The week of November 7-13 celebrates Allied Health Professionals Week. The U.S. employs over 8 million healthcare workers in more than 100 allied health areas, and these individuals make up more than half of the healthcare workforce. SpecialtyCare is honored to celebrate these professionals and the significant impact they have on our healthcare system.
What Is Allied Health?
Allied health is a great profession for people who have a passion for helping others, and this field offers a specialty for everyone’s personality and interests. Although there’s no concrete definition for allied health, it encompasses jobs that fall outside typical healthcare professions. Working directly with patients is a critical component in allied health professions. However, the level of patient care varies depending on the job, workplace setup, and other factors.
Allied health professionals can be grouped into three categories:
- Primary care workers
- Health promotion, administrative, and rehabilitative workers
- Diagnostic professionals
Educational requirements for allied health professionals range from on-the-job training to graduate degrees. Some states require special licensing or certifications depending on what profession you pursue, while others depend on employer requirements. Many programs can be completed within one year, making this a great profession for individuals looking for a career change. Additionally, many programs offer part-time or evening courses for individuals with work, school, or family obligations.
Allied Health Professionals
Allied health professionals cover a broad range of healthcare workers who use scientific principles and evidence-based practices to diagnose, evaluate, and treat various diseases. They also promote disease prevention and wellness, and they utilize their administrative and management skills to support a variety of settings within healthcare facilities.
Some allied professionals include physical and occupational therapists, respiratory therapists, dental hygienists, physician assistants (PAs), medical laboratory technologists, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and emergency medical personnel (EMTs and paramedics).
Allied Health Professionals Week
After an unprecedented time during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever for allied health teams to work together and continue moving our healthcare industry forward. During this year’s Allied Health Professionals Week, SpecialtyCare wants to honor all of our allied health professionals who often get overlooked. We thank them for their significant contributions to our healthcare system and the positive impact they have on patient care every day.
About SpecialtyCare
SpecialtyCare is dedicated to providing an exceptional patient experience, becoming the OR employer of choice, and leading the way in OR innovation.