Health Unit Coordinators Day on August 23 reminds us of the important teamwork taking place in medical facilities and why health unit coordinators are so vital and indispensable. They support the medical staff by performing a variety of roles — from checking in patients to preparing birth certificates. Without health unit coordinators, hospitals would be unable to navigate the procedural requirements of even the most basic health care tasks.
Hospitals and other health care centers are massive organizations that rely on hundreds of doctors, nurses, techs, maintenance people, facilities coordinators and administrative staff to work together efficiently so that the hospital functions like a well-oiled machine. On Health Unit Coordinators Day, remember these hard-working folks helping to keep our health needs and information on track.
History of Health Unit Coordinators Day
At the end of World War II, the United States witnessed huge changes to the medical and healthcare industry. Many hospitals were flooded with patients leaving nurses and physicians with a huge workload and struggling to perform their duties to a high quality.
In order to enable nurses to focus solely on patient care, the health unit coordinators were created. These staff members have become critical and enabled vast improvements in the functioning of medical establishments.
Health unit coordinators were originally known as ‘‘floor clerks’’, ‘‘hospital secretary’’ or ‘‘ward clerk.’’ They soon developed a permanent role with hospitals and went from just completing admin tasks to managing and coordinating the activities and units.
As time has rolled by health unit coordinators have impacted America in an irreversible way. With 4.11 million people in the medical administrative workforce, they are a force to be reckoned with. On a typical day, they organize charts, transcribe physicians’ orders, and assist at the nursing station. Ultimately, they handle and juggle many duties which adhere to the running of the hospitals and medical establishments they reside in. Without them, hospitals would struggle to navigate their intricate day to day operations.
Health unit coordinators may not always get the limelight, but their work is vital and should be recognized, which is why August 23 is their day.
