Patient Health Navigator

For more than 55 years, Family Health Centers of San Diego’s (FHCSD) mission has been to provide caring, affordable, high-quality health care and supportive services to everyone, with a special commitment to uninsured, low-income and medically underserved persons.

FHCSD is one of the top 10 largest federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in the country. We operate more than 90 sites across San Diego County, including 29 primary care clinics, 23 behavioral health facilities, 10 physical rehabilitation clinics, nine dental clinics, five vision clinics, four outpatient substance use treatment programs, three mobile medical units, two mobile counseling centers, two urgent care centers, and a pharmacy.

Our staff provides care to over 227,000 patients each year, of whom 91% are low-income and 29% are uninsured. FHCSD provides care to all. Services include, but are not limited to adult care, chronic disease management, pediatrics, comprehensive women’s care including obstetrics, dental, vision, case management, physical rehabilitation, speech therapy for children, vaccinations, infectious diseases, behavioral health, substance use counseling and a host of specialty services including cardiology, podiatry, endocrinology, dermatology, among others.  FHCSD also offers supportive services to those who are unsheltered and in need of intensive case management.   

The breadth of our clinic locations, services and programs has grown over the last five decades, making us the largest community clinic provider of health care to the uninsured in the county and one of the top 10 largest community clinic organizations in the nation. We are also the largest health care safety-net provider, largest school-based health care provider and the largest mental health provider in the San Diego region.

Family Health Centers of San Diego is looking for a Patient Health Navigator to work under supervision, providing direct and indirect patient navigation services to support linkage and maintenance in care, including completion of internal and external referrals, for the assigned program(s). Duties may vary depending on specific assignment, but in addition to direct patient/client interaction, may include participation in quality improvement projects, retention efforts, or delivery of enabling services. Collaborates with a multi-disciplinary team and deals with a diverse group of customers, patients, and visitors, as well as internal contacts at all levels of the organization. May have assigned caseload of patients/clients. Engages in team approach to patient/client care.

This position is grant funded.

Responsibilities:

• Assist in research activities such as enrolling, consenting, scheduling, and other patient needs.
• Manages multiple patient scheduling related to cancellations and other events to ensure daily productivity targets.
• Assists each Patient in assessing potential barriers to care and through identifying and supporting steps to overcome these barriers.
• Gather information from patients appropriately via phone, in person or via electronic correspondence.
• Provide helpful assistance in anticipating and responding to the needs of all Patients and family members.
• Collaborate with internal team members and external partners in planning and decision making that result in optimal solutions.
• Manage templates, and other study/project related tools and trackers.
• Develop, run and distribute reports in collaboration with the study manager.
• Verify and update Patient demographics as needed to ensure UpToDate information in EMR.
• Provide excellent customer service for patients.
• Completes all required documentation and reports accurately, in a timely manner, and thoroughly in accordance with department and study standards.
• Work closely with the manager to assist with completion of prior authorization and Patient Assistance Program requests.
• Serves as a liaison between internal and external customers, including patients/clients, other FHCSD service staff and other service providers, for the purpose of improving patient/client quality of care and flow.
• Completes all required documentation accurately, in a timely manner, and thoroughly in accordance with department standards; in addition, documentation complies with all grant funder and patients/clients' insurance requirements.
• Works in collaboration with all members of the healthcare and departmental program on retention, appointment completion, and identifying barriers (e.g., quality improvement projects, Case Reviews, etc.).
• Engages in patient/client interactions via telephone and in person to identify and meet patient/client needs, including facilitation of assisted and unassisted referrals, resources, and fol