Medical Referral Coordinator

Eye Associates Of New Mexico•Albuquerque, NM

About The Position

Eye Associates of New Mexico is seeking a Clinical Referral Coordinator I to join its Referral Services team. The role uses ophthalmic knowledge, patient communication, problem-solving, and care coordination to help patients transition smoothly and promptly into appropriate care. The coordinator reviews and processes referrals and medical records, coordinates appointments, communicates with patients and referring providers, and works with subspecialty teams to determine appropriate scheduling timeframes, placement, and preparation instructions. The position may be performed remotely and/or in-office and collaborates with patients, EANM providers and clinical staff, outside referring providers, and other departments. The coordinator also supports urgent and expedited scheduling, referral tracking, documentation handling, insurance-related referral needs, and ongoing communication about patient care. The role requires maintaining applicable ophthalmic certification and participating in continuing education.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) certification or higher and a minimum of 2 years of direct clinical experience, or CCOA certification and a minimum of 2 years of direct referral experience.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Excellent customer service and organizational skills.
Strong computer skills.
Critical-thinking, problem-solving, and clinical decision-making abilities.
Ability to work effectively with physicians and clinical teams, internally and externally.
Ability to collaborate as part of a team and remain highly self-motivated when working independently.
High level of professionalism.
Willingness to travel to EANM locations, meetings, or events as needed.
Availability for occasional before- or after-hours meetings and events.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of EANM subspecialties is encouraged.

Responsibilities

Review and process incoming patient referrals and supporting medical documentation.
Contact patients to coordinate and schedule referral appointments.
Help determine appropriate scheduling timeframes, subspecialty placement, and preparation needed before appointments.
Screen and process urgent referrals to support timely clinical review and scheduling.
Communicate with external referral sources about the status and disposition of referred patients.
Maintain referral tracking information in applicable patient and referral systems.
Coordinate incoming and outgoing referrals between EANM providers and external referral sources.
Notify clinical staff about appointments and information needed to prepare for patient visits.
Communicate professionally by phone and electronic communication with patients, physicians, clinical staff, and outside providers.
Coordinate timely transfer of consult and patient-care calls to EANM physicians.
Review incoming records from co-managing providers and assist with provider communication when patient-specific questions arise.
Maintain communication with internal and external providers regarding patient medications, diagnoses, and treatment as needed.
Assist with scanning, indexing, sorting, and routing patient records and clinical documentation.
Work with Patient Accounting regarding insurance eligibility and other insurance needs associated with referrals.
Document relevant details of ocular complaints when needed.
Support same-day and expedited patient scheduling and communicate with appropriate clinical teams.
Participate in continuing education and maintain required ophthalmic certification.
Review referrals and medical records day to day and work with subspecialty teams to determine appropriate scheduling and additional instructions for referred patients.