CHW & Patient Advocate (New Opening)

GREATER NEW BEDFORD COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER • New Bedford, MA

7d • $58,656 - $60,840 • Onsite

About The Position

The Community Health Worker & Patient Advocate is responsible for addressing patient concerns/complaints, helping patients and families navigate the Health Center, and addressing patient behavior. Responds quickly to concerns and ensures that all issues are addressed appropriately. Can assist with resource navigation and access to community services as appropriate. The ideal candidate is a passionate patient champion, an empathetic and comprehensive/critical listener, someone good under pressure, resourceful, communicates effectively in a culturally competent manner, aware and sensitive to unique needs of patients, organized with time management skills, and tech-savvy to document in the electronic health record. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Requirements

• Bi-lingual in English and Spanish or Portuguese is required.
• Must be able to collaborate with other team members in various positions in order to appropriate resolve issues.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required.
• Must possess excellent de-escalation skills (individual will be required to participate in de escalation training at least every 2 years.).
• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• A minimum of three (3) years’ experience as a Community Health Worker is required and or other patient navigation role.
• Experience with an electronic medical record is required.

Nice To Haves

• Associate or Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• CHW certification is preferred.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serves as the first point of contact for patients, family, and others calling with complaints, for patients wishing to change their PCP, and for providers wishing to discharge a patient from their practice.
• Responds to patient survey results, includes management of action taken to address patient concerns identified in the survey results.
• Evaluates and follows-upon all patient complaints (i.e. via phone, incident reports (RL6), Facebook, Google reviews, etc.).
• Responds to and addresses reported patient behavior concerns.
• Communicates with staff, patients, and other relevant parties to gather information about complaints and seek their resolution.
• Acts as Co-Chair of the Patient Care Assessment committee meeting, prepares agenda, oversees follow up on required action, and coordinates appropriate invitees.
• Participates in community outreach programs that could involve projects for the management of patients lost to follow up and making calls to patients to remind them of upcoming appointments.
• Connects patients with our Benefits team for health insurance enrollment as needed.
• Seeks professional development (continuing education) on patient advocacy and other pertinent topics.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• New Bedford Community Health values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply.
• New Bedford Community Health is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any person based on race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other lawfully protected status.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED