Referral Specialist

Optimus Health Care•Bridgeport, CT

10d•Onsite

About The Position

Optimus Health Care is seeking a full-time Referral Specialist for its Bridgeport, Connecticut location. The Referral Specialist coordinates referrals to specialty services and ensures referrals are entered into the system for follow-up and tracking according to the Referral Process. The role works with patients, primary care physicians, hospitals, specialty offices, and insurance companies to support timely specialty care. The position requires a professional, positive attitude; strong customer-service orientation; trustworthiness; and excellent interpersonal skills. Employees are expected to understand and support Optimus’ vision, mission, and values.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
Strong organizational skills.
Excellent communication skills.
Ability to work under pressure.
Critical-thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Microsoft Excel and Word skills.
Professional positive attitude, customer-service orientation, trustworthiness, and excellent interpersonal skills.

Nice To Haves

Graduation from an accredited Medical Assistant program.
Intimate knowledge of the language and culture of a sizeable segment of the community served by the Health Center.
Two or more years of experience in a clinical setting.
Bilingual ability in Spanish, Portuguese, and/or Haitian-French Creole.

Responsibilities

Oversee coordination of referrals to specialty services.
Coordinate specialty-service appointments as requested by primary care physicians.
Collect appropriate supporting information for each referral before sending it to a specialist.
Provide reports as needed to Practice Managers.
Serve as a point of contact for hospitals and specialty offices.
Respond to inquiries about referral status by assessing the request and circumstances and providing accurate information.
Verify prior authorizations with insurance companies by phone, in writing, or electronically.
Inform patients of appointment dates and times and any documentation required before appointments.
Provide patient teaching before appointments.
Review logs weekly to verify whether patients kept their appointments.
Review flags regarding consultations.
Document referrals in the EMR as non-billable encounters and enter specialty appointments in the referral log.
Record no-shows and flag the referring physician for patient follow-up.
Direct patients to outside resources when requested by a primary care physician.