Licensed Practical Nurses, or LPNs, are involved in a variety of different healthcare roles, some of which include providing routine care to patients, observing their health, providing assistance to doctors and registered nurses, or acting as an intermediary between patients and their families. LPNs also may work privately for families or businesses to provide basic care and health consultations to employees. Positions for LPNs also exist at a consultation level with government institutions, both at the state and federal level.

Job Duties

• Helps with developing individualized care plans for each patient
• Works with patients to help them achieve their rehabilitation goals and other care plan benchmarks
• Makes records of general physical and mental condition of patients, as well as any signs and symptoms displayed
• Distributes assignments to Certified Nurses Assistants (CNAs)
• Admits and discharges patients
• Assists with diagnostics as needed
• Supervises team members to ensure that all duties are being carried out correctly and efficiently

Education and Skills

• A High School diploma or equivalent education is required
• Verifiable completion of a Practical Nursing program is required
• The ability to oversee and manage a limited number of employees
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills
• Strong working knowledge of basic mathematical operations and unit conversions

A Surgical Scheduler is responsible for scheduling patients for not only surgery, but tests, referrals, medical and cardiac clearance, pre-op tests, and reviews prescribes medicines and health history as required.

Essential Job Functions

• Schedules patients for surgery and completes associated facility paperwork
• Schedules patients for any required diagnostic work such as MRI, CT, EMG/NCS, ESI, or bone scans
• Reviews patient medical records and health history to help determine any pre-admission necessary pre-admission tests
• Schedules any required medical and cardiac clearances
• Schedules patients for follow-up appointments and any additional testing required
• Performs other duties as required

Qualifications and Skills

• High school diploma or other equivalent education required
• At least one year of previous surgical scheduling experience in a healthcare facility is preferred
• Working knowledge of practice management and word processing software
• Knowledge of surgical procedures preferred
• Excellent communication skills
• Detail-oriented mentality
• Demonstrated flexibility by being able to adapt to new and changing situations in order to most effectively address patient needs

Registered Dietitians evaluate the health of their clients, and based on those findings, advise clients and patients which foods they need to eat, and which ones to avoid in order to improve their health. Registered Dietitians generally work in hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, and private practices, providing medical nutrition therapy to patients and residents. They create nutritional programs based on the specific needs of their clients, and encourage a healthy lifestyle. Dietitians also may further specialize in helping patients with specific ailments such as diabetes or kidney disease.

Job Duties

• Assesses the health needs of the patient or client
• Gives counsel on nutritional issues and healthy dieting habits to patients
• Create meal plans that take the client’s needs into account, as well as cost
• Evaluate the effectiveness of meal plans and make changes as needed
• Promote positive nutritional habits by spreading knowledge of diet, nutrition, and the effects that eating properly has on disease prevention
• Stay current with the latest scientific nutritional research
• Keep detailed records documenting each patient’s progress

Education and Skills

• Generally, Registered Dietitians are required to have a bachelor’s degree in dietetics, food and nutrition, clinical nutrition, or a related area.
• A current license in your state of practice, or the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) credential
• Strong analytical skills
• Compassion towards others
• Strong organizational skills
• Exceptional interpersonal communication abilities

A billing clerk is responsible for keeping track of, and compiling the balances and amounts owed to various medical providers. The billing clerk uses data provided to them by medical coders, and submits claims to insurance providers prior to billing patients. They also record journal entries, communicate billing adjustments to patients, and perform other clerical duties.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Work with insurance providers, healthcare providers, and patients to ensure that all claims are processed accurately
• Submit claims to insurance providers using data provided by medical coders
• Review and appeal denied or unpaid insurance claims
• Verify patient insurance coverage and answer any subsequent billing concerns
• Collect outstanding balances or debts from patients
• Manage receivables and Medicare bad-debt reports

Skills and Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required, with a Bachelor’s degree in a related field preferred
• At least one year of experience in working with billing and account receivables reports
• Working knowledge of CPT and ICD 9 codes preferred
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to multitask, and work in a fast-paced environment
• Strong computer skills and knowledge of office applications

A coder in the healthcare industry is responsible for reviewing, analyzing, and determining that any diagnoses or procedures for a patient are valid and complete.  In order to assist physicians with determining the most appropriate treatment for a patient, the coder assigns diagnostic or procedural codes to the patient’s records. Additionally, the coder will properly complete electronic health records, and ensure correct assignment of ICD-9, HCPCS, CPT, and other codes.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Submitting audits to ensure correct billing of any predetermined charges
• Bill service providers based on information received from hospitals for patient care
• Supplies accurate ICD-9 coding for all diagnoses
• Supplies accurate HCPCS and CPT coding for all procedures and services provided
• Trains care providers on updates pertaining to coding and coding information
• Audits medical records to ensure that they comply with all laws
• Ensures that final diagnoses and procedures are valid and complete

Skills and Qualifications

• High School Diploma or other equivalent is required
• Medical Coding Certificate – CPC certification required
• One year of experience with ICD-9-CM, CPT, HCPCS or equivalent codes
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Strong computer use skills
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills

A Case Manager in the healthcare industry works to ensure quality care for their clients by promoting quality, cost-effective outcomes. Case Managers provide management services to children, families, and caregivers in a number of settings like hospitals, assisted living facilities, home, or school in order to ensure any services given are appropriate for the client’s needs. They work with client’s families to ensure that services and arrangements are appropriate for the needs of everybody involved.

Job Duties

• Develop trust and a positive rapport with clients and their families
• Assist the client or their family with managing emotional distress during trying situations. Use discretion and appropriate judgement when determining a course of action
• Build and maintain relationships both with clients, and with outside care companies
• Use great interpersonal skills to accommodate patients with mental illness or emotional instability
• Manage conflict, promote positive change, and facilitate the growth of all patients being cared for
• Work with patients and their families to develop plans for patient care, taking into consideration the specific needs of the family, and coordinate with outside companies to ensure that proper care is administered

Qualifications and Experience

• A Bachelor’s degree in a field related to case management, such as human services, social work, psychology, or rehabilitation
• Strong working knowledge of mental health theory or emerging promising practices is preferred
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills required
• Ability to manage time effectively, and stay organized
• Excellent multitasking skills, and the ability to manage multiple cases or clients at one time is necessary