ESSAY Health Care Career Opportunities

Health Care Career Opportunities

This week, you will look at various health care professionals and the structures in which they function. This knowledge will help you understand how your role fits within the overall health care structure. There are also many support roles within health care that are essential to the industry. This week also gives you the chance to identify various health care employers, industries, and opportunities in your community.
Key Concepts

1. Identify the career spectrum within the health care industry.

a. Unlicensed health care team members

b. Licensed team members

c. Leadership roles

d. Industries that support health care delivery

i. Health care manufacturing

1. Stryker Corp., 3M, Johnson & Johnson, Baxter International

ii. Insurance/managed care

1. UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, Humana, Universal American Corp., Health Net, Coventry Health Care

iii. Pharmaceuticals

1. Abbott Laboratories, GlaxoSmithKline, Wyeth, Pfizer

iv. Waste management

1. Waste Management, Healthcare Waste Management, World Health Organization (WHO), Aramark

v. Facility design

1. Environments for Aging (EFA)
2. Health Care Institute
3. The Center for Health Design (www.healthdesign.org)

vi. Sustainability

1. Kaiser Permanente, Geisinger Health System, Inova Health System, Advocate Health Care

vii. Food service

1. Association for Healthcare Foodservice (www.healthcarefoodservice.org)
2. Nisonger Associates Inc.

viii. Wellness centers

1. Spas, longevity wellness centers

ix. Information systems and technology

1. Verizon Wireless, GlobalMed, CareFusion Corp., Phillips, McKesson Corp.

x. Volunteer or mentoring/career exposure experiences

1. American Heart Association
2. Wounded Warrior Project and other military support organizations
3. American Cancer Society
4. Parkinson’s Foundation
5. Alzheimer’s Association
6. Special needs organizations
7. Local hospitals and nursing homes
8. Adult day care
9. American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE)

a. University of Phoenix has student and faculty rates for this organization

10. Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)
11. American Health Care Association (AHCA)
12. Differentiate between roles of health care professionals.

a. Indirect patient care

i. Medical lab technologists

ii. Health educators

iii. Administrative personnel (professionals who deal with the daily business operations of a facility)

1. Directors deal with the overall performance and compliance, direction, and business success of the hospital.
2. Department managers manage staff and departmental issues in the hospital.
3. Shift managers deal with the situations and issues that arise during an assigned shift.
4. Social workers are trained specialists who help people with various social and economic issues, such as unemployment, terminal illness, abuse situations, or addiction.
5. Billing personnel are responsible for accurate accounting, billing, and collecting funds owed to the hospital.
6. Health information systems personnel deal with the electronic storage and accessibility of medical information and take care of computer network issues.

iv. Manufacturing

1. Medical manufacturing
2. Research and development
3. Design and development of medical devices and equipment
4. Research implementation and effectiveness of medical devices or equipment
5. Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing

v. Insurance

vi. Medical product distribution centers

vii. Health care product retailers

viii. Federal and state health regulators

ix. Photographers and illustrators

x. Transcriptionists

xi. Medical record technician

xii. Entry-level positions: clerks, hospital admission clerks, ward clerks, medical coders, sterilization technicians, data analysts, front office staff, sales representatives, etc.

b. Direct patient care

i. Medical doctors: physicians who diagnosis and treat diseases

ii. General practitioners: physicians who provide medical care to all types of patients

iii. Surgeons: physicians who provide surgical services for patients

iv. Cardiologists: physicians who specialize in heart diseases

v. Gerontologists: physicians who specialize in providing health care for older adults

vi. Radiologists: physicians who specialize in reading X-rays and in treating diseases with radiological interventions

vii. Nurses: professionals who treat patients, educate patients and the public about health issues, and act as the patient’s advocate in the health care system

viii. Advanced practice nurses: registered nurses who possess a graduate degree with specialized training and licensure

ix. Physician assistants: professionals who work under the supervision of a physician and who diagnose and treat diseases

x. Pharmacists: professionals who advise the medical profession and the public about the proper selection and use of medications

xi. Emergency medical technicians and paramedics: certified technicians who provide on-the-scene emergency care for patients involved in accidents or trauma who require immediate medical attention

xii. Therapists

xiii. Dentists: provide oral care

xiv. Dieticians

xv. Optometrists

xvi. Speech-language pathologists an audiologists

xvii. Social workers

xviii. Psychologists

xix. Athletic trainers

xx. Veterinarians

3. Identify various health care employers and industries in your local communities.

a. Hospitals

b. Long-term care facilities

c. Doctors’ offices

d. Pharmacies

e. Laboratories

f. Clinics

g. Insurance agencies

h. Distribution companies of health-related products

i. Manufacturers of health products

j. Therapists

k. Retailers or distribution centers