Patient Navigator - Neurosurgery

University Hospital; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 62,000 - 88,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation Time

Medical & Prescription Drug Coverage

Dental & Vision Insurance

HSA & FSA

Disability Insurance

Pension Plan

Pet Insurance

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Professional Development

Job summary

University Hospital is seeking a Patient Navigator who will guide patients through the health care system, ensuring timely appointments per guidelines set with the Medical Director. You will assist with access issues, build referrals, and manage patient records to support smooth care coordination.

You will track new requests, provide monthly statistics, and remove barriers to care by connecting patients to resources and social support. Strong communication and teamwork are essential in this role.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field with two years of healthcare experience.
• Experience in patient advocacy or customer service; familiarity with medical terminology.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office; strong communication and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Receives calls from new patients, referring physicians, and other programs.
• Provides information about Clinical Services offered and their service area.
• Builds relationships with departments and community resources to facilitate patient access.
• Acts as patient advocate to ensure on-time, prepared arrivals at appointments.
• Identifies and addresses barriers to timely and appropriate care.
• Connects patients with financial resources and social support systems.
• Collaborates with investigators and clinical research teams to identify eligible patients for trials.
• Cultivates relationships with hospital and community services; educates providers about resources.

Education

Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field

Job description

About The Role

The Patient Navigator is a patient advocate and will guide patients through the health care system, ensuring appropriate appointments are given in a timely manner through guidelines agreed upon with the Medical Director of the Practice/Department. The Patient Navigator will assist with access issues, develop relationships with referring health care providers and ensure the complete and efficient management of all referrals, including the acquisition of necessary patient‐care materials and medical records. Thisindividual will work with community groupsto increase health awareness and provide health education. In addition, the Patient Navigator will track all new patient requests, provide monthly statistics and referring patterns. The Patient Navigator works closely with the patient care team and assists in the coordination of patient care by removing barriers that would otherwise prevent patients from receiving health care services

About The Role

The Patient Navigator is a patient advocate and will guide patients through the health care system, ensuring appropriate appointments are given in a timely manner through guidelines agreed upon with the Medical Director of the Practice/Department. The Patient Navigator will assist with access issues, develop relationships with referring health care providers and ensure the complete and efficient management of all referrals, including the acquisition of necessary patient‐care materials and medical records. Thisindividual will work with community groupsto increase health awareness and provide health education. In addition, the Patient Navigator will track all new patient requests, provide monthly statistics and referring patterns. The Patient Navigator works closely with the patient care team and assists in the coordination of patient care by removing barriers that would otherwise prevent patients from receiving health care services

Responsibilities

What You’ll Do

• Receives phone calls from new patients, referring Physicians, and other programs.
• Provides information about Clinical Services offered at UH and their assigned service area.
• Works to establish relationships and collaboration with other departments and resources within the community to facilitate patient access.
• Strong patient advocate: guides assigned patients through the health care system; helps patients arrive at scheduled appointments on time prepared.
• Actively identifies and addresses barriers to care that might keep the patient from receiving timely and appropriate treatment.
• Connects patients with resources and social support systems.
• Helps patients identify and access financial services to pay for health care needs.
• Works with Investigators and other members of the Clinical Research team to identify patients as potential research subjects for available clinical trials.
• Networks and cultivates relationships with hospital and community services.
• Provides culturally appropriate health education to community groups and individuals.
• Collaborates and educates providers and co-workers about available resources for patient care and provides updates as changes occur.

Qualifications

What You’ll Bring

Required

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field, plus two (2) years of work experience in a healthcare environment dealing directly with patients, required.
• Technical clinical experience and/or experience in the area of the practice (e.g., OB/GYN, Oncology, etc.) a plus.
• Candidates must be experienced and competent in a patient advocacy and/or customer service role.
• Familiarity with medical terminology required.
• Computer literacy with competence in Microsoft Office required.
• Years of experience and/or navigator training may be substituted for the degree requirement on a year-for-year basis.
• Must possess excellent communication skills, strong organizational skills and be detail oriented.
• Must be able to work independently and as a member of a team and work flexible hours.

Preferred

• Bilingual skills (English/Spanish) a plus.
• Some experience in an outpatient setting preferred.

What We Offer

• Vacation Time
• Medical & Prescription Drug Coverage
• Dental & Vision Insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA) & Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Short- & Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Pension Plan
• Pet Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Professional Development

Compensation

In compliance with New Jersey’s Pay Transparency Act, the salary range for this position is PS/22S: Min. $61,802.00 Mid. $74,239.00 Max. $88,273.00 , per year. University Hospital considers multiple factors when determining compensation, including (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s relevant work experience, education and training, key skills, internal equity, market data, and organizational needs. The expected salary range for this position is in accordance with the New Jersey Pay Transparency Law; final compensation will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.

About Us

University Hospital is one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers. As the principal teaching affiliate of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and the only state-certified Level 1 Trauma Center in Northern New Jersey, University Hospital is training the next generation of physicians and advancing science to discovery while taking exceptional care of patients, regardless of their financial situation.

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, M/F/D/V. For more information, visit www.uhnj.org/hrweb .