Patient coordinator vs unit coordinator

The differences between patient coordinators and unit coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a patient coordinator, becoming a unit coordinator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a unit coordinator has an average salary of $43,688, which is higher than the $32,954 average annual salary of a patient coordinator.

The top three skills for a patient coordinator include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for a unit coordinator are patients, customer service, and medical terminology.

Patient coordinator vs unit coordinator overview

	Patient Coordinator	Unit Coordinator
Yearly salary	$32,954	$43,688
Hourly rate	$15.84	$21.00
Growth rate	-4%	-8%
Number of jobs	97,878	85,294
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	40	49
Years of experience	4	2

What does a patient coordinator do?

A patient coordinator functions as the primary point of contact between health care professionals and patients in a medical facility. They mostly perform administrative tasks such as greeting visitors, answering calls, responding to inquiries, managing schedules, arranging appointments, processing payments, gathering information, and keeping records. Moreover, they assist in filling out forms, escorting patients to different rooms or offices, and setting treatment plans. Most importantly, they discuss and share necessary information with patients and families regarding medications, procedures, and proceeding care according to a physician's assessment.

What does a unit coordinator do?

A unit coordinator is responsible for providing quality care services to patients by supporting the daily operations of a health care facility under the supervision of medical professionals. Unit coordinators perform administrative and clerical tasks as needed, including responding to patients' inquiries and concerns, scheduling appointments, sorting medical records, verifying insurance details, and assisting the physician on the care plans and patients' activities. They also monitor the medical supply inventory, coordinate with suppliers, and ensure the cleanliness and orderliness of the facility by adhering to safety standards and protocols.

Patient coordinator vs unit coordinator salary

Patient coordinators and unit coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Coordinator	Unit Coordinator
Average salary	$32,954	$43,688
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $41,000	Between $29,000 And $65,000
Highest paying City	Brockton, MA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	California
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Ohio's Hospice
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between patient coordinator and unit coordinator education

There are a few differences between a patient coordinator and a unit coordinator in terms of educational background:

	Patient Coordinator	Unit Coordinator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Business	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Patient coordinator vs unit coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between patient coordinators' and unit coordinators' demographics:

	Patient Coordinator	Unit Coordinator
Average age	40	49
Gender ratio	Male, 11.2% Female, 88.8%	Male, 20.7% Female, 79.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 25.4% Asian, 6.2% White, 51.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	7%	9%

Differences between patient coordinator and unit coordinator duties and responsibilities

Patient coordinator example responsibilities.

Comply with HIPAA regulations by discreetly and professionally handling all patients private medical information.
Gather personal plus insurance information and perform thorough insurance breakdowns for patients.
Communicate directly with patients to obtain initial patient information and respond to inquiries.
Process and update HIPAA relate paperwork and other require institutional forms as necessary.
Obtain all necessary documentation prior to surgery such as proof of identification, copy of insurance and require insurance referrals.
Respond in writing to all grievances in accordance with CMS and DNV guidelines.

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Unit coordinator example responsibilities.

Manage inpatient transfers to rehabilitation and medical facilities, along with preparing and monitoring outpatient billings insurance verification and referrals.
Demonstrate care and compassion toward all patients and family members at all times.
Receive all incoming phone calls; triage calls from the hospital emergency room.
Display ability to identify and prioritize degree of urgency via assignment of triage.
Review all patients EMR to ensure all appropriate power plans and quality measure consoles have been initiate.
Coordinate the daily events in an ICU setting and all other secretarial duties, including but not limit to maintaining equipment.

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Patient coordinator vs unit coordinator skills

Common patient coordinator skills

Patients, 30%
Customer Service, 11%
Patient Care, 6%
Patient Flow, 5%
Excellent Organizational, 4%
Check-In, 3%

Common unit coordinator skills

Patients, 26%
Customer Service, 12%
Medical Terminology, 8%
CPR, 3%
Patient Flow, 3%
Physician Orders, 3%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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