Credentialing Coordinator vs. Credentialing Specialist: What Are the Differences?

Credentialing coordinators and specialists are responsible for ensuring that medical professionals have the appropriate credentials to provide care. If you’re interested in a career in the medical field that involves working with credentials, then you may be wondering what the difference is between a coordinator and a specialist. In this article, we discuss the similarities and differences between credentialing coordinators and specialists, and we provide an overview of what you can expect from each role.

What is a Credentialing Coordinator?

Credentialing Coordinators work in the medical field to ensure that healthcare providers meet all the qualifications necessary to provide care. They work with state and federal agencies to keep up with the latest credentialing requirements. Credentialing Coordinators also work with provider organizations, such as hospitals and clinics, to maintain a current list of qualified providers. They track provider applications and renewals, and they submit applications to state and federal agencies. Credentialing Coordinators also keep track of provider privileges and licensure status.

What is a Credentialing Specialist?

Credentialing Specialists are responsible for verifying that medical professionals, such as doctors and nurses, meet all the requirements to work in their chosen field. This includes verifying their education, training, licensure and certification. Credentialing Specialists work with medical boards, state licensing agencies and hospitals to ensure that all the necessary paperwork is completed and filed correctly. They also keep track of medical professionals’ credentials and renewals to ensure that they are up-to-date. Credentialing Specialists typically work in human resources or medical office administration.

Credentialing Coordinator vs. Credentialing Specialist

Here are the main differences between a credentialing coordinator and a credentialing specialist.

Job Duties

Credentialing coordinators typically have more varied job duties than credentialing specialists. Credentialing coordinators often manage the entire credentialing process for a company, which can include creating and revising job requirements, developing and administering exams and evaluating candidate performance. In contrast, credentialing specialists usually perform tasks related to one aspect of the credentialing process. For example, they may create and administer written or verbal exams for candidates or evaluate completed exams.

Job Requirements

Credentialing coordinators and credentialing specialists typically need at least a bachelor’s degree in business administration, human resources or another related field. Some employers prefer candidates to have a master’s degree as well, but it is not required for entry-level positions. Additionally, many credentialing coordinators and credentialing specialists pursue certifications through the National Association of Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) or the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). These organizations offer training programs that teach professionals how to use credentialing software and other tools they might need on the job.

Work Environment

Credentialing coordinators and specialists may work in different environments depending on the type of organization they’re working for. For example, credentialing coordinators often work in hospitals or other medical facilities where they can help ensure that all employees have the necessary credentials to perform their jobs. They may also work in schools, universities or other educational institutions to make sure teachers and professors are properly certified.

Credentialing specialists usually work in a more clinical environment than coordinators do. This means they typically work in places like hospitals, nursing homes or rehabilitation centers. Specialists may also work in school districts as administrators or teachers’ assistants.

Skills

Both credentialing coordinators and specialists need to have excellent organizational skills. This is because they are responsible for maintaining records of credentials for healthcare providers, which can be a complex and time-consuming task. They also both need to have strong attention to detail to ensure that all information is accurate and up-to-date.

Credentialing coordinators also need to have good customer service skills. This is because they often interact with healthcare providers who may need assistance with the credentialing process. They need to be able to answer questions and resolve any issues that arise. Credentialing specialists also need to have good communication skills. However, they typically use these skills to communicate with other members of the healthcare team, such as insurance companies and medical facilities.

Salary

The average salary for a credentialing coordinator is $50,442 per year, while the average salary for a credentialing specialist is $46,917 per year. Both of these salaries may vary depending on the size of the company at which you work, location of your job and the level of experience you have prior to pursuing either position.