RN Ambulatory Health Primary Care

La Rabida Children’s Hospital provides specialized, family-centered health care to children with medically complex conditions, disabilities, and chronic illness. Through expertise, compassion, and advocacy we help children and their families reach their fullest potential, regardless of their ability to pay.
Our not-for-profit hospital, licensed for 49 beds, helps transition children from neonatal or pediatric intensive care to home, by providing medical, rehabilitative and developmental care, and by training families to continue treatments and manage the necessary equipment in the home. La Rabida also provides extensive rehabilitation for those recovering from wounds or burns and treatment for exacerbations of chronic conditions.
The hospital’s enhanced pediatric patient-centered medical home provides primary care to children with complex medical conditions and their siblings. Children with medical homes elsewhere come to La Rabida for specialty services. La Rabida offers a wide range of specialty services provided to children with sickle cell disease, diabetes, and many others. Children are supported in their emotional and developmental growth, particularly in cases where such growth has been interrupted by accident or disease.
Finally, La Rabida provides forensic and treatment services for children exposed to abuse and neglect, comprehensive assessments for youth in care, early intervention for children between 0 and 3 years of age. Care coordination services for medically complex children are also provided for those who are covered by a health plan and receive care from providers in Cook County
The Access Center Nurse is a registered nurse who functions to provide a convenient and efficient way of delivering timely medical education and support to clients outside the hospital settings. This service poses the ability to make an assessment in a knowledgeable and compassionate manner with regards to the health status of the caller through a verbal telephone interview. The Access Center Nurse coordinates the process of documentations such as plan of care forms, prescription refills, specialty letters and school physicals.

Screens new patients completing the Outpatient Clinic New Patient Screening & Intake Request form to ensure all important data is collected.

• Captures complete demographic data; Facilitates insurance verification and authorization to attend La Rabida clinic; SSI, schools) for release of records
• Facilitates completion of requested forms- school physicals, utility letters, FMLA forms etc.
• Provides a convenient and efficient process to triage patient care issues over the phone.- Triages the diagnosis/problem making specific calls to the appropriate internal department (diabetes, rehab, etc.)
• Triages calls for same day appointments to determine level of need and care required (e.g. routine or urgent).
• Utilizes appropriate resources as needed for triage assessment (e.g. internal providers, CPNE/NPs, Pediatric Telephone Protocols by Dr. Communication supports excellent service, teamwork and continuity of care-10%
• Access center nurse phones are covered from 0800-1700 M-F when clinic is open; optimize responsiveness, ensuring logged into phone system.
• Documents calls to the Access Center in appropriate format on telephone log and in EMR.
• Communication supports service excellence recognizing access center nurse is often perceived as the voice of LRCH outpatient services; i.e. introduces self to family (parent/guardian & patient) when answering access lines, demonstrates effective listening to accurately determine pt/family or outside agency needs, clear communication, and professional composure.
• Assists Outpatient Services Teams in providing excellent care & service to the patients and their families receiving outpatient services - 10%
• Assists providers, CPNEs/NPs & team as needed re: special projects to ensure meeting regulatory, payer requirements & pt/family expectations: (Prior authorizations, assist with referrals, NCQA requirements for medical home, MHN requirements-such as care plans and ED/Hospital follow ups)
• Contributes to outpatient quality improvement: quality outcome metrics i.e HEDIS measures, quality audits, trends and quality opportunity identification, and participation in process improvements.
• Serves as clinic nurse/charge nurse/clinical resource as needed
• Offers assistance when support is needed

Promotes collaboration among healthcare team members.
# Graduate of an Accredited School of Nursing with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.
Licensed as a Registered Professional Nurse in the State of Illinois
A Registered Professional Nurse educated on the principles of triage and has several years of experience in Acute and Chronic Disease settings are preferred.
Effective 7/1/2026 New hires will obtain RQI BLS within 30 days of hire or prior to direct patient care and will maintain certification quarterly. La Rabida Children’s Hospital is very proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer
We understand the needs of families with children dealing with the most serious or complicated of conditions. With teams of the best healthcare providers in Chicago, we give continuous, comprehensive care, education, and support, helping families face their unique obstacles head-on.
La Rabida Children’s Hospital is very proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.