DIRECT Clinic Navigator (Care Coordinator 2)

Oregon Health & Science University•Portland, OR

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The DIRECT Clinic Navigator (Care Coordinator 2) is a founding member of OHSU Knight Cancer Institute’s Diagnostic Interception and Rapid Early Cancer Testing (DIRECT) Clinic. The clinic is a centralized entry point for adults with a suspicion of cancer or a positive cancer early-detection test result, providing a coordinated diagnostic pathway intended to streamline evaluation and accelerate access to imaging, procedures, and specialty consultation. The Navigator helps shape clinical workflows and care pathways while supporting patients from referral through diagnostic resolution and handoff. The Navigator serves as each patient’s primary contact, coordinates and schedules diagnostic care, tracks orders, appointments, results, and follow-up, and escalates delays or other issues to the clinical team. The position also supports commercial Galleri multi-cancer early detection testing outside clinical trials, including intake, approved patient education and consent discussions, order coordination, and tracking. The Navigator does not interpret or disclose results; those are communicated by a clinician. The role works in a fast-paced outpatient diagnostic clinic within OHSU Radiation Medicine at the Knight Cancer Institute. The schedule is weekdays, daytime, five days per week, eight hours per day, with an estimated one day per week on site and the remainder remote. Work is conducted largely by telephone, MyChart, and Epic, with in-person patient support as needed. The position involves frequent interaction with patients and families experiencing anxiety, coordination across OHSU departments and community partners, and participation in clinic huddles and continuous-improvement work.

