Referrals - Referral Coordinator
About The Position
Referral Coordinator I coordinates care between medical providers and specialists to help ensure patients receive appropriate care. The role processes referrals, completes the referral lifecycle within required time periods, maintains accurate documentation and patient records, and communicates with clinicians, specialists, insurers, patients, and families. The coordinator also helps patients navigate health care, financial, and social barriers and may advocate for timely approval of necessary services or supplies. The position requires adherence to patient-confidentiality, regulatory, organizational, and professional standards. The coordinator supports performance and quality-improvement activities, may perform other tasks as assigned, and travels to other clinic locations as needed for cross-coverage. The position generally works Monday through Friday, with variable start and end times, and occasional Saturdays as needed.
Requirements
- High school diploma or GED.
- One to two years of referral experience.
- Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish.
- Reliable transportation.
- Excellent people skills and ability to partner with a dynamic leadership team.
- Integrity, credibility, and commitment to the organization's mission.
- Flexibility, ability to multitask, and ability to work in an ambiguous, fast-moving environment while driving toward clarity and solutions.
- Resourcefulness in setting priorities and solving problems.
- Strong customer-service focus.
- Effective verbal and written communication skills.
- Teamwork orientation.
- Organization and ability to manage competing priorities.
- Good judgment.
- Ability to take delegated tasks and follow through with accountability.
- Ability to push and pull objects up to 25 pounds and lift and carry up to 25 pounds.
- Frequent wrist, hand, and finger dexterity to perform fine motor functions without tremor.
- Full range of body motion, including twisting, pushing, and pulling; ability to reach, bend, stoop, handle objects, talk, hear, and see.
- Ability to work in conditions involving non-ionizing radiation (microwaves) and hazardous chemical (e.g., latex) and infectious exposures.
Nice To Haves
- Medical assistant certification.
Responsibilities
- Process referrals submitted by health care providers in all referral queues.
- Complete each referral lifecycle, including submission, approval, patient notification, follow-up, and securing medical records within identified time periods.
- Follow insurance requirements and communicate with clinicians about clinical care needs related to referrals.
- Track referrals and maintain appropriate documentation to support team awareness and patient safety, potentially using an EHR database.
- Ensure accurate patient registration, including demographic and current insurance information.
- Assemble information about patients’ clinical backgrounds and referral needs, and provide appropriate clinical information to specialists according to referral guidelines.
- Contact review organizations and insurance companies to confirm prior-approval requirements are met.
- Present necessary medical information, such as history, diagnosis, and prognosis, and provide specific medical information to financial services to support reimbursement.
- Review referral details and expectations with patients.
- Help patients address health care system, financial, and social barriers, including arranging interpreters, transportation services, or prescription assistance as appropriate.
- Serve as a system navigator and point of contact for patients and families, respond to their questions and concerns, and potentially advocate with carriers for timely approval of necessary supplies or services.
- Identify and use cultural and community resources and maintain relationships with service providers.
- Ensure referrals are addressed in a timely manner.
- Remind patients of scheduled appointments by mail or phone.
- Keep patients’ primary care charts current with information about specialist consultations, hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and community organizations related to their health.
- Perform other assigned duties and related tasks in support of organizational and programmatic goals.
- Adhere to dress code and maintain a neat, clean appearance.
- Maintain patient confidentiality and comply with regulatory requirements, organizational policies, ethical business practices, and professional standards.
- Report to work on time and as scheduled, represent the organization positively, and communicate its mission, ethics, and goals.
- Participate in performance-improvement and continuous-quality-improvement activities.
- Travel to other clinic locations as needed for cross-coverage support.
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
High school or GED
