Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Unit Clerk

🎯 Role Definition

The Unit Clerk (also known as Unit Secretary or Medical Unit Clerk) is the administrative backbone of a hospital unit or clinical department. This role coordinates patient flow, maintains accurate medical records and electronic health record (EHR) documentation, manages orders and communications between clinical teams, and provides professional reception and clerical services to patients, families, and multidisciplinary staff. The Unit Clerk ensures operational efficiency, supports clinical decision-making by handling clerical tasks effectively, and maintains confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA and organizational policies.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Medical Office Receptionist or Front Desk Administrative Assistant in a clinical setting
Patient Registration Clerk or Admissions Representative
Health Unit Coordinator or Clinical Support Worker trainee

Advancement To:

Lead Unit Clerk / Unit Clerk Supervisor
Medical Records Coordinator or Health Information Technician
Patient Flow Coordinator or Admissions Manager

Lateral Moves:

Medical Office Manager
Scheduling Coordinator (Surgery/Clinic)
Billing and Coding Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Greet patients, families, and visitors with professionalism and warmth, perform check-in procedures, verify identity and primary insurance information, and enter patient demographics into the electronic health record (EHR) to ensure accurate registration and timely access to care.
Answer and triage multi-line hospital phone systems, direct clinical and non-clinical calls to appropriate staff, take clear and confidential messages, and follow escalation protocols for urgent clinical issues.
Maintain and update patient charts, both digital and paper, by filing physician orders, lab results, imaging reports, consent forms, and nursing notes to ensure current and complete medical records for safe patient care.
Process physician orders and medication administration documentation by transcribing or verifying orders into the EHR, communicating order changes to nursing and pharmacy, and tracking completion to support continuity of care.
Coordinate bed assignments, admissions, discharges, and transfers using bed management systems and hospital policies, communicating with nursing, transport, and admitting departments to optimize patient flow.
Schedule tests, diagnostic imaging, procedures, and consults per provider instructions and hospital protocols, confirm patient prep instructions, and communicate scheduling changes to patients and care teams.
Verify and obtain pre-authorizations or insurance referrals when required, liaise with case management and insurance representatives, and document authorization details to reduce billing delays and denials.
Prepare and distribute daily patient census reports, unit status boards, shift handover logs, and admission/discharge lists to nursing leadership and allied departments to facilitate situational awareness and staff planning.
Perform accurate data entry of vital administrative information—such as patients’ demographics, physician orders, and disposition status—ensuring data integrity for reporting, quality improvement, and reimbursement processes.
Coordinate specimen and lab pick-ups by collecting requisitions, labeling samples per hospital policy, documenting time/collector details, and communicating with the laboratory to ensure timely processing and results.
Manage incoming and outgoing clinical documentation, faxing or scanning discharge summaries, physician notes, and referrals securely into the medical record and ensuring compliance with HIPAA and internal retention policies.
Act as a central communication hub during codes, rapid responses, and other clinical emergencies by notifying required personnel, maintaining logs, and assisting with documentation as requested by clinical leadership.
Monitor and maintain unit supply inventory for clerical and patient-care supplies, place orders when stocks fall below thresholds, and coordinate with supply chain or central materials management to prevent workflow interruptions.
Coordinate and document patient consent forms, advanced directives, and legal documents as required; ensure forms are signed, witnessed if necessary, and correctly filed in patient charts for legal and clinical completeness.
Prepare and reconcile patient discharge paperwork, instructions, follow-up appointments, prescriptions, and community resource referrals, ensuring patients and caregivers understand post-discharge care and next steps.
Facilitate interdisciplinary communication by scheduling and documenting multidisciplinary rounds, clinic huddles, and family conferences, and by distributing meeting minutes and action items to team members.
Track and follow up on outstanding orders, consult results, and incomplete documentation through communication with physicians, nurses, and ancillary departments until resolution, to maintain high-quality patient records.
Maintain confidentiality and secure handling of PHI by enforcing HIPAA standards in all interactions, controlling access to patient information, and participating in regular privacy and security training.
Assist with quality assurance activities by assembling charts for audits, responding to chart requests for peer review or accreditation surveys, and supplying documentation required for clinical performance measurement.
Provide orientation and informal training to new unit clerks, float staff, and temporary clerical personnel on unit procedures, EHR workflows, phone systems, and documentation standards to maintain consistency in operations.
Troubleshoot and escalate EHR, printer, fax, or phone system issues to IT, clinical informatics, or facilities, while documenting incidents and interim workarounds to minimize disruption to patient care.
Maintain a professional, calm presence at the unit desk during periods of high patient activity, prioritizing tasks, managing interruptions, and balancing administrative duties with emergent requests from clinical staff.

