NON-CLINICAL CARE NAVIGATOR - ONCOLOGY

Toledo Clinic•Toledo, OH

About The Position

The Non-Clinical Care Navigator (NCCN) enhances cancer care at the community level. The role uses communication strategies to help cancer patients anticipate, identify, and overcome barriers within the health care system. This includes helping patients understand their diagnosis, coordinating treatment plans, connecting them with appropriate social services, and supporting communication with their treatment team, family, and significant others. The NCCN screens for barriers to access and addresses patient needs to support health and wellness and improve patient and provider satisfaction. The NCCN takes ownership of assigned patients in the Care Navigation program and serves as a main contact for patients and families after handoff from New Patient Scheduling. The role follows up after patient visits, reviews plans of action, confirms follow-up appointments, answers or triages questions, coordinates referrals, and maintains relationships with the multidisciplinary team. The navigator also supports program enrollment, workflow and quality improvement initiatives, and cross-training for scheduling, call center, and registration needs. The position works under the supervision of the Manager of Patient Intake and requires travel between locations. Completion of George Washington University Navigation Training is required within 30 days of employment.

Requirements

Three years of experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified.
Basic understanding of medical terminology, health care systems, and physician scheduling.
Knowledge of the environment and systems in which patients receive care.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Knowledge of and skill with common office software applications and electronic medical records.
Detail-oriented approach.
Ability to use active listening and remain solutions-oriented when interacting with patients, families, and health care team members.
Ability to demonstrate empathy, integrity, honesty, and compassion in difficult conversations.
Ability to distinguish the roles of clinically licensed and non-licensed professionals and act within professional boundaries.
Compliance with the Code of Ethics and Guide for Professional Conduct.
Ability to travel between locations.
Completion of George Washington University Navigation Training within 30 days of employment.

Nice To Haves

Three to five years of experience in a clinical setting assisting patients with screening for barriers to access and locating resources.

Responsibilities

Take ownership of assigned patients in the Care Navigation program.
Serve as a main point of contact for patients and family members following handoff from New Patient Scheduling, connecting them across the continuum of care.
Perform follow-up calls at predetermined touchpoints after patient visits to discuss the plan of action, ensure follow-up appointments are scheduled, and answer or triage remaining questions.
Screen patients for barriers to access, distress level, and comprehension of their diagnosis.
Assist patients with referrals to outside resources and care coordination as needed.
Advocate for patients by maintaining professional relationships with the multidisciplinary team, including frequent one-on-one communication with providers.
Enroll patients in and maintain them within Management and/or Value-Based Programs.
Assist in developing, implementing, and maintaining initiatives to improve efficiency, workflows, data collection, value-based metrics, and quality of patient care.
Cross-train to handle most patient needs without non-clinical support, including scheduling, call center, and registration.
Maintain professional and technical knowledge through educational workshops, professional publications, personal networks, and professional societies.
Acquire and maintain knowledge of local, state, and national cancer-related resources and services.
Develop and maintain positive communication within the organization.
Arrive on time, adhere to the regular work schedule, wear appropriate professional attire, complete tasks within established time frames, and follow clinic policies and procedures.
Perform other duties as assigned.