By Jackie Roberson

When most people think of social work, they think of nonprofit or government agency work, usually within the realm of family and child services. However, the field of social work extends well beyond the local social services office — and more and more social workers are finding themselves working in healthcare, providing a valuable service to their patients and families. 

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the field of medical social work will grow much faster than average over the next decade, with demand increasing by about 27 percent. Our aging population is a major driver of the increased demand, with more patients and families needed to help make medical decisions and navigate the complexities of the social services available to them. 

The increases in healthcare utilization and the new emphasis on the quality of healthcare and management of chronic conditions under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act are also increasing the need for trained social workers in healthcare settings. 

With such an increase in demand comes a wealth of opportunity for anyone who wants to move into the field of medical social work — including a spot in the executive suite.

Types of medical social work

In today’s complex healthcare system, patients can easily become overwhelmed or confused. From what treatments are best to how they will pay for the care they need, the array of choices can lead many patients to forgo necessary treatment out of fear of the unknown. This is where a medical social worker comes in.

Medical social workers’ primary purpose is to provide support and guidance for patients and families throughout their entire healthcare journey. They serve as advocates, ensuring that patients are aware of their rights and receiving the care that they deserve. 

Social workers help overcome obstacles to care, including financial, by serving as an intermediary between providers and patients, insurance companies, and even the hospital finance department. They also make sure that patients have the support and services that they need after leaving the hospital or care facility; for example, by helping them find home healthcare or getting them set up with financial assistance programs. 

Medical social workers are also an important resource for patients who are in crisis. For example, a patient who has been sick and unable to work may need help with housing assistance, while a young mother might need help getting food for her baby. 

The fact is, the actual tasks of a social worker are as varied as patients themselves, and some might argue that social workers are one of the most valuable bridges that a facility has between the medical environment and the community at large. 

Moving into administration

A social worker’s connection between a healthcare facility and the community is one of the major reasons that experience in social work is ideal when looking to move into a healthcare administration role. 

For starters, most medical social workers hold advanced degrees; the majority of hospitals and health systems require a degree from one of the accredited master’s of social work programs. There is some overlap between the courses required for an advanced social work degree and a healthcare administration degree, making a MSW candidate also qualified for a leadership or executive role.

Perhaps even more important than education, though, is the level of experience that a medical social worker has within the realm of healthcare, and its real-world applications. A social worker’s perspective when developing policies and procedures and in the process of creating new patient care initiatives can be invaluable, since they tend to have more experience working directly with the populations being served than most executives. 

For example, social workers can identify gaps in patient education that can be filled via hospital programs, or help streamline paperwork log jams that lead to delayed admissions, discharges, or procedures. 

Social workers also have excellent communication skills, which is a key trait for any healthcare administrator. Their understanding of health policy, laws governing patient rights, and the public health trends influencing the patient mix can also contribute to a unique and useful perspective in the executive suite. 

Most hospitals and health systems include a social worker on their executive team for precisely this reason. Because earnings in this field are higher than average (the BLS puts the median salary for a medical social worker at about $58,000) for the field, it’s well worth pursuing, especially given the potential for growth and the chance to make a significant different in the lives of others. 

Jackie Roberson is a content coordinator with Seek Visibility.