Referral Coordinator - Military veterans preferred

Referral Coordinator

US-OR-Portland

Requisition ID: 2025-35968
Position Category: Hospital/Clinic Support
Job Type: AFSCME union represented
Position Type: Regular Full-Time
Posting Department: CHH Oncology - Patient Access and Navigation
Posting Salary Range: $28.25 - $38.19 per hour
Posting FTE: 1.00
Posting Schedule: Monday - Friday
Posting Hours: 0830-1700
HR Mission: Healthcare
Drug Testable: No

Department Overview

The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, known as one of the pioneers in personalized cancer medicine, is an international leader in research and cancer treatment. Driven by its mission to end cancer as we know it, the institute is building upon its expertise in targeted treatments to advance the early detection of cancer when the disease is most treatable.

 

The Cancer Network is a unique collaboration between OHSU Knight Cancer Institute and select regional hospitals, providing cancer prevention and screening, high-quality cancer care, and clinical research services targeted to the specific needs of each community. The goals of the Network are to reduce cancer risks and to improve cancer outcomes across the region.

 

The KCI Intake Coordinator serves as a liaison and coordinator between patients, community providers, Knight Cancer oncologists, OHSU specialty and surgical practices, advanced practice providers, nurses, oncology clinic care coordinators, Ambulatory Access, and OHSU research associates to ensure coordination of care, care transitions and navigation within OHSU specialties. This position plays a vital role in supporting the work of the clinical teams by independently performing a variety of highly detailed and high-level administrative and technical functions. These functions include not limited to referral processing, facilitating completeness and accuracy of incoming referrals, routing to the correct Oncology or Ambulatory Clinic, new patient scheduling, and new patient and referral data reporting. The Intake Coordinator performs activities that are system-focused, ensuring the care is seamless across providers and the care continuum. The Intake Coordinator will facilitate medical review, tumor board review, maintain a diagnosis database, report on scheduling and disease specific data that will be used to report out to internal stakeholders as well as external throughout the Knight Cancer Network, OHSU Health system, and other external referral sources. Care coordination is the task of bridging gaps between facilities, specialists, researchers, labs, community resources, and primary care.

The incumbent has extensive knowledge of scheduling processes in the ambulatory setting. S/he is knowledgeable about the Epic system and current best practice scheduling and referral workflows. This position requires high level attention to detail while providing the highest level of service to our patients, clinical team, referring providers, and Network members.

Function/Duties of Position

Key Responsibilities & Performance Standards

 

Network Responsibilities and Coordination of Care:

Responsibilities outlined in this section are specific where noted to the Cancer Network Members otherwise, the apply to all referring providers:

• Serves as the Cancer Network's main point of contact for a set group of Network Member practices and their staff with regard to coordination of care at OHSU. This position will be responsible for key areas of the network. Triages Network inquires and referrals to appropriate OHSU contacts, particularly directing clinical calls to appropriate clinic RN or CMA, and follows up with Knight contact and Network Member to ensure OHSU "closes the loop" with each inquiry and
• As assigned and under the direction of the KCI Program Manager and serves as a liaison between referring providers, Network Members and Knight physicians, clinicians, PAS staff, and care coordinators in the medical practice to support community providers and patients throughout the cancer care continuum (prevention, screening, risk assessment, diagnosis, clinical trials, treatment, survivorship, and end of life care) as
• Ensure Network patients follow through with referrals to other specialties, labs, and diagnostic imaging through a review of patient records in OHSU Epic and through direct verbal and written communication with representatives from Network Member clinical teams and OHSU clinical and research
• Independently manages workload within service level agreement; Understanding and abiding by agreed-upon timelines, i.e. Network Members, Referral processing metrics (2/4 day)
• Maintains a detailed tracking mechanism to track actions that require follow-up related to patient and referring office inquiries, referrals, records requests, etc.
• Receive and make outgoing phone calls to patients, referring provider offices, or other medical facilities within or outside the Knight Cancer Network regarding new patient scheduling, inquiries regarding oncology- related research studies, and
• Assess/coordinate patient and referring office scheduling requests utilizing standard work based on diagnosis, insurance coverage or lack thereof, and previous
• Facilitate financial counselor review or consultation for patients without insurance or underinsured per standard
• Triage medical treatment questions to the appropriate clinical parties via Epic.
• Coordinate additional supportive appointments, such as labs, treatment, imaging, etc., with other OHSU departments and referring provider practices to achieve optimal care coordination for medical or financially fragile patients.

Clinical Research:

• Serves as a liaison between Network Members and Knight research teams to facilitate enrollment on and adherence to clinical
• Coordinates with OHSU clinical research nurses/associates/faculty notification to community oncologists and a nurse at the practice when a patient is enrolled on a clinical
• Directs Network Members to the OHSU faculty note and ensure the community practice team is aware of immediate next steps to occur in the community practice.
• Notifies OHSU team if Network Member perceives any barriers and connects the clinical teams involved to resolve, assisting where relevant and within a non-clinical scope.

