Referral Coordinator: Fast-Track Patient Access

Northern Counties Health Care Inc.; Vermont; On-site; USD 25,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Northern Counties Health Care Inc. in Hardwick, VT, is seeking a Referral Coordinator to support timely access to specialty care by coordinating, processing, tracking, and following up on patient referrals.

The role works with patients, clinical staff, specialty offices, insurance carriers, and community partners to ensure referrals are complete, appropriately authorized, scheduled, and documented, with occasional coverage of medical reception tasks.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Experience in medical office, referral, scheduling, patient access, or healthcare admin preferred.
• Experience with electronic health records and insurance authorization processes preferred.
• Knowledge of medical terminology preferred.
• Strong organizational and time-management abilities.

Responsibilities

• Process incoming and outgoing referrals accurately and within established timeframes.
• Reviews referral requests for completeness and obtains missing information.
• Coordinates with providers, clinical staff, patients, specialty practices, hospitals, and community organizations to facilitate referral completion.
• Determines whether prior authorization, insurance approval, or additional documentation is required and completes or facilitates the necessary steps.
• Sends required records and supporting documentation to the receiving organization using approved and secure methods.
• Assists patients with referral-related questions, scheduling requirements, and next steps.
• Tracks referrals from initiation through completion and follows up on referrals that remain pending, unscheduled, or incomplete.
• Obtains and appropriately routes consultation notes, test results, and other documentation received following a referral.
• Maintains accurate and timely referral information in the electronic health record and other applicable systems.
• Identifies referral barriers and communicates concerns to the appropriate provider, clinical team member, supervisor, or patient.
• Prioritizes urgent and time-sensitive referrals according to established procedures.
• Maintains working knowledge of referral requirements, insurance processes, specialty resources, and community services.
• Supports referral work queues, reports, and other processes used to monitor access, timeliness, and referral closure.
• Protects patient confidentiality and handles protected health information in accordance with organizational policies and applicable laws.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Independent work

Team collaboration

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Electronic health records (EHR)

Insurance authorization systems

Job description

Northern Counties Health Care Inc. in Hardwick, VT, is seeking a Referral Coordinator to support timely access to specialty care by coordinating, processing, tracking, and following up on patient referrals.

The role works with patients, clinical staff, specialty offices, insurance carriers, and community partners to ensure referrals are complete, appropriately authorized, scheduled, and documented, with occasional coverage of medical reception tasks.