Medical practices, regardless of specialty, serve patients from diverse backgrounds and with varying levels of need. As a healthcare provider managing your own practice, you need to maximize every role on your team to make sure they contribute to the growth of your organization, and this starts with understanding them better.
One job role that plays a critical role in not only fostering a positive patient experience but also improving patient outcomes is the patient care coordinator. But what exactly is a patient care coordinator? What are the different types of patient care coordinators? What does the average salary of a patient care coordinator look like? How can you find your ideal talent?
Let’s discuss that in this article.
What is a Patient Care Coordinator?
In most cases, a patient’s treatment plan is complex, involving multiple phases and providers in different areas of specialization. To help make sure patients adhere to the treatment plan you’ll create for them, patient care coordinators help keep the plan organized throughout the treatment journey.
As the primary point of contact between you, the patient, their insurance payer, and other specialists, patient care coordinators keep the patients from feeling overwhelmed by scheduling appointments, communicating with multiple parties, and providing guidance throughout the course of their treatment.
However, patient care coordinators do not only serve to benefit patients. According to an article from the American Medical Association (AMA), 42.9% of physicians were struggling with job-related stress in 2025. A declining number compared to 2024’s 45.1% and 2023’s 50.7%, but still a major concern because it affects a doctor’s ability to provide patient care.
While organization growth is a long-term objective, administrative tasks such as appointment coordination, insurance reconciliation, and multi-provider communication can eat into the time your team needs to grow. If your practice has a patient care coordinator, you can avoid having administrative bottlenecks that can slow down your team’s workflow and take time away from clinical tasks.
By coordinating patient care and keeping it organized, they can help you and the rest of your practice staff focus on higher-impact responsibilities.
What Are The Different Types of Patient Care Coordinators?
In the healthcare industry, doctors often choose between two types of patient care coordinators: in-person or virtual.
As the name suggests, an in-person patient care coordinator collaborates with you and your staff within your practice’s physical location. On the other hand, a virtual patient care coordinator, often fulfilled by medical virtual assistants (VAs), performs the same responsibilities remotely. Because working in an actual workplace is generally considered the standard setup, it’s easy to assume that hiring an in-person employee is the better option. However, virtual patient care coordinators offer several unique advantages worth considering.
In-Person or Virtual Patient Care Coordinators?
| Category | In-Person | Virtual |
| *Average Salary | Approximately $96,820/year (plus benefits) | Approximately $11/hour |
| Management Demand | Requires direct, hands-on supervision from your practice | Can be more hands-off when hired through a VA company with a dedicated account manager |
| Overhead Expenses | Requires office space, computer, equipment, and other workplace resources | Minimal overhead because they typically provide their own equipment and work remotely |
| Communication | Immediate, face-to-face communication within the practice | Real-time communication through phone, messaging platforms, email, and video conferencing |
| Scalability | Additional hires will incur additional overhead | Additional hires will not incur additional overhead |
*Source: Salary.com
Apart from the differences between in-person and virtual patient coordinator salary and their relevant expenses, payroll is another important thing to consider when choosing between the two.
When you choose an in-person patient care coordinator, processing payroll remains your responsibility because they are direct hires. In contrast, virtual patient care coordinators are often provided by outsourcing companies like My Mountain Mover that handle payroll on your behalf, allowing you to spend less time disbursing the patient care coordinator salary and more time on clinical tasks.
However, one isn’t necessarily better than the other because ultimately, your ideal type of patient care coordinator will depend on what your practice needs. If you need someone who will report to your practice for work every day, an in-person hire will be your best choice. If you’re looking to fill a patient care coordinator role without increasing your practice’s total expenses, virtual patient care coordinators are worth considering.
What Are The Qualities of a Good Patient Care Coordinator?
If you want to hire a patient care coordinator effectively, you should understand the qualities that candidates need to have to help you achieve your practice’s long-term objectives.
By default, knowledge of medical terminology, healthcare regulations, clinical procedures, and industry policies is necessary because much of their work is highly specialized. Apart from that, a strong patient care coordinator should also be proficient with your practice’s choice of EHR system because your workflow largely depends on how well it is used. Patient care coordinators also need to be able to document and interpret patient information accurately, so your ideal hire needs to have solid analytical and data management skills.
Soft skills are equally important. Because patient care coordinators spend much of their time connecting patients to other key players in their treatment plan, they should be excellent communicators with strong critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Most importantly, they should approach every patient interaction with empathy and a patient-centered mindset to provide compassionate, high-quality support.
How Can I Find Patient Care Coordinators For My Practice?
When you’re ready to hire a patient care coordinator, you have several recruitment options available.
Online Job Sites
The internet has become one of the most effective places to recruit new employees. LinkedIn remains one of the most popular platforms because it allows you to search for candidates based on job title, location, preferred work arrangement, and other hiring criteria. You can also publish job openings and set your patient care coordinator salary range so interested candidates can submit their applications directly.
Alternatively, Fiverr and Upwork are also strong options. These platforms operate similarly to LinkedIn but focus more on freelance and remote hires. The edge of online job sites is flexibility, giving you full control over your recruitment process. However, you’ll also be responsible for reviewing applications, screening candidates, conducting interviews, and preparing employment contracts.
Virtual Assistant Companies
If you’re looking for a more passive recruitment method, you should consider partnering with virtual assistant companies. These companies recruit, screen, train, and match qualified remote professionals with healthcare practices like yours. Many VA companies also provide HIPAA certification and ongoing compliance training for their staff, giving you additional confidence in their ability to handle sensitive patient information.
By hiring a virtual patient care coordinator through a reputable virtual assistant company, you can spend less time recruiting while gaining access to qualified professionals who have already been vetted for healthcare support roles. But compared to candidates from Fiverr and Upwork, company-backed VAs often require a higher salary for the patient coordinator role.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which medical specialties benefit the most from hiring a patient care coordinator?
Almost every specialty can benefit from patient care coordination, but the role is especially valuable in practices that manage chronic conditions, frequent referrals, or long-term treatment plans.
Can a patient care coordinator help reduce patient no-shows?
Yes. Patient care coordinators can confirm appointments, follow up with patients, and address scheduling concerns before the visit, helping improve your practice’s patient attendance and keep your schedule running more efficiently.
How can I tell if my patient care coordinator is performing well?
To have a realistic assessment of your patient care coordinator’s impact on your practice, you can use several key performance indicators. These include appointment completion rates, referral turnaround time, patient satisfaction rates, and documentation accuracy.
