Care Coordinator Specialist

Westchester Medical Center•Margaretville, NY

About The Position

The Care Coordination Specialist provides individualized patient navigation, referral management, scheduling coordination, and administrative support for the Hudson Valley Rural Cancer Prevention and Follow-Up Network. The position works with patients, healthcare providers, laboratories, specialty practices, community organizations, transportation resources, and program staff to support timely completion of colorectal and prostate cancer screening, diagnostic testing, specialty referrals, and follow-up care. The role combines patient navigation with scheduling and referral coordination. It proactively identifies and addresses barriers to care, coordinates appointments and referrals, maintains accurate records, supports grant-defined closed-loop referral tracking, and serves as an operational resource for patients and participating healthcare providers. The position supports grant-funded cancer screening initiatives and does not independently provide clinical services or make clinical decisions.

Requirements

Experience supporting patients, coordinating care, managing referrals or healthcare scheduling, or working in customer service, community health, care coordination, or patient navigation activities.
Ability to collaborate across clinical, operational, administrative, data, and community-based teams.
Strong organizational, interpersonal, communication, documentation, and follow-through skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and ability to learn electronic health records and tracking systems.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and comply with HIPAA, privacy, and security requirements.
High school diploma or equivalent required.
Patient-centered communication and motivational engagement techniques; knowledge of patient navigation and care coordination principles.
Knowledge of referral management, closed-loop tracking, barrier assessment, resource coordination, healthcare scheduling, and appointment management.
Customer service and relationship management skills, accurate documentation and recordkeeping, and ability to work within established protocols and escalation procedures.
Strong problem-solving and organizational abilities, ability to manage multiple priorities and maintain attention to detail, and proficiency with electronic tracking systems and standard office software.
Commitment to improving access to preventive healthcare services in rural and underserved communities.
Sound judgment regarding issues that require escalation to licensed clinical personnel or leadership.

Nice To Haves

Experience as a Patient Navigator, Community Health Worker, Medical Assistant, Care Coordinator, Referral Specialist, Oncology Navigator, or in a similar role.
Experience with healthcare scheduling, referral management, population health, or cancer screening programs.
Knowledge of colorectal and prostate cancer screening processes.
Experience working with rural, underserved, or vulnerable populations.
Knowledge of transportation resources, community support services, and barriers to preventive care.
Bilingual or multilingual ability.
Experience supporting grant-funded healthcare initiatives.
Associate degree, bachelor's degree, or equivalent healthcare-related experience.

Responsibilities

Contact assigned patients using approved outreach and navigation protocols; educate them about program processes and reinforce provider-approved instructions.
Assist patients with screening tests, preparation requirements, appointments, and diagnostic follow-up, including colorectal and prostate cancer screening pathways.
Conduct outreach to patients with incomplete, overdue, or pending screening and follow-up activities; coordinate distribution and completion of FIT kits and other approved screening resources.
Maintain communication with patients to encourage completion of recommended care and document navigation activities in approved tracking systems.
Validate referrals and determine eligibility for screening services, diagnostic colonoscopy, PSA testing, and specialty referrals using approved protocols.
Coordinate appointments with primary care, gastroenterology, urology, laboratories, imaging providers, and specialty services.
Track referrals from initial receipt through documented completion or closure; monitor abnormal screening results and help connect patients to appropriate next steps.
Coordinate communication among patients, providers, specialists, laboratories, and program partners, and document completed services, recommended follow-up, or patient refusal as part of the closed-loop referral process.
Use approved scripts, workflows, and escalation pathways; escalate abnormal results, urgent concerns, unresolved barriers, clinical questions, and overdue follow-up items to licensed clinical personnel.
Assess and document barriers to care, including transportation, language, communication, financial, scheduling, and technology barriers; connect patients with approved resources and support services.
Collaborate with community partners to address social determinants of health, develop individualized barrier-resolution strategies, and monitor and adjust support plans.
Coordinate patient, provider, partner, and program scheduling; track appointment readiness, required documentation, pending actions, and follow-up requirements.
Monitor screening and referral workflows, maintain calendars, scheduling records, task lists, and workflow trackers, and coordinate meeting logistics and follow-up communications as assigned.
Maintain accurate and timely records of patient contacts, outreach attempts, appointments, referrals, barriers, outcomes, and escalations; maintain referral databases, action logs, contact lists, and program tracking tools.
Prepare and distribute forms, correspondence, educational materials, and program documentation; track and report status updates, overdue activities, missing information, and outstanding actions.
Assist with data collection, reporting, quality improvement, and grant reporting through accurate documentation and record maintenance.
Serve as a liaison among patients, providers, navigation staff, laboratories, specialists, healthcare organizations, and community partners; coordinate information exchange across clinical, operational, outreach, data, and administrative teams.
Participate in multidisciplinary case reviews, meetings, training, and quality improvement initiatives; support workflow refinement and implementation of best practices.