Behavioral health Care Coordinator

Department Overview

The Behavioral Health Care Coordinator performs a clinical role that is vital in supporting the work of behavioral health care team through independently performing a variety of clinical, administrative, patient experience, and technical functions. Care coordination in panel management is the task of bridging gaps between patient care, specialists, labs, health maintenance and preventive care.

 

This position provides program coordination to a team of psychiatric, medical, and behavioral health professionals in a primary care setting to support the provision of care for adult and pediatric patients. It provides administrative coordinative functions related to the program, including patient and schedule management, patient support, and panel management. In addition to day to day panel management, the Care Coordinator works to improve workflows, track and report program and provider metrics and outcomes, and facilitate communication within and outside of the clinic as it relates to patients and programming. 

Function/Duties of Position

Patient management

• Uses EPIC for report writing to reach out to patients by making cold calls, MyChart messages, and sending letters.
• Supports the team by entering referrals, orders, and interacting with the care team to ensure health maintenance and preventive care are provided.
• Scrubs (reviews and manages) charts and schedules daily to understand what is and is not needed for patient visits.
• Abstracts external records into EPIC.
• Proactively schedules appointments. 
• Monitors clinician schedules for same day cancellations and utilizes short call list to fill visits when possible.
• Follows up on no-shows and cancellations to improve patient outcomes.
• Rooms PMHNP patients and runs point of care labs for specialty teams, as needed.

Care coordination 

• Assumes a lead role in health maintenance and panel coordination.
• Primary point of contact for questions regarding service referrals and tests.
• Ensures that Releases of Information are gathered at initial appointments and up-to-date at each visit.
• Identifies and requests needed records to ensure high quality coordination of care.

Communication 

• Provides information and education to patients and gathers information for specific visits.
• Prioritizes and responds to patient questions via MyChart, phone, email and fax in regards to scheduling and care issues within scope.
• Escalates all issues outside scope as appropriate.

Documentation/Data management 

• Documents legibly, concisely, correctly, and completely to ensure team can accurately assess the status of care needs. 
• Uses approved clinical resources and follows procedures appropriately.
• Participates, as assigned, with database input.
• Issues patient safety alerts to providers and helps manage the patients affected.  
• Monitors tracking tools and provides real-time updates as appropriate. 
• Initiates and implements processes to facilitate continual improvements related to data collection.

 

Required Qualifications

Two years’ experience in a hospital or hospital based clinic setting, AND

High School diploma or equivalent, AND 

Positions with in person patient care: BLS from AHA required. New hires will be enrolled and required to complete during orientation, AND 

One of the following four: 

Completion of a nationally recognized accredited medical assistant training program, including a practicum (externship) of at least 160 hours, OR

Successful completion of a formal medical services training program of the United States Armed Forces, OR

Current Oregon Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) license (basic or advance) and national EMT registration with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT), OR

Current Oregon Practical Nurse License 

For those completing medical assistant training or formal military medical services training as referenced above in #1 and #2, the following is also required (Those qualifying under the EMT or LPN qualification are exempt from this requirement.) 

MA certification received from a nationally recognized and accredited certifying body, upon hire or by the completion of the probationary period or internal job change evaluation period, as appropriate. Currently, these include: 

• The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), awarding the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA.)
• The American Medical Technologists (AMT), awarding the Registered Medical Assistant (R.M.A.)
• The National Center for Compete