Allied health includes all the healthcare professionals who help diagnose and treat diseases, excluding doctors and nurses who provide direct patient care. This category includes lab technicians, pharmacists, and other healthcare support services. Allied health professionals play a crucial role in healthcare delivery, coordinating with family members and other caregivers to help patients recover after surgery or illness.
Before exploring allied health professions, you need a basic understanding of what allied health is and what it entails. It’s all of the people who participate in your healthcare excluding the doctors and travel nurses who tend to you most closely when you’re ill. Allied health includes all of the people who help diagnose and treat diseases from lab technicians and pharmacists to all of the other healthcare professionals and support services in healthcare settings.
There are numerous professionals in allied healthcare. Lab professionals, imaging specialists, speech language pathologists, nutritionists, and many more. These “allies” in healthcare delivery also coordinate with family members and other caregivers to help people recover after surgery or illness.
Choosing an allied health profession usually involves specialized training. The duration of your training depends on the profession you choose. Here are the most common allied health careers you can choose from:
Have you ever wondered what happens after a phlebotomist draws your blood? Depending on the reason for your blood test, there are a whole host of personnel in the lab who prep and test your sample. They have all sorts of technology at their disposal to identify infections, run blood counts, and more. Diagnostic personnel don’t just work with blood draws. These essential medical professionals also process nasal and buccal swabs, prepare slides to help with cancer diagnoses, and most other lab tests your doctor orders.
For surgical technologists seeking to advance their careers and impact patient outcomes in renowned healthcare settings, several exciting opportunities are currently available. At Atrium Health in Charlotte, NC, Surg Techs are invited to apply for a position where they can play a crucial role in surgical procedures, ensuring efficiency and patient safety. Meanwhile, Ascension St Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, IN, and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA, are looking for Certified Surgical Technologists (Cert Surg Techs) who bring expertise and a commitment to excellence in patient care. These positions offer a chance to work within teams that are at the forefront of medical innovation and patient care. Whether you're interested in the vibrant community of Charlotte, the rich medical landscape of Indianapolis, or the historic city of Boston, these opportunities provide a platform for professional growth and the ability to make a significant difference in patients' lives. Explore these positions further: Travel Surg Tech Jobs
Radiologic Technologists (Rad Techs) play an indispensable role in healthcare by performing diagnostic imaging examinations, such as X-rays and CT scans, which are crucial for the accurate diagnosis and treatment of patients. Working in various settings, from hospitals to outpatient clinics, Rad Techs need a keen eye for detail, technical proficiency, and excellent patient care skills. If you're a Rad Tech looking for a new challenge or a chance to work in a top-tier healthcare facility, the position at WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, GA, offers a unique opportunity to work with advanced imaging technology, health care providers and a team dedicated to healthcare excellence. Discover more about the Rad Tech in Marietta, GA, role and how to join the WellStar Kennestone team by checking out Rad Tech in Marietta, GA.
Some people have special diet requirements depending upon their health conditions. Others might just need help crafting a nutrition plan to help them lose or gain weight. Nutritionists and dieticians are allied health professionals who specialize in healthy eating. They help patients reach their goals and improve their health with the aid of a balanced diet. These vital allied professionals work hand in hand with doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals in a variety of healthcare settings.
There are so many different types of therapy. From talk therapy and speech therapy to physical therapy and occupational therapy, there are so many different programs and certifications to choose from. Some require doctoral level coursework, while others only need a masters degree. Even though these specialties are all very different, they all aid in helping patients recover mentally, physically, and emotionally. Without these dedicated professionals, allied healthcare wouldn’t be as successful.
Sometimes, you need medication to help you get better or to prevent you from getting sick in the first place. Pharmacists know more about medications than anyone else in the healthcare setting. They have specialized knowledge about drug interactions, medication delivery, and different formulations that you can choose from. Doctors and nurses work hand in hand with pharmacists to provide the best care possible to the patients in their care.
In addition to these health practitioners, there are many other professionals in the healthcare setting who contribute to allied healthcare. People need healthy food, a clean environment, and other supportive services to help them heal. So all of the workers in the cafeteria, housekeeping, and other positions in hospitals are participants in allied healthcare as well!
Allied health professionals are the root to every patient success story. Without working together to facilitate allied healthcare goals, these professionals would work against each other and leave patients with less desirable outcomes.
Let Advantis Medical help you make your own success stories. Partnering with us means that you have your pick of many different allied health job opportunities across the country. In fact, you can travel from one opportunity to another to get new experiences and explore new places at the same time. Register on AdvantisConnect to make your mark in allied healthcare wherever you go!