Referral Processing:

 

• Contact patients within 24hrs of receiving their referral to ensure patients are aware of their referral and understand next steps. This call will also be a time to ensure registration is complete and the patient is set up for MyChart.
• Process incoming referrals that are faxed, emailed, or verbally given to the KCI department from the OHSU Intake Referral Center, Network Members or referrals directly faxed referrals to the KCI
• Ensure that patient demographics are correct (i.e. address, contact numbers, PCP, referring provider, referred to provider ).
• Create referral shell from faxed referral. Cross-reference referral matrix to identify what additional records, if needed, are required for medical review or appointment.
• Request medical records, including but not limited to office notes, lab/imaging reports, etc. Enter orders for pathology review, and request images be pushed to the OHSU Imaging EMR.
• Separate faxed referral into like categories and create a PDF packet of the medical records information to facilitate medical
• Coordinate medical review with Nurse Navigator or Medical Provider
• Request additional records or schedule additional appointments necessary to be done in coordination of a new visit, scheduling return office visits upon
• Communicate with the referring office/ patient throughout the referral process from start to finish informing of delays or additional items needed

Communication:

• Works specifically with referring providers at assigned Network member sites to understand their preferences for communication about patients’ test results, treatment plan recommendations, and treatment progress. Manages those communications with the staff in OHSU medical/surgical practices, bringing concerns forward to leaders when unable to resolve service discrepancies.
• Ensures referral and scheduling-related activities are transparent to the referring provider and patient at each step by initiating update calls/letters/faxes to either the patient or referring
• Works with OHSU research and clinical staff to agree on joint systems for tracking referred patients in the OHSU systems. Identifies existing or potential bottlenecks and works with research, clinical, and Network teams to create interventions to
• Works with manager to track and identify existing or potential bottlenecks workload, deadlines, and priorities. Clearly communicate any issues that
• would result in overtime or out-of-scope requests from others.

Managed Care & Financial Coordination:

• Process Managed Care functions include but are not limited to the following:
• Maintain current information on insurance plans and serve as a liaison and information resource for physicians, nursing support staff, co-workers, referring physicians’ offices, patients, and insurance companies on authorization
• Gather and/or verify patient information, including demographics, insurance coverage, and financial status, in accordance with OHSU and best practices.
• Enter all information accurately into OHSU EMR and /or into the medical record when
• Document financial status and make referrals to financial counselors based off key indicators.

Administrative:

• Regularly review and recommend updates to the Knight Cancer Referral Matrix. Ensure the accuracy of disease, provider, and record requirements by regularly soliciting updates to the matrix from providers and clinical staff as needed.
• Report and analyze referral data in an effort to minimize delays and surface barriers to meeting ambulatory metrics and KCI Network service level agreements.
• Participate in appropriate educational activities that enhance general knowledge or ability to do assigned work; Attend staff meetings and other informational sessions; Read vendor documentation, OHSU job-related policies, trade publications, or other appropriate publications; interact with peers and other employees to receive and disseminate

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree plus 2 years’ experience working in a ambulatory clinic, 
• OR 
• Associate’s degree plus 4 years’ experience working in a ambulatory clinic.   
• OR
• High School diploma plus 6 years’ experience working in a ambulatory clinic. 
• Knowledge of multiple Ambulatory workflows.

Preferred Qualifications

• At least one year of experience in a medical office setting, including high-volume scheduling of appointments, multi-line phone system and medical
• Bachelor’s degree in related field.
• Prior work in a clinical setting, preferably a hematology/oncology clinical
• 2 years of recent experience as a PASR at OHSU.
• Experience scheduling in virtual platforms
• The candidate must have a thorough knowledge of patient scheduling and referral processes in EPIC or other EHR
• Experience working with electronic medical records.
• Advanced computer skills, including Adobe, MS Word, Excel, OHSU Epic skills and online resource use knowledge.
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks at one time.
• Excellent communication, analytical and organizational skills: both written and
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team while being collaborative in resolving
• Ability to work autonomously, with a high level of accuracy, speed and exhibit a willingness to work with deadlines.
• Must meet Department performance standards measuring efficiency, production, timeliness and accuracy. This will be reviewed on a regular basis both as a team and as an individual.
• Strong attention to detail and processes
• Must possess energy and drive to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to use tact and diplomacy to maintain effective working relationships
• Experience with and electronic health record, preferably Epic
• Basic understanding of medical terminology

Additional Details

• This position is located at the Center for Health & Healing Bld. 2 (CHH2) and via teleworking.
• When this position works at CHH2, they must be able to share office space with other coworkers and able to multi-task in a high-volume environment.
• This position may be eligible for telecommuting once training and probationary periods are met.

All are welcome
Oregon Health & Science University values a diverse and culturally competent workforce. We are proud of our commitment to being an equal opportunity, affirmative action organization that does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of any protected class status, including disability status and protected veteran status. Individuals with diverse backgrounds and those who promote diversity and a culture of inclusion are encouraged to apply. To request reasonable accommodation contact the Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Department at 503-494-5148 or aaeo@ohsu.edu.



Equal employment opportunity, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

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