Patient Navigator - 3 positions available

Marshall University School of Pharmacy; Huntington (VA); Hybrid; USD 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Marshall University School of Pharmacy seeks a Patient Navigator to help patients access healthcare services, understand steps in their care journey, and overcome practical barriers to participation in clinical, research, and community health programs. The role involves outreach, appointment coordination, referral follow-up, resource connections, and ongoing engagement with patients and families.

You will work with clinicians and program teams to support transitions across hospital, outpatient,

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Two years of relevant experience in patient services or community outreach.
• Experience communicating with diverse populations.

Responsibilities

• Contact patients referred to programs and explain services clearly.
• Coordinate appointments, referrals, and follow-ups with care teams.
• Assist with navigation of insurance and financial assistance.
• Document outreach and follow-up actions in patient records.
• Collaborate with clinicians and program staff to improve access.
• Protect confidentiality and maintain professional boundaries.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Organizational skills

Collaborative teamwork

Digital literacy

Travel ability

Education

High school diploma

Associates or Bachelors in related field (Preferred)

Tools

Electronic health records

Job description

Classification Title

Classification Title MURC-Medical and Hlth Svc Mgr

Department

Department SOM-BioMedical Science - RC5130

Job Description

Position Overview

The Patient Navigator helps patients access healthcare services, understand the steps in their care journey, and overcome practical barriers to participation in clinical, research, and community health programs at Marshall University and Marshall Health. The role supports patients and families through outreach, appointment coordination, referral follow-up, resource connections, and ongoing engagement.

Working with clinical coordinators, nurses, physicians, pharmacists, registered dietitians, health coaches, research teams, and programme managers, the navigator provides a consistent point of contact and helps patients remain connected to the appropriate services. Programmes may include chronic disease management, remote patient monitoring, preventive care, and clinical research, with particular attention to rural and underserved communities. This is a non-licensed support role; medical questions and clinical concerns are referred to qualified professionals.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Patient Outreach and Engagement

• Contact patients referred to assigned programs through approved outreach methods. Explain available services, participation steps, and practical expectations using clear, welcoming language and approved materials.
• Build respectful relationships with patients and caregivers, recognize individual preferences and circumstances, and maintain regular follow-up to support participation.
• Help patients complete administrative forms and prepare for appointments. Arrange access to interpreters and accessible information where needed, and use teach-back to confirm understanding of practical next steps.
• Follow up on missed appointments, incomplete referrals, and interrupted participation. Explore barriers without judgement and coordinate solutions with the appropriate team.

Care Access and Referral Follow Up

• Assist with scheduling appointments, investigations, education sessions, and follow-up visits. Help patients understand where to attend, whom to contact, and how to obtain clinician-approved preparation instructions.
• Track referrals through scheduling and completion, confirm that information reaches the receiving team, and bring unresolved issues to the clinical coordinator or program lead.
• Support transitions between hospital, outpatient, home, and community settings by confirming appointments, identifying practical needs, and connecting patients with the responsible care team.
• Help patients navigate insurance contacts, financial assistance, medication assistance, and other access processes. Refer eligibility, coverage, billing, and treatment questions to the appropriate specialists.

Community Resources and Practical Support

• Use approved questions or tools to identify barriers such as transportation, food access, housing instability, childcare, cost, language, health literacy, and social isolation.
• Connect patients with community organizations and assistance programs. Help arrange services, follow up on access, and document whether the referral met the identified need.
• Maintain current resource directories and working relationships with community partners. Share recurring service gaps with program leadership to support improvements.

Digital Access and Program Participation

• Help patients access telehealth appointments, patient portals, and approved program applications. Provide basic guidance on setup and use, and connect patients with technical support for unresolved problems.
• For remote monitoring programs, reinforce approved device instructions, help address connectivity barriers, and follow up on missed transmissions as directed. Refer readings, symptoms, and clinical alerts to the responsible clinical team without independently interpreting them.
• For research programs, help with visit logistics, reminders, and approved participant information. Refer questions about eligibility, informed consent, study risks, or withdrawal to authorized research staff and respect each individual’s participation choices.

Documentation and Team Communication

• Record outreach, patient-reported barriers, appointments, referrals, assistance provided, and follow-up actions accurately and promptly in approved electronic health records or program systems.
• Maintain task lists and follow-up reminders so that outstanding needs remain visible to the team. Share relevant information through approved channels and promptly elevate urgent concerns according to established procedures.
• Participate in team meetings and contribute practical information about patient engagement, access barriers, and referral completion. Support routine program reporting with accurate activity records.

Professional Practice and Service Improvement

• Protect patient confidentiality, obtain required permissions before sharing information, and follow institutional privacy, safeguarding, and documentation procedures.
• Maintain professional boundaries and work within training and assigned responsibilities. Reinforce approved information and refer clinical assessment, treatment advice, medication changes, and medical nutrition therapy to qualified professionals.
• Participate in training and quality‑improvement activities. Gather patient feedback and suggest ways to make services easier to access and navigate.

Location

Location OTHR - Other Off-Campus Location

Salary Range

Salary Range Salary is commensurate with education, experience, and internal equity

Required Qualifications

Education

• High school diploma or equivalent, with at least two years of relevant experience in patient services, community outreach, healthcare support, human services, or a related role.

Experience

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including active listening, empathy, and the ability to explain practical information clearly to people with different backgrounds and health literacy needs.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage follow-up tasks, maintain accurate records, and prioritise competing needs.
• Ability to work collaboratively with patients, caregivers, clinical and research teams, and community partners while maintaining confidentiality and professional boundaries.
• Basic computer proficiency, including email, calendars, and data entry, and the ability to learn electronic health records, programme systems, and digital communication tools.
• Ability to travel to participating sites and community locations as required by assigned programmes.

Preferred Qualifications

Education

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in public health, health sciences, social work, human services, psychology, or a related field.

Experience

• Experience in patient navigation, community health work, care coordination support, or services for rural and underserved populations; familiarity with West Virginia community resources.
• Experience supporting people with chronic conditions, remote monitoring or telehealth programmes, or clinical research participation.
• Patient navigation or community health worker training or certification; additional language skills relevant to the populations served.

Posting Number

Posting Number MR0923

Open Date

Open Date 09/29/2026

Close Date

Open Until Filled Yes

Special Instructions Summary

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * Do you have the following: High school diploma or equivalent, with at least two years of relevant experience in patient services, community outreach, healthcare support, human services, or a related role?
  • Yes
  • No

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Optional Documents

Marshall University
One John Marshall Drive
Huntington, WV 25755