Referral Unit Clerk

JOSEPH P. ADDABBO FAMILY HEALTH CENTER, INC.•New York, NY

About The Position

Under the supervision of the Site Managers, the Referral Unit Clerk plays a crucial role in managing and facilitating the referral process within JPAFHC. Primary responsibilities include coordinating and overseeing referrals from initiation to completion, maintaining accurate referral records, and ensuring timely follow-up to support continuity of care.

Requirements

Administrative experience in a health center or hospital.
Experience with eClinicalWorks electronic health record system.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Strong customer service skills.
Strong computer knowledge including Microsoft Word, Excel, SharePoint, and Outlook required.
High School Diploma or GED.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in a community or human services agency.
Bilingual English/Spanish/French/Haitian Creole.

Responsibilities

Patient Interaction and Scheduling
Greet patients in a professional, courteous, and compassionate manner.
Contact patients to provide appointment information using their preferred method of communication.
Schedule patient appointments with in-house and external specialists according to practitioner instructions or patient preference.
Supports the referral process by completing pre-visit planning tasks, including verifying insurance coverage, confirming that all referral information is accurately entered into the system, and contacting patients prior to their scheduled appointments. Additional pre-visit planning tasks may be added as workflows continue to be streamlined.
Referral Monitoring and Tracking
Monitor and track the progress of referrals, including scheduled appointments, diagnostic tests, and imaging.
Ensure that all referrals are accurately maintained in accordance with JPA’s Electronic Referral Tracking Policy and Procedures.
Update referral records to reflect all required information, including number of visits and expiration dates.
Ensure that appointments for referrals are scheduled within the timeframe specified.
Actively work daily to reduce the number of open referrals.
Obtain consultation reports from specialty providers to reconcile and address referrals using faxes, mail, or external EMR systems (e.g., EPIC, RADNET).
Follow proper patient labeling documentation to ensure all records and discharge notes are correctly scanned in appropriate patient folder within the patient EMR. (e.g. patient docs.)
Create Diagnostic Image Orders when needed.
Attach consult notes to referrals or diagnostic imaging (DI) orders as required.
Address referrals (Close the Loop) following the established referral workflow, ensuring that all required documentation is complete, and patient outreach has been conducted.
Monitor Site Faxes and Population Health fax inbox daily.
Fax referral forms and supporting documentation (e.g., progress notes, lab reports, radiology results) to off-site specialists.
Obtain prior authorizations for specialty visits when required by the patient’s insurance carrier.
Document specialty appointment details—including date, time, and location—in the patient’s Electronic Health Record (EHR).
Perform general clerical duties as needed to support the referral and clinical team.
Contacts insurance companies for authorization of procedures and specialty appointments.
Updates CPT Codes if required.
Communication and Coordination
Answer, screen, and transfer all calls received by the department.
Direct urgent calls immediately to the appropriate staff member.
Record non-urgent calls in the EMR using the telephone encounter process, capturing complete messages and call-back information, and assigning them to the appropriate staff.
Contact patients regarding referrals, appointments, or other care-related information and accurately document each encounter in the patient’s Electronic Health Record (EHR).
Compliance and Professional Standards
Observe and adhere to all HIPAA rules and regulations to maintain patient confidentiality.
Participate in staff meetings and ongoing training as necessary.
Attend department meetings to review referral status reports and goals
Additional Duties
This job specification does not imply that these requirements are the exclusive standards of the position. Referral Unit Clerks will follow additional instructions and perform supplementary related duties, as may be required by the Supervisor.