Navigator

Hamilton Health Center Inc.; Harrisburg (Dauphin County); On-site; USD 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous paid time off

Birthday holiday

Medical, Dental & Vision Coverage

Company-paid life insurance

Retirement Plan with matching

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Hamilton Health Center Inc. seeks a Navigator to coordinate patient care and connect individuals with appropriate medical and community services. In this critical role, you will assess social determinants of health, facilitate referrals, and ensure continuity through follow-up.

You will provide education and advocacy to help patients navigate the healthcare system effectively. This position requires strong communication skills, and the ability to work collaboratively with care teams.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of comparable work experience in a clinical environment.
• Experience with care coordination or case management preferred.
• Knowledgeable in The Joint Commission regulations preferred.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate care between patients and the health center.
• Identify barriers to care and connect individuals to services.
• Monitor and follow up on client referrals and access to services.
• Facilitate access to internal and external resources.

Skills

Care coordination

Patient advocacy

Bilingual communication

Community resource identification

Critical thinking

Education

High School diploma

Associate degree

Job description

Job Summary

The Navigator plays a critical role in coordinating care between patients and the health center by identifying barriers to care and connecting individuals to appropriate medical, behavioral health, and community-based services. This position supports improved health outcomes by assessing social determinants of health, facilitating timely referrals, and ensuring continuity of care through consistent follow-up. Working as an active member of the care team, the Navigator engages patients through in-reach, outreach, and home visits, providing education, advocacy, and guidance to help individuals successfully navigate the healthcare system and access available resources.

Benefits Offered

• Generous paid time off
• Birthday holiday and 7 paid holidays
• Medical, Dental & Vision Coverage
• Company-paid life insurance.
• Retirement Plan with matching opportunity
• Employee Assistance Program

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Participate as a Care Team member to help patients overcome barriers to care, such as lack of insurance or lack of transportation, mental health, and /or drug and alcohol problems.
• Provide access to early intervention, screening, inclusive of depression, substance abuse, child development, and social determinants of health, and facilitate access to internal and external referral services.
• Help develop, assess, and adjust as necessary in collaboration with the care team the patient-centered care plan, and promote desired outcomes along with monitoring the effectiveness of the plan along with establishing measurable goals and outcomes.
• Screen for Social Determinants of Health using an approved tool and report specific health and social information back to the care team to assist in the development of the continuum of care/service plan.
• Support the Care Team(s) by reaching out to patients who have missed critical appointments or who are overdue for preventive or obstetric care services.
• Maintain constant communication with the patient while addressing their concerns, goals, and helping them keep positive attitudes and adherence to the treatment plan.
• Utilize clinical judgment and critical thinking skills to help patients navigate appropriate physical and behavioral healthcare and coordinate psychosocial and medical wraparound services to promote effective utilization of available resources.
• Identify social agencies and other resources as appropriate to the needs of the patient, including but not limited to medical, dental, mental, financial, and community resources.
• Provide patient and family education to promote understanding of service rationale and coordination among community organizations/network providers and constituent groups.
• Screen, identify, and close clinical and nonclinical gaps in patient care
• Mitigate family dynamics and patient compliance issues.
• Provide service coordination and facilitation of case management, and client advocacy.
• Document service coordination activities throughout the continuum of care.
• Monitor and follow up on client referrals and access to prevention/intervention and treatment needs.
• Facilitate access to referral services to school districts.
• Ensure accurate and appropriate use of medical terminology within documentation of patient interactions.
• Maintain confidentiality and security rules when providing information to internal and external sources.
• Travel throughout the service areas as required, providing home visits if needed by patients.

Minimum Education/Certifications

• High School diploma required with 2 or more years of comparable work experience; Associate degree preferred. Bilingual speaking preferred. Knowledgeable in The Joint Commission regulations, preferred.
• Bilingual speaking preferred. Knowledgeable in The Joint Commission regulations, preferred.

Minimum Work Experience

• Minimum of three years of experience in a clinical environment working directly in inpatient care required.
• Working with children and families in Public Health, Outreach, Social Work, or related field, performing care coordination /care management in a medical setting, preferred, but not required if other relevant experience can be demonstrated.

Other Requirements

• Reliable transportation to travel throughout the service area.

All About Hamilton Health Center

Hamilton Health Center (Hamilton), established in 1969, is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) located in Harrisburg, PA. The center continues to grow by taking a holistic and comprehensive approach to patient-centered care. Our mission is to improve the health of Central Pennsylvania’s residents by delivering high-quality, respectful, and patient-centered health and related social services that promote access, treatment, education, and prevention, regardless of health, economic, or insurance status. Our vision is to be the premier community health clinic of the underinsured and uninsured to include medical, dental, social, and related services and to become a healthcare provider of choice for the Greater Harrisburg area residents. For over 50 years, we have been true to these words. As part of our team, you will work alongside dedicated professionals who care deeply about the individuals we serve.

EOE