Community Health Patient Navigator

Christiana Care Health Services•Wilmington, DE

13d

About The Position

The Patient Navigator guides patients through a defined health care pathway or time-limited episode of care. The navigator helps patients understand the required sequence of services, coordinates pathway-specific appointments and information, identifies immediate access barriers, and supports timely completion of established next steps. Navigation begins when a patient enters an assigned pathway and concludes when the pathway is completed and the patient transitions to an appropriate ongoing service, or when established program closure criteria are met. The role coordinates with clinical, operational, social care, and program teams; tracks pathway milestones; connects patients with designated resources; documents navigation activity; and supports pathway quality improvement. The navigator provides approved pathway information and reinforces instructions from licensed clinicians or program leaders, but does not independently provide health education, clinical interpretation, counseling, or treatment recommendations. ChristianaCare is a nonprofit teaching health system with an extensive network of outpatient and inpatient services, home health care, urgent care centers, three hospitals, and specialty and regional centers of excellence. The organization focuses on improving health outcomes, increasing access to high-quality care, lowering costs, and advancing population health and value-based care.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
Access to a reliable personal vehicle and a valid driver’s license.
Ability to complete required organizational and pathway-specific training.
Ability to work a flexible schedule, including occasional evenings or weekends, when required by the assigned pathway.

Nice To Haves

Associate or bachelor’s degree in public health, health services, social services, health education, or a related field.
At least one year of experience in patient navigation, healthcare access, referral coordination, scheduling, care coordination support, or a related field.
Experience working with diverse, underserved, or medically complex populations.
Experience using electronic devices, health records, referral platforms, scheduling systems, or pathway tracking tools.

Responsibilities

Receive and review referrals for assigned clinical or program pathways and confirm that patients meet established navigation criteria.
Orient patients and, when appropriate, families or support persons to the pathway, including its purpose, anticipated steps, responsibilities, and points of contact.
Guide patients through the required sequence of appointments, tests, procedures, referrals, services, or program milestones using approved pathway workflows.
Coordinate pathway-specific scheduling, reminders, preparation instructions, records, forms, and handoffs with clinical and operational teams.
Track patient status against defined pathway milestones and follow up promptly on missed, delayed, or incomplete steps.
Identify immediate logistical or access barriers, such as transportation, language access, scheduling, technology, or required documentation, and connect patients with designated resources or teams.
Communicate pathway status, unresolved barriers, and exceptions to appropriate clinical, operational, social care, or program teams according to escalation protocols.
Support closed-loop referrals by confirming receipt, scheduling, completion, or disposition and documenting the outcome.
Provide approved information about the pathway and reinforce instructions established by licensed clinicians or program leaders without independently providing health education, clinical interpretation, counseling, or treatment recommendations.
Facilitate transitions at pathway completion to the patient’s usual care team, Community Health Worker, social worker, Health Coach, community resource, or other ongoing support when indicated.
Close navigation services when pathway milestones or established closure criteria are met and document completion.
Document outreach, pathway milestones, barriers, referrals, escalations, handoffs, and closure accurately and promptly in the designated electronic health record or program system.
Participate in pathway huddles, interdisciplinary meetings, training, workflow review, and quality improvement activities.
Identify recurring process barriers and share trends with program leadership to improve pathway access, timeliness, coordination, and patient experience.
Maintain confidentiality and comply with HIPAA, organizational policies, pathway protocols, and professional standards.
Perform assigned work safely and report unsafe activities, conditions, hazards, or safety violations to the supervisor in a timely manner.
Perform other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

Full medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
Two retirement planning offerings, including a 403(b) with company contributions.
Generous paid time off with annual rollover and opportunities to cash out.
12-week paid parental leave.
Annual Care.com membership.
Access to backup care services for dependents through Care@Work.
Retirement planning services.
Financial coaching.
Fitness and wellness reimbursement.
Discounts through vendors for hotels, rental cars, theme parks, shows, sporting events, and movie tickets.
Employee assistance program.