As the second open enrollment period under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act moves forward, there continues to be a high demand for nonclinical and frontline healthcare positions, according to a recent report by the nonprofit College for America at Southern New Hampshire University.
Baby boomer retirement, new technology and the implementation of the PPACA are all "redefining the nature of the patient care team," according to the report.
Here are six takeaways directly from the report:
1. By 2022, there will be a projected 21.9 million workers in the healthcare industry.
2. Forty-two percent of the healthcare workforce is made up of nonclinical, community and social service, and support positions.
3. Frontline and nonclinical workers are expected to participate in a high-functioning team by expertly communicating with patients, families, and peers.
4. The shift to team-based patient care and an increased focus on the patient experience demands more complex skills sets of nonclinical and frontline workers.
5. Six of today's fastest-growing frontline and nonclinical healthcare jobs are: patient representative, community health worker, medical records technician, office supervisor, medical office specialist, and medical assistant.
6. The workforce strategies team at College for America has reviewed 250 detailed work activities in these positions and identified 55 that are common to most of these fast-growing positions. Among the examples of shared detailed work activities for growing frontline and nonclinical healthcare roles are: maintain confidentiality of data and information according to procedures; maintain cooperative relationships with clients, vendors, customers and stakeholders; operate computers to enter, calculate, access, and retrieve data; prepare technical, managerial, financial, or informational reports; and respond to concerns from workers, parents, or students.
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