Secondary Functions

Support internal audits and compliance checks by gathering requested documentation, correcting discrepancies when identified, and implementing process improvements in collaboration with quality teams.
Participate in unit-based projects such as workflow mapping, care transition initiatives, or patient experience improvement plans by providing operational insights and test data.
Assist case managers and social workers with referral processing, community resource coordination, and documentation of discharge planning activities to support safe transitions of care.
Help prepare routine administrative reports (e.g., throughput metrics, call logs, supply usage) and share insights with unit managers to identify trends and operational bottlenecks.
Provide cross-coverage for adjacent units or clinic front desks during staffing shortages, maintaining service continuity while adapting quickly to varying departmental procedures and EHR views.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficiency with electronic health record (EHR) systems such as Epic, Cerner, Meditech, or similar platforms for patient registration, order entry, and chart management.
Strong knowledge of patient registration processes, admissions, discharges, transfers (ADT), and bed management systems.
Familiarity with medical terminology, common diagnoses, and basic clinical workflows to accurately interpret orders and documentation needs.
Understanding of HIPAA privacy regulations and best practices for safeguarding protected health information (PHI).
Experience with scheduling systems, diagnostic order entry, and coordination of ancillary services (lab, radiology, PT/OT).
Competence in insurance verification, authorization tracking, and basic payer requirements to support billing and reimbursement accuracy.
Accurate and high-volume data entry skills with attention to detail for demographics, orders, and clinical documentation.
Skilled in electronic and paper chart management, including scanning, indexing, faxing, and secure disposal protocols.
Familiarity with common office software: Microsoft Office suite (Outlook, Word, Excel) and secure email and messaging tools used in healthcare.
Ability to operate multiline phone systems, unit status boards, printers, scanners, and standard office equipment.
Basic incident reporting and escalation procedures for IT, facilities, and patient safety events.

Soft Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills to interact professionally with patients, families, nurses, physicians, and ancillary staff.
Strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize multiple competing tasks under time pressure in a fast-paced clinical environment.
High degree of confidentiality, integrity, and professionalism when handling sensitive patient information and conflict situations.
Customer-service oriented with empathy, patience, and the ability to de-escalate frustrated or distressed patients and visitors.
Team-player mentality with flexibility to adapt to changing clinical priorities and to support clinical staff during high-acuity events.
Critical thinking and problem-solving skills to follow-up on missing information and resolve scheduling or documentation discrepancies.
Attention to detail and commitment to accuracy in documentation, order processing, and data maintenance.
Dependability, punctuality, and the ability to maintain composure during periods of high workload or emotional stress.
Initiative and willingness to learn new systems, unit policies, and clinical terminology as workflows evolve.
Cultural sensitivity and respect for diverse patient populations and multidisciplinary team members.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED required; equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

Preferred Education:

Post-secondary certificate or diploma in Medical Office Administration, Health Information Management, or related healthcare administration program.
Completion of unit clerk or health unit coordinator training program is an asset.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Healthcare Administration
Health Information Management
Medical Office Administration
Medical Terminology or Clinical Support Programs

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 0–3 years of administrative or clerical experience in a healthcare setting (hospital, clinic, long-term care).

Preferred:

1–2 years of experience as a Unit Clerk, Unit Secretary, Health Unit Coordinator, or patient registration/admissions specialist.
Demonstrated experience working with EHR systems (Epic, Cerner, Meditech) and hospital phone/bed management systems.
Familiarity with HIPAA, patient confidentiality practices, and basic clinical workflows.

Certifications such as Basic Life Support (BLS), Medical Terminology certificates, or Health Information certifications (e.g., CCA) are advantageous but not always required.