Kidney Care Specialist

Fresenius Medical Care•Washington, DC

1d•Remote

About The Position

The Kidney Care Engagement Specialist creates a supportive, engaging virtual environment for individuals impacted by Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). Under the direction of the Manager of Engagement Specialists, this role provides one‑to‑one support and facilitates small‑group discussions to help participants understand kidney care pathways, available education and treatment options, and how to navigate next steps in their care journey. The specialist engages participants through inbound and outbound outreach, virtual group interactions, and ongoing follow‑up. Working collaboratively with Kidney Care Specialist and referral partners, the specialist ensures seamless communication, care coordination, and participant follow‑through across the kidney care continuum. By delivering empathetic communication, high‑quality discussions, and consistent virtual engagement, this role enhances patient readiness, strengthens awareness of home therapy options, and contributes to an improved overall participant experience. The Kidney Care Engagement Specialist supports Fresenius Medical Care’s mission, vision, and values by promoting informed decision‑making and facilitating smoother transitions throughout the kidney care ecosystem. Under the direction of a Kidney Care Advocate Manager, collaborates with internal and external care teams, to ensure a positive experience for every patient living with kidney disease through education, modality options, access placement and follow through, and if applicable, to eventual admission into kidney care services. Assists with presenting materials on Home Dialysis to providers, patients and other groups, as requested. Adheres to the FMCNA Compliance Program and all regulatory and FMCNA policy requirements. Supports FMCNA’s mission, vision, core values and customer service philosophy by supporting all aspects of growth within defined Regions or Areas of a Business.

Requirements

High School diploma or G.E.D. required
2-5 years’ experience in group facilitation, coaching, counseling, patient support, education, or related fields.
Strong virtual facilitation and communication skills, with the ability to build rapport quickly in a remote environment.
Comfortable guiding diverse groups through structured conversation and discussion-based learning.
High level of emotional intelligence and demonstrated ability to relate to persons of all ages and diverse backgrounds, skills, knowledge levels and abilities.
Effective collaborator with clinical and nonclinical partners across multiple regions and time zones.
Ability to work autonomously but collaboratively on a team
Proficiency with virtual meeting platforms, CRM systems, and Microsoft 365 tools.
Minimum of one-year experience in teaching or sales, with required education.
Demonstrated skills in customer service and ability to work autonomously.
Excellent verbal, written and presentation skills.
Proficient in Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint and use of smart phones and other computing devices.
Must be able to multi-task and manage cases in a Salesforce database or Customer Relationship Management system.
Results oriented to exceed established goals.
High level of emotional intelligence and demonstrated ability to relate to persons of all ages and diverse backgrounds, skills and abilities.
Proven ability to be a team player.

Nice To Haves

2-5 years clinical background preferred
Prior experience working with individuals managing chronic conditions is preferred.
College degree preferred
Familiarity with kidney disease, dialysis modalities, and care pathways (training provided).
Experience supporting referrals through excellent organization, follow-up workflows, or care coordination preferred.
College degree preferred
CCHT and/or LPN preferred, however, not required.
Dialysis experience preferred but not required
This skill is preferred, not required.

