Sr. Patient Navigator

American Heart Association • Dallas, TX

10d • $60,000 - $70,000

About The Position

Since our founding in 1924, we've cut cardiovascular disease deaths in half, but there is still so much more to do. To overcome today’s biggest health challenges and accelerate this progress, we need passionate individuals like you. Join our movement, be part of the progress, and help ensure a healthier future for all. You matter, and so does the impact you can make with us.
The American Heart Association has an excellent opportunity for a Senior Patient Navigator based out of our National Center office located in Dallas, Texas.
The Sr. Patient Navigator provides personalized, non-clinical guidance to help patients and caregivers confidently access, understand, and use health and social services. Operating within the American Heart Association’s National Engagement Center (NEC), this role supports inbound and referred contacts (e.g., Warmline and community-based outreach) by coordinating appointments, resolving barriers (transportation, insurance, cost), connecting to community resources and social-emotional support (Association’s Support Network), and empowering patients with education and shared decision-making tools.
The navigator documents interactions, tracks outcomes, and collaborates across Heart Association business units, including the NEC, Patient Engagement & Support, Evaluation, and external partners to improve patient activation and experience.
As a newly established and rapidly growing function, this role will also contribute to developing processes and training materials and will support the onboarding and leadership of additional navigators as the team expands.
The Association offers many resources to help you maintain work-life harmonization through your changing needs and life situations. To help you be successful, you will have access to Heart U, our award-winning corporate university, as well as additional training and support, locally.
#TheAHALife is more than a company culture; it is our way of life. It embodies our commitment to work-life harmonization and is guided by our core values where our employees can thrive both personally and professionally. Discover why you will Be Seen. Be Heard. Be Valued at the American Heart Association by following us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X, and at heart.jobs.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent. Bachelor’s degree preferred in social work, public health, health administration, psychology, or related field; or equivalent experience.
• Five (5) years in patient navigation, case management, community health, patient advocacy, or customer support in healthcare settings.
• Experience in a clinical setting required; cardiovascular setting preferred.
• Knowledge of healthcare systems, insurance, and community resources; strong health literacy and cultural competence.
• Proficiency with CRM/EHR or case management platforms; Microsoft 365 and collaboration tools (Teams, SharePoint).
• Effective communication; empathy; motivational interviewing; problem-solving; time management; documentation accuracy.
• Service excellence and de-escalation; ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Understanding of social determinants of health; care coordination and system navigation; resource linkage.
• Ability to translate medical terminology into layperson language.
• Stationary position with frequent computer use; communicates regularly with customers and teams; occasional travel may be required.
• Normal exposure: standard office/home environment.
• Non-clinical role; does not provide medical advice, diagnoses, or make clinical decisions. Clinical questions are referred to licensed staff (e.g., Nurse Educator).

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual Spanish/English preferred; certification in patient navigation or CHW (where available) preferred.
• Experience in developing and delivering training preferred.
• Management experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Act as a primary non-clinical point of contact for patients/caregivers; conduct needs assessments and develop individualized navigation plans.
• Coordinate healthcare logistics (e.g. appointments, referrals) and address barriers related to social drivers of health (e.g. transportation, food access, insurance).
• Provide condition education and shared decision-making tools; reinforce health literacy in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.
• Connect patients to Association resources (e.g. Stroke Resource Library, Support Network) and external services (financial assistance, community programs).
• Document encounters in NEC systems (CRM/KMS), track follow-ups, and monitor outcomes including Patient Activation Measure (PAM) where applicable.
• Collaborate with NEC Nurse Educator and clinical staff for escalations; maintain role clarity (non-clinical) and adhere to medical/legal disclaimers.
• Support outreach pilots (e.g., CBO Care Kits) and report insights to improve scripts, workflows, and resource materials.
• Train other NEC teams on navigation and patient support practices
• Contribute to continuous improvement by analyzing trends, recommending process changes, and participating in training and quality audits.

Benefits

• The Association offers many resources to help you maintain work-life harmonization through your changing needs and life situations.
• To help you be successful, you will have access to Heart U, our award-winning corporate university, as well as additional training and support, locally.
• Compensation – Our goal is to ensure you have a competitive base salary. That’s why we regularly review the market value of jobs and make adjustments, as needed.
• Performance and Recognition – You are rewarded for achieving success through annual salary planning and incentive programs;eligibility for an incentive program is based on the type of position.
• Benefits – We offer a wide array of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance, along with a robust retirement program that includes an employer match and automatic contribution. As a mark of our commitment to employee well-being, we also offer an employee assistance program, employee wellness program and telemedicine, and medical consultation.
• Professional Development – You can join one of our many Employee Resource Groups (ERG) or be a mentor/mentee in our professional mentoring program. Heart U is the Association’s national online university, with more than 100,000 resources designed to meet your needs and busy schedule.
• Work-Life Harmonization – The Association offers Paid Time Off (PTO) at a minimum of 16 days per year for new employees. The number of days will increase based on seniority level. You will also have a total of 12 paid holidays off each year, which includes several days off at the end of the year.
• Tuition Assistance - We support the career development of all employees. This program provides financial assistance to employees who wish to further their education and career in relation to their current duties and responsibilities, or for potential future positions in the organization.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED