Referral & Authorization Supervisor

Columbia Memorial Hospital; Astoria (OR); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria, Oregon seeks a Referral and Authorization Supervisor to lead the referral and prior authorization services within the patient connection center. This role supervises staff, trains teams, and ensures payer requirements and organizational standards are met.

The position emphasizes collaboration with providers, clinic leadership, payers, and support departments to remove barriers to care, improve workflows, and promote timely authorizations and strong patient

Qualifications

• Coaches, trains, and develops staff to build a positive, accountable team culture.
• Excellent communication and collaboration with providers, clinic leadership, payers, patients, and staff.
• Analyses workflows to identify improvements and implements effective solutions.
• Strong organizational skills to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines in a fast-paced setting.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and able to navigate EMR systems.

Responsibilities

• Oversight of referral and prior authorization workflows within the patient connection center.
• Supervise, train, and evaluate staff to ensure quality, productivity, and compliance.
• Collaborate with leadership, providers, payers, and support departments to resolve barriers to care and promote timely authorizations.
• Develop onboarding, training, and staff development programs to ensure consistency and growth.
• Monitor performance metrics and drive improvements in quality, compliance, and patient satisfaction.

Skills

Coaching

Communication

Workflow analysis

Organizational skills

Microsoft Office

EMR systems

Adaptability to new software

Education

Associate or Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, business, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

EMR systems

Job description

Astoria , OR

Leadership / Management

Full Time , Days , Shift Length: 8

Posted 11/06/2026

Call: No

The Referral and Authorization Supervisor oversees the daily operations of referral and prior authorization services within the patient connection center, ensuring efficient workflows, timely processing, and compliance with payer requirements and organizational standards. This position is responsible for supervising, training, coaching, and evaluating staff while monitoring productivity, quality, and performance to support patient access to care.
The supervisor collaborates with department leadership, providers, clinic leadership, payers, and support departments to resolve barriers to care, facilitate timely authorizations, and promote positive patient outcomes. This role identifies opportunities to improve workflows, enhance operational efficiency, and strengthen service quality.
In partnership with leadership, the Referral and Authorization Supervisor helps develop, implement, and maintain comprehensive onboarding, initial training, and ongoing staff development programs to ensure consistency, accuracy, and continued professional growth. The position performs related duties as assigned and strives to achieve departmental goals related to quality, compliance, productivity, customer service, and patient satisfaction.

Job Requirements

• Demonstrated ability to coach, train, and develop staff while fostering a positive and accountable team culture.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with providers, clinic leadership, payers, patients, and staff.
• Ability to analyze workflows, identify opportunities for improvement, and implement effective solutions.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Ability to navigate and effectively utilize electronic medical record (EMR) systems for documentation, data entry, and retrieval of patient information.
• Demonstrates strong computer skills and the ability to learn and adapt to new software applications and technology.

License/Certification

N/A

Education and/or Experience

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, business, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in healthcare referrals, prior authorizations, patient access, revenue cycle, or other healthcare setting.
• Minimum of one (1) year of leadership, supervisory, or lead experience preferred.

Physical Demands and Work Environment Conditions / ADA Compliance

• Prolonged periods of sitting and working at a computer workstation.
• Frequent use of hands and fingers to operate a computer, keyboard, telephone, and other office equipment.
• Ability to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and through electronic communications.
• Frequent viewing of computer screens and detailed information.
• Occasional standing, walking, bending, reaching, and lifting or carrying items weighing up to 20 pounds.
• Ability to move throughout the facility to attend meetings, provide staff support, and collaborate with departments as needed.

About Us

Columbia Memorial Hospital (CMH) is located in the beautiful and historic town of Astoria, Oregon, where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. At CMH, we are committed to providing person-centered care to our patients and Caregivers. We are a full-service, 25-bed, critical access, not-for-profit, Level III trauma, Planetree Certified, hospital which includes a robust Medical Group.

As a Planetree Hospital, CMH has developed dynamic and focused efforts to involve the perspective of patients, family members and staff to increase person-centered care throughout our organization. We value compassionate, courteous and respectful interactions, patient and family involvement in care planning to include the patient’s goals and preferences, healing design of spaces, community health and a strategic plan that emphasizes person-centered care for the patient and caregiver alike.

CMH is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued, respected, and supported. We believe that diversity in our workforce strengthens our ability to provide compassionate, culturally responsive care to the patients and communities we serve. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.