Scheduling-Referral Coordinator

Gary and Mary West PACE•San Marcos, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Join the Team Voted Best Place to Work! Why Work for Gary and Mary West PACE? Because you're looking for more than just a job - you want work/life balance and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the lives of North County seniors and their families. At Gary and Mary West PACE, we support your personal and professional well-being with: Generous pay and a comprehensive benefits package focused on your health and wellness. 11 paid holidays, 13 days of PTO, and 5 days of sick time. A 5% employer match to our 403(b) retirement plan. No on-call time – because your time matters. We invest in our team with an annual education allowance and a commitment to professional growth, helping you expand your skills and advance your career. You'll thrive in a supportive, mission-driven culture where collaboration feels like family. As part of our multi-disciplinary team, your voice is heard, and your work is truly valued. Join us and do your best work-because here, your contribution matters. About PACE Philanthropists Gary and Mary West founded West Health with the mission of enabling seniors to successfully age in place with access to high-quality, affordable health and support services that preserve and protect their dignity, quality of life, and independence. The Gary and Mary West PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly), affiliated with West Health (www.westhealth.org), is a non-profit that delivers medical, social, and behavioral services to the frail elderly to the North County of San Diego. This PACE center is entrepreneurial in nature and focuses on innovations and bringing new processes to the traditional PACE environment. We're looking for passionate healthcare providers who want to be part of a team dedicated to enable seniors to live in their communities as independently as possible by providing compassionate, comprehensive health and supportive care. Position Summary: Under the direction of the Scheduling Manager, the Scheduling & Referral Coordinator is responsible for coordinating participant scheduling for both internal PACE services and external specialty care. The position serves as the primary point of coordination for participant appointments by processing referrals, scheduling medical services, coordinating transportation, communicating with participants, caregivers, interdisciplinary team members, and community providers, and maintaining accurate scheduling documentation within the electronic medical record (EMR). The Scheduling & Referral Coordinator is expected to become proficient in all scheduling functions and may be assigned responsibility for both internal and external scheduling activities based on operational needs.

Requirements

High School diploma or GED required.
Minimum of one (1) year of documented experience working with a frail or elderly population required.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office computer applications and Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems.
Strong communication, organization, customer service, and problem-solving skills; ability to establish a helping, trusting relationship with participants.
Ability to follow through with instructions and directions provided by supervisor, RN, QAPI coordinator, primary care physician, and/or medical director.
Ability to prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to work effectively and harmoniously as part of an interdisciplinary team, the elderly, providers of services, and peers.
Dependable, flexible, and resourceful.
Employees must have medical clearance for communicable diseases and up-to-date immunizations before having direct participant contact.
Job offers are contingent upon a successful pre-employment drug screen, background check, and physical assessment.

Nice To Haves

Medical Terminology or Medical Assistant certification preferred
Experience with scheduling, referrals, authorizations, or managed care preferred.

Responsibilities

Coordinate and schedule participant appointments for internal PACE services and external specialty providers.
Schedule initial, follow-up, annual, semi-annual, diagnostic, specialty, therapy, dental, vision, and other medically necessary appointments as ordered.
Coordinate participant appointments according to provider orders and individualized care plans.
Monitor provider schedules and optimize appointment availability.
Resolve scheduling conflicts, cancellations, and rescheduling requests while minimizing delays in care.
Coordinate participant transportation needs in collaboration with the Transportation Department.
Confirm appointments with participants and caregivers and communicate schedule updates.
Monitor appointment completion and facilitate follow-up scheduling.
Receive, review, and process referrals and authorizations in a timely manner.
Coordinate with specialty offices and community providers to facilitate timely scheduling.
Ensure referrals contain the documentation required for scheduling.
Monitor referrals from receipt through appointment completion.
Escalate barriers to scheduling or incomplete referrals to the appropriate department.
Maintain working knowledge of medical terminology, CPT, HCPCS, ICD-10, and DME coding sufficient to support referral processing.
Serve as the primary scheduling contact for participants, caregivers, interdisciplinary team members, transportation staff, vendors, and community providers.
Provide appointment information and scheduling updates.
Promote participant satisfaction through courteous and professional communication.
Develop collaborative working relationships with internal and external partners.
Maintain accurate scheduling documentation within the EMR.
Protect participant confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA.
Support quality improvement initiatives, audits, and workflow improvements.
Participate in required meetings, training, and departmental initiatives.
Be flexible in schedule of hours worked.
Perform other duties as assigned.