Intake Advocate

OSF HealthCare • Peoria, IL

4h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Intake Advocate serves as the first point of contact for patients, families, and providers seeking access to specialty, virtual, and destination care services across OSF HealthCare. This role supports intake, referral coordination, scheduling, and patient navigation activities for designated specialty programs and service lines, including Destination OSF and telespecialty services. The Intake Advocate manages inbound referrals, reviews information for accuracy and completeness, coordinates patient intake, and schedules appointments in alignment with department guidelines, provider protocols, and clinical workflows. They support multiple specialties and leverage knowledge of scheduling requirements, referral pathways, insurance considerations, and prioritization and escalation processes to ensure timely access to appropriate care. The Intake Advocate delivers a compassionate, seamless patient experience by guiding patients through the access process, connecting them to appropriate services, and collaborating with providers, clinical teams, referral sources, and external partners to reduce barriers, support continuity of care, and advance operational and growth initiatives as part of the OSF OnCall and Digital Experience teams.

Requirements

• High School Diploma/ GED
• 2 years of experience in a healthcare setting (patient access, scheduling, referral coordination, contact center, or direct patient care) required.
• Equivalent experience with CNA, MOA, or related healthcare certification may be considered.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Solid computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft software.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to be detail oriented.
• Ability to manage scheduling workflows, referral processes, and patient interactions in a fast-paced environment while maintaining accuracy and professionalism.
• Knowledge of patient access, scheduling, insurance, referral, and healthcare operations workflows.
• Proven ability to provide compassionate, patient-centered service and effectively manage challenging or escalated situations through strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated knowledge of medical terminology.

Nice To Haves

• Associate degree in a healthcare, business, or related field.
• Experience in specialty scheduling, referral coordination, patient navigation, contact center operations, virtual care, or telespecialty services.
• Prior experience working with electronic health record EPIC.
• Experience supporting multiple specialties or complex scheduling workflows.
• Completion of medical terminology coursework or equivalent experience.
• Knowledge of specialty care workflows, patient access operations, and healthcare scheduling best practices.

Responsibilities

• Serves as the first point of contact for patients, families, and providers seeking access to specialty, virtual, and destination care services.
• Supports intake, referral coordination, scheduling, and patient navigation activities for designated specialty programs and service lines.
• Manages inbound referrals, reviews information for accuracy and completeness.
• Coordinates patient intake and schedules appointments in alignment with department guidelines, provider protocols, and clinical workflows.
• Supports multiple specialties and leverages knowledge of scheduling requirements, referral pathways, insurance considerations, and prioritization and escalation processes.
• Delivers a compassionate, seamless patient experience by guiding patients through the access process and connecting them to appropriate services.
• Collaborates with providers, clinical teams, referral sources, and external partners to reduce barriers, support continuity of care, and advance operational and growth initiatives.

Benefits

• Comprehensive and market-competitive total rewards package
• Benefits, compensation, recognition and well-being offerings
• Focus on the whole person and engage with their current stage of life and career

What This Job Offers

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