Requirements

At least three years of experience in a hospital or hospital-based clinic setting.
High school diploma or equivalent.
For positions with in-person patient care, BLS certification within 30 days of hire or before independent practice, whichever comes first.
One of the following: completion of a nationally recognized accredited medical assistant training program, including a practicum of at least 160 hours; successful completion of a formal U.S. Armed Forces medical services training program; current Oregon EMT license (basic or advanced) and national NREMT registration; current Oregon Practical Nurse License; or, for dental school hires only, completion of a Dental Assistant training program and successful completion of the DANB exam.
For candidates qualifying through an accredited MA program or military medical services training, MA certification from a nationally recognized accredited certifying body upon hire or by the end of the applicable probationary or internal job-change evaluation period. Candidates qualifying through EMT, LPN, or dental assistant qualifications are exempt from this certification requirement.
Maintain applicable certifications and licensures for the duration of employment and demonstrate required medical or dental assistant competencies by the end of the applicable probationary or internal job-change evaluation period.
Ability to work independently and as a team member, including leadership.
Knowledge of patient flow and back-office functions; ability to perform chart scrubbing and panel outreach efficiently.
Demonstrated analytic skills, including displaying and interpreting data.
Proficiency with Epic and Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
Ability to manage time-sensitive competing demands and meet deadlines.
Working knowledge of medical terminology.
Strong relationship-building, communication, and customer-service skills, with sensitivity to patient needs.
Demonstrated knowledge of and attention to the needs of patients with special needs and their caregivers and families.
Ability to meet the physical demands of the position, including sitting, standing, and walking quickly throughout campus buildings and frequent walking between office and clinic areas.
Ability to work effectively in shared office space with phone noise, simultaneous conversations, frequent interruptions, and prolonged use of telephone/headset, computers, and electronic medical record systems.
Ability to communicate respectfully, caringly, and without judgment.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of patient flow and back-office functions, including chart scrubbing, pre-visit planning, and patient outreach.
Working knowledge of medical terminology, including common diagnostic tests and procedures.
Proficiency with Epic and Microsoft Office applications including Outlook, Word, Excel, and Teams.
Ability to work independently with sound judgment and as part of a small, interdependent team; recognize role boundaries and escalate appropriately.
Ability to manage high volumes of time-sensitive competing demands, track multiple open items, and meet deadlines with strong attention to detail.
Analytic skills that include entering, displaying, and interpreting tracking data.
Excellent verbal and written communication and customer-service skills, including explaining processes and test information in plain language and remaining calm and compassionate with anxious or distressed patients.
Strong relationship-building and problem-solving skills, with persistent and resourceful follow-through across departments and outside organizations.
Knowledge of and attention to the needs of patients with special needs and their caregivers and families; commitment to equitable access for rural, underserved, and diverse populations.
Consistent and regular attendance, dependability, and conscientious completion of assignments in a timely, accurate, and thorough manner.
Medical assistant training through an accredited MA program or military medical services training, with current MA certification.
Associate degree or college coursework in a health-related field.
Experience as a certified medical assistant, care coordinator, or patient navigator in oncology, gastroenterology, radiology, or another specialty or diagnostic clinic.
Experience scheduling complex, multi-department diagnostic workups and coordinating referrals with outside facilities.
Experience obtaining prior authorizations and working referral work queues.
Experience supporting patients through cancer screening, early detection, or a new diagnosis.
Experience with Epic Cadence, Referrals, and work queues.
Familiarity with cancer screening and early-detection testing, including MCED tests.
Bilingual fluency, such as Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Mandarin/Cantonese, Arabic, or American Sign Language; OHSU language proficiency exam required before using additional language skills in patient-care encounters.
Formal customer-service, conflict-management, or patient-navigation training.
Oncology patient navigation certification (such as AONN+ Oncology Patient Navigator–Certified Generalist) or willingness to complete formal patient-navigation training within the first year.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary point of contact for DIRECT patients from referral through diagnostic resolution and handoff; contact newly accepted patients within one business day and schedule the initial APP visit within the clinic’s five-workday service level.
Schedule clinician-recommended laboratory tests, imaging, procedures, and specialty consultations; sequence appointments to reduce patient trips and time to diagnosis, use waitlists and department contacts, and coordinate with community diagnostic partners when OHSU capacity cannot meet service levels.
Obtain outside records, imaging, and pathology; arrange interpreters, transportation, and accommodations; and provide appointment reminders and approved preparation instructions.
Coordinate the warm handoff at diagnostic resolution by scheduling oncology care for patients diagnosed with cancer or recommended follow-up with the PCP or referring provider when cancer is not found, and confirm the receiving team has needed information.
Enter, transcribe, and pend orders within medical-assistant scope and route them for clinician signature; prepare external referral packets and confirm receipt and scheduling.
Initiate and track prior authorizations in partnership with Patient Access Services and referral teams, and alert the clinician when peer-to-peer review or an alternate plan is needed.
Review care plans with the APP, complete pre-visit chart preparation, prepare after-visit summaries, and support in-person visits as needed through rooming, vital signs, and updating histories and medication lists within MA scope.
Maintain the DIRECT diagnostic work queue and tracking tool, monitor service levels, follow up on missed appointments and patients who cannot be reached, confirm results are received and routed to the ordering clinician, and document and escalate delays or risks promptly.
Respond to commercial Galleri testing inquiries; explain the process, self-pay cost, and payment options; refer research inquiries to the CEDAR research team; and screen eligibility using the standardized intake template.
Conduct approved informed-consent discussions about Galleri testing, document the discussion and patient decision, enter orders in Epic and the GRAIL portal for clinician review, coordinate kit shipment and blood draw, track orders through results, and maintain and reconcile the Galleri log.
Route Galleri signal-detected results to a clinician the same business day and, at the clinician’s direction, schedule prompt DIRECT evaluation; route symptoms, eligibility concerns, and questions requiring clinical judgment to a clinician.
Monitor DIRECT in-basket pools, phone line, MyChart, and fax; respond to scheduling and logistics inquiries within one business day or the same day for time-sensitive diagnostic issues; route clinical questions and requests for results to the APP or Medical Director.
Provide compassionate support to patients and families, connect them with social work, financial counseling, interpreter, and community resources as needed, and provide program information to patients, families, and referring provider offices.
Participate in DIRECT huddles and case reviews, provide scheduling and status updates, and monitor communication channels during APP absences while routing clinical items to the designated clinician.
Build working relationships with internal departments and community partners; help maintain job aids, standard work, communication materials, and Epic workflows; enter and maintain quality-dashboard data; raise barriers and improvement ideas; and orient new team members.
Perform other duties as assigned.