- Candidates with good communication and organizational skills are given preference by employers.
Healthcare Customer Service Representative
Many home health care agencies are heavily dependent on the ability to provide excellent customer service not just in field but also as customers and prospective customers interact with the corporate office. Generally, homecare customer service representatives are responsible for interacting with clients and their families. Customer service staff are generally required to be good problem solvers and learn the business inside and out so they can offer quick and accurate information to clients.
While this position is typically an entry level job; a proven track record of being a great problem solver and successfully servicing clients will allow opportunities for advancement.
In many cases people spend approximately 2-3 years in a customer service position before begin to move up within the company (or advancing their title and pay by moving to a different company).
Education Required – High School Diploma or a GED.
Degree in the health-related study can offer the added advantage.
Median Salary – The average salary should be similar to that of a general customer care representative. As per the stats of BLS(2016), the median salary for customer care representative is $32,300 per year.
Job Responsibilities of Healthcare Customer Service Representative
- Answering requests and questions via phone and email
- Providing general services information
- Open ticket follow up on questions regarding service or client needs to ensure customer satisfaction.
- Verifying insurance coverage by contacting insurance companies and providing feedback to coordinators.
- Follow-up with care coordinators and get the required information about client’s record.
- Assisting clients with billing procedures.
Requirements to become Healthcare Customer Service Representative
- High school diploma or GED is minimum education required to become HCSR.
- The candidate should be competent to work in a fast-paced environment.
- Must be comfortable and capable to speak on the phone for long periods of time while presenting a pleasant and helpful demeanor.
- Must be able to document interaction with clients and update the customer records- usually electronically
- Good communication skills and genuinely enjoying dealing with people are a must for the long-term growth.
Home Care Operations Director
Most business owners employ a Director of Operations to to ensure that their service is being delivered as planned. This requires coordination across departments, an in depth understanding of the various functions of the company and great attention to detail to make sure all the parts are working as one. The Director of Operations is generally a senior or executive level position which oversees the day to day operations of the business. This can vary greatly depending on the size and complexity of the business processes but generally includes overseeing the recruiting, hiring and managing of staff, ensuring compliance with all local and federal requirements, and managing the organizations systems and solutions.
Education Required- This role generally requires a minimum of a college degree but some small companies will promote based on competence and ability over education – especially in the case of internal promotions.
Experience- 5 Years or more.
Median Salary- According to Salary.com, the median salary for this role in 2017 was $118,000
Job Responsibilities-
- Staff management
- Ensuring the safety of clients, manager and other staff members.
- Overseeing operational systems and procedures like payroll, client records, scheduling and customer communications.
- Data management and improving client care based on data
- Maintaining communication with other managers and teams.Requirements to become Home Care Operations Director
- Must have strong ability to express expectations and provide strong feedback to run the business operations effectively.
- Promote positivity among workers as this ultimately enhances efficiency in the workplace.
- Creating the platform for open discussion.
- Must be flexible and open to changing schedules and plans
- Analytical thinking and problem solving skills are a must
Above is just a sampling of career options that are available to you. These roles can build off of each other or just provide a starting point for home health aides looking to change their careers while remaining in the healthcare industry.
The key is to not be intimidated by requirements or a lack of familiarity with the process or systems. There are plenty of accessible, inexpensive and even free online resources to prepare you for the next steps in your career!
Stay tuned with Ozer Training for ideas, reviews and advice on courses and resources to help keep you motivated and ready to push forward on your path to success!