Responsibilities

Initiate timely outreach to individuals referred through multiple sources, including website referrals, care teams, clinics, nephrology offices, and digital channels.
Monitor and manage the website chat function, responding to inquiries with clear, accurate information and guidance.
Conduct supportive phone conversations to answer questions, clarify kidney care concepts, and connect individuals to appropriate programs, classes, and resources.
Listen to individual needs, concerns, and readiness indicators to provide personalized recommendations for education or next steps.
Provide empathetic, actionable support for individuals who may be newly diagnosed, overwhelmed, or uncertain where to begin.
Maintain consistent communication patterns to help reduce care barriers and crisis starts across the kidney disease continuum.
Lead scheduled virtual small group sessions (45–60 minutes) using approved content and discussion frameworks.
Create an inclusive, safe environment that encourages participant interaction, questions, and shared experiences.
Support discussion on kidney disease progression, dialysis modalities, home therapies, permanent access placement, and available support resources.
Facilitate conversations about Chronic Kidney Disease, Dialysis Treatment Options and Resources to support an individual's Kidney Disease Journey
Apply motivational interviewing and patient centered communication strategies to support participant understanding.
Create an engaging, supportive virtual environment that encourages patient participation and understanding.
Reinforce session concepts and guide participants toward next steps, including additional session enrollment, resource needs, post class review, and connecting with a Kidney Care Specialist for follow up.
Re-engage participants who miss sessions with reenrollment options and follow-up materials.
Support referral generation and conversion by reinforcing education, identifying patient readiness, and guiding next steps in collaboration with Kidney Care Specialist, care teams and other referral sources.
Document participant attendance, engagement details, and relevant next steps in CRM with accuracy and timeliness.
Provide hand-offs to Kidney Care Specialist to ensure seamless hand-offs, alignment on patient status, and closure of care gaps
Notify referral sources of session attendance, if applicable.
Document all interactions following organizational standards, privacy requirements, and compliance policies.
Ensure all facilitation aligns with approved content and role scope.
Maintain confidentiality and adhere to regulatory and organizational guidelines.
Participate in team meetings, training, and competency development supporting the broader Kidney Care Advocate Organization initiatives.
Communicate patient participation, engagement outcomes, and next steps to appropriate stakeholders, including referral sources when applicable.
Partner with Engagement Specialists and Leadership to identify opportunities to improve workflows, referral efficiency, and patient experience.
Collaborate with Regional Home Therapy team through the provision of administrative support, to ensure every patient along with their care giver and support system (if applicable) receives comprehensive education on modality options including hemodialysis treatments both at home and in-center, peritoneal dialysis, kidney transplantation, and palliative and supportive care, as well as education on hemodialysis access types with a focus on the health and safety benefits of AV-Fistula or AV-Graft compared to central venous catheters.
Under the direct supervision of Kidney Care Advocate Manager and/or a Registered Nurse, provides information regarding options for renal replacement therapy when a patient reaches end stage renal disease (ESRD), allowing the patient to make an informed decision regarding the option that meets his/her medical needs and lifestyle choices.
Responsible to assist patient care team in order to navigate patients through initiation of dialysis, or in transition from incenter hemodialysis to home therapy, including but not limited to proper and timely access placement.
Maintain routine communication with physicians, physician practices and administrators, and the interdisciplinary team members, including Clinic and Home Program Managers.
Assist in establishing processes with physician practices as well as local clinics for patient referrals and evaluation of the effectiveness of processes on an ongoing basis.
Respond promptly to all referrals.
Coordinate the timely admission of patients, including urgent start placements into Home Therapy and In-Center programs.
Collaborate with operations leadership to identify home therapy training delays and help to resolve any barriers to expediate training.
Strive to meet Fresenius Kidney Care Home Therapies awareness goals by maintaining strong physician and partner relationships and identifying opportunities for increasing patient education referrals.
Assist field operations management, Home Therapy leadership, and other departments with implementation of the home therapy strategic plan.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to understanding local and regional kidney disease trends and population needs, identifying expansion of service opportunities, and understanding relationships with both physicians and prospective patients.
Maintain knowledge of FMCNA Home Therapies products, services and strategies in order to promote FMCNA Home Therapies to the community through outreach programs.
Support educational programs for physicians and Fresenius staff as needed.
Responsible for promoting Kidney Care Advocate services and Kidneycare:365 education to providers including physicians within the guidelines established by Company policies and procedures.
Ensure accurate and timely documentation of patient interactions and status, through maintenance of SAP database.
Escalate issues to supervisor for resolution, as deemed necessary.
Review and comply with the Code of Business Conduct and all applicable company policies and procedures, local, state and federal laws and regulations.
Assist with various projects as assigned by direct supervisor.
Performs other related duties as assigned.