Doctors and nurses are critical to ensuring that patients have 24/7 access to care, but so are other workers in hospitals and health systems whose roles are less visible. To celebrate these individuals, the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare is shining a light on these hidden healthcare heroes!
1. Security guards keep patients and staff safe, and are among the first employees many patients see. Hospital security guards are essential to care, working around the clock to protect patients and workers, dealing with difficult situations and helping medical staff focus on patient care.
2. Social workers connect patients to resources, arrange discharge planning, and help families make the most difficult choices. Social workers ask questions like: “How will you manage at home?” and “Do you have safe housing?” For vulnerable patients, social workers are invaluable lifelines.
3. Volunteers donate their time to comfort families in waiting rooms, drive patients between departments, and hold and comfort infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs).
4. EMTs, phlebotomy technicians, radiology technicians, and other allied health professionals use their technical expertise to handle and care for patients using the specialized equipment that is often required to diagnose and treat patients.
5. Scribes support physicians with patient history, billing and charting. They save time for physicians, increase patient satisfaction, and reduce burnout.
6. Environmental Services Technicians keep hospitals clean and safe. Their duties go far beyond housekeeping. Environmental services workers are trained in the complex processes required to disinfect the hospital environment, manage linens and waste, and prevent the spread of dangerous pathogens. Though they aren’t the most visible healthcare workers, 24/7 access to healthcare would not be possible without them.
As hospitals and health systems around the country face cuts to care, supporting the healthcare workforce and every role within it remains one of the Coalition’s key priorities.
Did we miss a role that deserves a shout out? Let us know at info@strengthenhealthcare.org. Are you a healthcare worker? We’d love to hear from you! Send us a video or write to us!