John George Psychiatric Pavilion Hiring for Patient Navigator at Oakland, California Full Time

S UMMARY: Under general direction, the Patient Navigator works in collaboration with physicians and staff to identify high risk patients with chronic illness and help them navigate the complexities of the health care system. The Patient Navigator assesses the nonclinical needs of patients and their families and directs them to community, county and state resources and programs to address barriers that may prevent them from receiving appropriate care and completing treatment. Patient navigation at AHS is a component of multidisciplinary, patient-centered care designed to reduce health disparities for patients with a cancer diagnosis or other chronic health condition where adherence to clinical monitoring, treatment and medication management can be critical to health outcomes. The Patient Navigator has a defined role on the care teams which also includes medical staff and social workers. Performs related duties as required.

DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: NOTE: The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification. However, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual in the classification, additional duties may be assigned as needed.

1. Function as a guide to help his or her patients move through the complexities of the healthcare system, so they receive a timely diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care for chronic disease management.

2. Clinical Support: Support patients and their families to keep clinic visits, obtain required diagnostic tests. Communicate any patient concerns to clinic staff, and follow up to reschedule patients who miss appointments. Explain and reinforce information and instructions from clinic staff. May schedule appointments and support clinic flow depending on needs of the particular clinic.

3. Consistent Point of Contact: Maintain regular contact with patients in active care and treatment by phone or in face-to-face meetings. May also include accompanying patient to appointments, hospital visits and other one-on-one support; consult regularly with care coordination team and internal clinical network about patients under treatment.

4. Information and Referral: Support patients and their families and intervene to quickly resolve problems that might jeopardize adherence to treatment. Problem areas may include insurance eligibility, financial aid, child care, general assistance and SSI, language interpretation, transportation, domestic violence, housing/homelessness, fear/pain/depression. Service referrals may include in-home support, support groups, nutrition/food programs, physical therapy, skilled nursing, palliative care, hospice and grief counseling, wigs/prosthetics or behavioral health,

5. Resource Development: Develop and maintain an external network of community relationships to expand resources available to patients and their families; promote programs and services to community groups. Solicit suggestions from patients and develop collateral materials to promote Patient Navigation. Solicit donations of goods, services and monetary contributions.

6. Support Post-Treatment: Provide ongoing support and resources for survivorship, post treatment and long term; identify patient in need of a medical home assignment and make recommendations based on established criteria.

7. Data Collection/Analysis: Track and maintain data on all patient navigation activity and provide reports to providers, grantors and managers as requested.

8. Patient Education: Identify educational topics relevant to patients and their families and develop, collect, compile, and distribute relevant patient education materials. Assist with the development of new educational programs for patients and schedule patient presentations offered by our partner organization.

   MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Education: Associate’s Degree required, Bachelor’s Degree preferred. Minimum Experience: Three years of experience in healthcare or social services setting. Five years of experience can substitute for an AA degree. Required Licenses/Certifications: Valid CA Driver’s License.