Dialysis Coordinator

Patient Pathways Dialysis Coordinator (Liaison)

DaVita is seeking a full-time patient pathways dialysis coordinator (liaison) to facilitate the seamless transition of patients from the following hospital settings to our outpatient dialysis care:

• Renown Medical Center
• Renown South Meadows
• Renown Rehabilitation

This role is ideal for a coordinator or clinical professional who excels at insurance verification, hospital collaboration, and patient advocacy. You'll empower patients facing kidney disease by providing vital education and ensuring they have a seamless transition to the dialysis center of their choice.

Location / Schedule:

• Location: Baltimore, MD
• Perks: No weekends. No holidays. No on-call.
• Full-time position
• Shift: 8 hours per day, Monday–Friday (scheduled between 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM)

This position is responsible for the development and implementation of DaVita's patient pathways program through facilitating patient education, processing of timely dialysis placement referrals, and building relationships. This position enhances relationships with local hospitals, doctors, and other kidney care providers by enabling patients to make informed decisions regarding their dialysis provider. This position is responsible for improving the patient education process by analyzing and sharing best practices with other members of the department.

Essential duties & responsibilities

• Patient education: Communicate with and treat patients with empathy at all times. Meet individually with patients requiring outpatient dialysis placement, depending on program scope, within the assigned region to provide educational materials on: outpatient dialysis, modality options, vascular access options, insurance which includes an assessment of patients insurance, out-of-pocket costs and grant program options. Provide education on options for patient to select an out-patient dialysis center of their choosing.
• Identify, resolve, or escalate patient issues and/or barriers to placement to appropriate teammates for prompt and effective resolution.
• Outpatient dialysis placement referral: Work with hospital case managers, social workers, and physicians to place patients in outpatient dialysis clinics. Arrange out-patient kidney dialysis placement for patients by contacting local clinics within an appropriate proximity as determined by patient preference and providing all required medical documentation to the outpatient dialysis center. Assist with patient transitions from hospitals to dialysis facilities, including transfer of paperwork and, as much as possible, ensure patient satisfaction. Place patients and document referral in accordance with patient pathways policy and procedures.
• Relationship building: Work closely with both internal and external kidney care professionals to enhance current relationships or develop new relationships. Partner with regional operations directors and facility administrators to identify and implement best practices for accepting patients from inpatient acute care settings into an outpatient dialysis provider. Attend operational team meetings with multi-affiliate providers in assigned region.
• Reporting: Conduct operating reviews with management to review reports at a minimum of one time per month. Record patient data in electronic tracking system according to patient pathways policy and procedures. Immediately inform regional operations manager/supervisor of any reporting requests from the hospital. Assist regional operations manager/supervisor in gathering patient details as needed for reporting purposes. Attend hospital meetings to review reporting as needed. Adhere to all audit, compliance, and reporting requirements according to patient pathways policy and procedures.
• Innovation: Learn, develop, and implement new ways for patient pathways to differentiate itself in the marketplace. Ensure patient pathways leadership is apprised of customer needs and any deviations from current practices. Participate in special projects as needed or requested. Educate team local markets on patient pathways program and initiatives.

Education and experience

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in healthcare coordination, patient access, case management support, admissions, discharge planning, insurance verification, or a similar healthcare role.
• Experience working in a hospital, dialysis clinic, physician office, health system, or other healthcare setting.
• Strong knowledge of medical insurance, including commercial insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and authorization/eligibility processes.
• Experience coordinating patient referrals, transitions of care, or discharge planning.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to educate patients and families during stressful situations.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to prioritize multiple urgent referrals.
• Proficiency with electronic medical records (EMR/EHR) and Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships with physicians, nurses, case managers, social workers, and other healthcare professionals.
• Reliable transportation and the ability to travel daily between Renown Medical Center, Renown South Meadows, and Renown Rehabilitation.

Preferred qualifications

• Associate degree or vocational/technical certificate in healthcare, business, social services, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience in dialysis, nephrology, renal care, care coordination, patient navigation, hospital case management, or discharge planning.
• Knowledge of outpatient dialysis modalities, vascular access, and the continuum of kidney care.
• Experience explaining insurance benefits, financial assistance programs, or patient assistance resources.
• Experience working with hospital case managers, discharge planners, or social workers.
• Bilingual language skills are a plus.

Core competencies

• Patient advocacy and compassionate communication
• Insurance navigation and financial resource coordination
• Relationship building and stakeholder management
• Critical thinking and problem solving
• Attention to detail and documentation accuracy
• Ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities
• Customer service mindset with a focus on improving the patient experience
• Adaptability in a fast-paced hospital environment

What we'll provide:

• Comprehensive benefits: medical, dental, vision, 401(k) match, paid time off, PTO cash out
• Support for you and your family: family resources, EAP counseling sessions, access Headspace®, backup child and elder care, maternity/paternity leave and more
• Professional development programs: DaVita offers a variety of programs to help strong performers grow within their career and also offers on-demand virtual leadership and development courses through DaVita's online training platform StarLearning.