Referral Coordinator I

Center for Elders' Independence; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 3,524,000 - 108,169,000; Full time

Job summary

Center for Elders’ Independence in Oakland, CA is seeking a Referral Coordinator I to support clinics with scheduling outside specialist referrals. Under the Health Information and Referrals Manager, you will enter data precisely in various systems and coordinate with external specialists and vendors to ensure timely visits.

This role emphasizes accurate data entry, strong communication, and arranging transportation as needed to complete referrals efficiently.

Qualifications

• Associate degree or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum one year’s experience authorizing and scheduling medical appointments.
• Knowledge of medical terminology; medical terminology course preferred.
• Experience with electronic health records required.
• Proficient with oral and written English; strong customer service skills.
• Detail oriented with high accuracy in data entry.

Responsibilities

• Receives and processes referrals; coordinates with participants, caregivers and the team.
• Collaborates with external specialist/vendor offices to secure appointment dates/times.
• Maintains awareness of CEI contracted provider networks with Contracts dept.
• Documents and maintains records of appointment dates/times and referral tracking in EHR.
• Obtains referral authorization numbers and enters them into systems.
• Coordinates with HIC to ensure clinical information is delivered to external specialists.
• Ensures transportation and related arrangements are in place for appointments.
• Communicates effectively to address concerns and escalates issues as needed.
• Participates in department meetings and process improvement discussions.
• Attends clinic meetings to review participant appointment needs.
• Demonstrates reliability and timely timesheet submissions.
• Responds to all customer groups including families.
• Follows agency policies and participates in Quality Improvement.
• Maintains HIPAA confidentiality.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Scheduling experience

Customer service

Communication

Attention to detail

Team collaboration

Education

Associate degree or equivalent

Tools

Electronic health records

MS Office

Job description

Referral Coordinator I

The Center for Elders’ Independence is a PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the elderly) organization that uses an interdisciplinary team approach to care planning and care implementation for the purpose of providing high quality, affordable, integrated health care services to the elderly, including an Adult Day Health Center, and promoting autonomy, quality of life and the ability of individuals to live in their communities.

POSITION: Under the supervision of the Health Information and Referrals Manager (HIRM), the Referral Coordinator I provides a single point of contact supporting providers in all clinics with scheduling of outside specialist referrals. The role requires detailed and accurate data entry into various electronic systems accompanied by all necessary internal and external communication such such as coordinating with external specialists/vendors offices, other CEI departments and facilitating transportation to assure an efficient, appropriate and timely external specialist visit.

The hourly pay range for the Referral Coordinator I position at Center for Elders’ Independence is $25.75 to $37.75. Placement within the range is determined based on job-related factors such as relevant experience, skills, abilities, internal equity, and market data, consistent with CEI’s annual compensation review and established compensation practices.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Receives and processes referrals, ensuring timely coordination with participants, their caregivers and the interdisciplinary team.
• Collaborates with external specialist/vendor offices to secure appropriate appointment dates/times and facilitates the transmission of necessary information.
• Maintains awareness of CEI contracted provider networks in collaboration with the Contracts department.
• Documents and maintains accurate records of appointment dates/times and referral tracking in the electronic health record and related systems.
• Utilizes finance system to obtain referral authorization numbers, enters them into referral and alerts vendor for claims processing.
• Collaborates with Health Information Coordinator (HIC) to assure clinical information is available and delivered to external specialists as required.
• Confirms appointments by ensuring all necessary arrangements (transportation, escort, interpreter, etc.) are in place to facilitate successful appointment completion.
• Demonstrates effective communication when addressing team member and participant concerns by demonstrating effective problem-solving skills and escalating complex issues to HIRM when necessary.
• Participates in department meetings and contributes to discussions aimed at improving referral processes and service delivery.
• Attends clinic meetings to review participant appointment needs and prioritize urgent appointments.
• Demonstrates dependability by arriving consistently and on time to scheduled work hours, and submit timely and accurate timesheets.
• Display a willingness and ability to be responsive to all customer groups, including team members, participants and their families.
• Follows all agency policies and procedures and training requirements.
• Participates in Quality Improvement program as required.
• Maintain the confidentiality of all participant information according to HIPAA requirements
• Performs other duties as assigned in a positive and helpful manner.

Qualifications:

• Associate degree or equivalent work experience
• Minimum one year’s experience authorizing and scheduling medical appointments, required.
• Knowledge of medical terminology, completion of medical terminology course preferred.
• Experience with electronic health record required.
• Basic proficiency in MS Office systems preferred.
• Proficient with oral and written English is required.
• Customer service oriented with friendly, courteous communication style in person, on the phone and in writing.
• Detail oriented, high degree of work accuracy.
• Ability to prioritize work according to productivity standards and within deadlines.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and as part of a multidisciplinary team is required.

The above job description is intended to communicate the general function of the mentioned position and by no means shall be considered an exhaustive or complete outline of the specific tasks and functions that will be required. CEI reserves the right to change job descriptions, location assignments, and or work hours as required by the needs of the program. All employees are expected to perform their duties within their ability as required by the job and/or as requested by management.