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

What is a patient service coordinator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

A patient service coordinator is an individual who works in healthcare settings, usually hospitals or clinics, to ensure that patients receive the care they need. They serve as a liaison between patients, medical providers, and insurance companies to coordinate appointments, tests, and treatments. Patient service coordinators are responsible for managing medical records, communicating with patients about their treatment plans, and addressing any concerns or questions they may have. They also help patients navigate the healthcare system by providing information about available resources and support services.

ScorePatient Service CoordinatorUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $34,754

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.3

Growth rate -4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.71%

Asian 7.08%

Black or African American 13.51%

Hispanic or Latino 22.66%

Unknown 5.33%

White 50.71%

Gender

female 86.60%

male 13.40%

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

7.7

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 service coordinator?

Pros

Opportunity to work in healthcare without a clinical background
Room for growth within the organization
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
Chance to develop strong communication and problem-solving skills
Can provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment

Cons

Can be emotionally taxing due to working with sick or injured patients
Requires strong organizational skills to manage multiple tasks
May require long hours or working weekends/holidays
Requires strong attention to detail to ensure accuracy of patient information
May require dealing with insurance companies, which can be frustrating and time-consuming

Key steps to become a patient service coordinator

Explore patient service coordinator education requirements

Most common patient service coordinator degrees

Bachelor's

43.0 %

Associate

21.9 %

High School Diploma

15.3 %

Start to develop specific patient service coordinator skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	22.16%
Customer Service	8.65%
Patient Care	7.36%
Medical Terminology	5.25%
Front Desk	4.52%

Complete relevant patient service coordinator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New patient service 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 service coordinator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real patient service coordinator resumes.

Research patient service coordinator duties and responsibilities

Register patients for diagnostic testing, surgery, direct admissions from physician offices and new patient admissions for newborns.
Process release of information requests for patients and third party groups including outside providers, rehabilitation facilities, and law offices.
Schedule patients using state-of-the-art EMR, oversee physician calendar, correspondence, and communicate with referring physician offices.
Welcome patients as they arrive and perform check-in responsibilities: verifying, collecting and confirming insurance and demographic information.

Prepare your patient service coordinator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your patient service 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 service 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 service coordinator resume templates

Build a professional patient service 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 service coordinator resume.

Apply for patient service coordinator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a patient service 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 service coordinators rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Patient service 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.

Cons

There's nothing to dislike.

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019