Unit secretary vs referral coordinator

The differences between unit secretaries and referral coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a unit secretary and a referral coordinator. Additionally, a referral coordinator has an average salary of $35,179, which is higher than the $32,153 average annual salary of a unit secretary.

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

Unit secretary vs referral coordinator overview

	Unit Secretary	Referral Coordinator
Yearly salary	$32,153	$35,179
Hourly rate	$15.46	$16.91
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	69,543	65,934
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	2	2

What does a unit secretary do?

Unit secretaries are administrative workers in a medical facility, usually a hospital or a clinic. They are in charge of religious activities in the unit or department they are assigned to. They manage incoming and outgoing mail, phone calls, and even appointments. They handle filing and recording of the documents of the department. They also take minutes of meetings and ensure that action plans are followed through. Unit secretaries should be familiar with the individuals in the department. They should also be accustomed to the schedule of members of the unit. Unit secretaries should be organized, dedicated, and trustworthy.

What does a referral coordinator do?

A referral coordinator works with insurance companies and care providers to share essential patient information and assists primarily in scheduling appointments and managing health insurance issues. As a referral coordinator, you will work directly with the patient, patient families, or even social workers, depending on the job and patient needs. Other job responsibilities include general administrative or clerical tasks such as setting up appointments for new and existing patients, verifying insurance information before appointments, and answering phone calls.

Unit secretary vs referral coordinator salary

Unit secretaries and referral coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Unit Secretary	Referral Coordinator
Average salary	$32,153	$35,179
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $40,000	Between $27,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	Portland, ME	Portland, ME
Highest paying state	California	Maine
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Horizon Laser Vision
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between unit secretary and referral coordinator education

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

	Unit Secretary	Referral Coordinator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common major	Nursing	Business
Most common college	-	-

Unit secretary vs referral coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between unit secretaries' and referral coordinators' demographics:

	Unit Secretary	Referral Coordinator
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 10.6% Female, 89.4%	Male, 10.2% Female, 89.8%
Race ratio	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%	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	9%	9%

Differences between unit secretary and referral coordinator duties and responsibilities

Unit secretary example responsibilities.

Create and maintain confidential patient files; implement EHR systems to automate patient records management.
Manage Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.
Manage the medical unit by supervising its activities, accurately transcribing physician orders, and prioritizing tasks.
Conduct 6 mass vaccination campaigns, manage protein-calorie malnutrition, coordinate epidemiological surveillance, and direct health facility rehabilitation
Assist patients with their daily routine, including feeding, cleanliness and basic needs.
Post anesthesia recovery care for ophthalmology, ENT and plastic surgery patients

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Referral coordinator example responsibilities.

Establish rapport with all PCP offices, hospital personnel, and manage care representatives.
Ensure CPT and ICD-9 coding are accurate and complete according to AMA's guidelines and for third party intermediaries.
Contact medical insurance companies and provide ICD-9 diagnosis and CPT procedure codes for patient's illness, condition or injury.
Apply ICD-9 and CPT-4 codes to complete referral requests online or via fax.
Conduct the entire office's EHR process and create a system to track old and new patient's records.
Incorporate core organizational values of quality, respect, integrity, partnership, and compassion in all activities and decisions.

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Unit secretary vs referral coordinator skills

Common unit secretary skills

Patients, 25%
Patient Care, 13%
Medical Terminology, 10%
Customer Service, 7%
Patient Charts, 4%
Physician Orders, 4%

Common referral coordinator skills

Patients, 30%
Customer Service, 12%
Medical Terminology, 7%
Patient Care, 4%
Data Entry, 4%
EMR, 3%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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