Patient Coordinator (53221)

Job Details: Level: Experienced, Job Location: National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Main Campus/Bethesda - Bethesda, MD 20892, Position Type: Full Time, Education Level: Bachelors Degree, Salary Range: $90,000.00 - $105,000.00 Salary/year, Travel Percentage: None, Job Shift: Day, Job Category: Public Health, Position Objective: The Patient Coordinator will provide support services to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) within the National Institutes of Health.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Coordinate the recruitment, scheduling, travel and admission of research study participants with clinical staff.
• Work with staff to coordinate new research patient screening appointments, procedures and imaging studies between protocol investigators and the outpatient clinic scheduling personnel.
• Coordinate scheduling, travel and lodging of subjects participating in studies.
• Distributes recruitment materials.
• Distribute patient recruitment and communication materials.
• Acts as a liaison between participants, participant's relatives and staff members and communicates participant's questions, complaints, problems and concerns to appropriate staff members.
• Triage questions to appropriate personnel in the team as necessary.
• Maintain ongoing relationships with patients, families, caregivers, medical care providers and various individuals on a continuous long-term basis.
• Respond to patient emails and phone calls; prioritize patient related issues into urgent, emergent and routine; triage the issues to the appropriate personnel in the team as necessary.
• Explains policies and procedures to participants and refers them to appropriate staff.
• Respond to communications with research subjects; direct questions to appropriate team member.
• Collates, enters and maintains data collected on participants.
• Collect outside medical documentation, electronically scans and uploads records into the electronic medical record.
• Maintain patient files, medical records, and patient family contacts; file medical record notes into patient charts daily.
• Create reports/spreadsheets for tracking and scheduling of protocol patients.
• Obtain medical information, imaging disks and pictures from applicants on an ongoing basis; file them with the records.
• Coordinates new patient referrals by obtaining pertinent information and forwarding it for review.
• Refer prospective volunteers per study guidelines to the appropriate Institute contact person.
• Obtain outside medical records, radiology studies, biopsy slides and submit to the respective departments at the NIH.
• Communicate with appropriate staff about intake and materials and submission of materials for review.
• May assist in preparing credentialing packages.
• Prepare and process all documents required for initiation of employment and clinical activities for new program trainees’ rotation to the program from other NIH institutes and/or outside institutions.
• Monitors workflow and administers and revises processes to maintain and improve operations.
• Work with staff to achieve optimum schedule and staff utilization; work with staff in problem solving for overlapping appointments.
• Review future scheduled cases to resolve potential conflicts or problems; monitor additional reports to ensure data validity.
• Troubleshoot scheduling issues to ensure maximum productivity of staff resources.
• Monitor and identify areas of improvement in the clinic environment, clinical trial conductance in the outpatient setting, for patients, families and staff. 5
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives and maintenance of SOPs. 4
• Assesses organizational need and develops training programs to improve accuracy and performance of patient coordination processes and procedures. 3
• Develops training materials, job aids and instructions for use by patient coordinators. 2
• Mentors and coaches patient coordinators. 1
• Perform logistical and administrative duties that facilitate the work of physicians, nurses, social workers, and other members of the Clinical Center (CC) staff who provide patient care.
• Communicate with patients, caregivers, family members and staff while coordinating and planning simple and complex travel, lodging and transportation arrangements.
• Act as a point of contact between physicians, nursing, NIH staff, contractors and other departments.
• Act as a point of contact between staff, departments and patients/caregivers/family members.
• Answer incoming calls, e-mails, and otherwise remains responsive to queries and concerns related to core duties as described above in a timely manner
• Collect outside medical documentation, electronically scans and uploads records (including patient ID and demographic data) into the electronic medical record as appropriate.
• Communicate with various clinical administrative support offices/clinics/employees concerning the scheduling and coordination of patient appointments.
• Arrange patient travel including NIH billed lodging, meal reimbursements and local transportation services
• Adapt and maintain filing systems to create and support an ongoing data base of patient encounters and patient appointments.
• Enter/update clinic and/or physician appointment schedule availability into the central appointment calendar.
• Provide appointment and travel information to patients, including scheduled dates and times, appropriate documents to bring, clinic information, hospital maps, travel, and hotel information.
• Obtain up-to-date patient records and other pertinent information prior to appointments or visits.
• Send patient appointment reminders and travel details.
• Work products and documents related to performing logistical and administrative duties that facilitate patient travel and patient appointments by commutating with patients, caregivers, family members and staff while coordinating and planning simple and complex travel, lodging and transportation arrangements; acting as a point of contact between physicians, nursing, NIH staff, contractors and other departments; and acting as a point of contact between staff, departments and patients/caregivers/family members.
• Work products and documents related to collecting outside medical documentation, electronically scans and uploads records (including patient ID and demographic data) into the electronic medical record as appropriate; communicating with various clinical administrative support offices/clinics/employees concerning the obtainment of outside patient records
• Work products and documents related to adapting and maintaining filing systems to create and support an ongoing data base of patient encounters and patient appointments; entering and updating clinic and/or physician appointment schedule availability into the central appointment calendar; and providing appointment and travel information to patients, including scheduled dates and times, appropriate documents to bring, clinic information, hospital maps, travel, and hotel information.
• Work products and documents related to obtaining up‑date patient records and other pertinent information prior to appointments or visits; and sending patient appointment reminders and travel details.

Qualifications:

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences or related discipline.
• Knowledge of clinical protocols and medical terminology
• Ability to efficiently compose correspondence, prepare reports from raw data, design, set up and maintain the electronic and paper filing system
• Experience scheduling patient appointments and/or travel arrangements and maintaining patient records as it relates to patient care arrangements
• Skilled in travel arrangements and MS Office Suite

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively in a team environment
• Strong customer service focus and resourcefulness in program solving
• Strong organizations skills with the ability to successfully manage competing priorities

*This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required by this position.

To produce this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

This position is contingent upon contract award.