Care Navigator

DVCH is a community-focused health care organization with Patient Center Medical Home accreditation providing affordable and accessible primary medical, dental and behavioral health care. Services are provided in a fiscally responsible manner to all patients regardless of their ability to pay.  As a Care Navigator at FPCC, the member will be serving with eligible patients to address preventative cancer screenings (e.g., colorectal and breast) and to screen for and respond to pertinent social determinants of health (SDOH). The population served at FPCC is primarily African American, residing in a variety of Philadelphia neighborhoods, and Medicaid-insured. The position will include a significant amount of direct patient interaction and the ability to work with whole care teams (nurses, providers, health center managers, etc.). They may help with Covid-19 needs depending on the state of the pandemic.

Our NHC members are highly integrated with DVCH’s care teams, and generally take the role of follow-up on needs that providers and other care team members lack capacity for. They also assist with special projects such as the mammogram vans, which tend to be unique to the NHC team, allowing them to own the processes from beginning to end. The NHC member serves unmet needs by filling gaps in preventative healthcare and SDOH unable to be addressed by providers and staff. The member supports DVCH’s self-measured blood pressure program as part of a team-based effort to enroll patients in this evidence-based program. The member will expand DVCH’s capacity to engage with patients eligible for the program. The member will serve with clinical care team members including the nurse care coordinators and pharmacists who are responsible for clinical monitoring and interventions. As such, the member is neither permitted nor responsible for completing clinical monitoring nor making clinical interventions.

The NHC member will interact with vulnerable populations including children, seniors, people with chronic illness and disability, non-English-speakers, and people with no or low literacy.

• Identifying patients who are at-risk to assess eligibility for various services
• Offering and reviewing screenings or self-referrals
• Referring patients to other programs and community services tracking
• Providing follow-up and case management to deliver assistance and information
• Educating patients on medical interventions and prevention
• Auditing charts for quality assurance
• Documenting interactions with patients in an electronic health record
• Collaborating with supervisors and other leadership
• Social determinants of health screener
• Providing social service navigation

• Organized; sound organizational skills
• Multi-tasker; ability to balance
• Detail-oriented
• Comfortable speaking with patient populations, individually or in groups
• Interested in health and wellness promotion
• Experience interacting with patient populations
• Team-oriented
• Customer-oriented
• Positive attitude
• Patient and calm
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Experience working with patient populations
• Familiarity with patient populations
• Speaks language(s) spoken by patient populations
• Instills trust easily
• Creative problem solving
• Persistence
• Resilience
• Tenacity
• Open-minded
• Non-judgmental
• Kind and friendly
• Experience in a community health center or healthcare setting
• Humility
• collaborative nature
• independence

• Knowledge of AmeriCorps/Health Corps member requirements
• Skill with Microsoft Office or other software for a variety of data processing operations involving a range of problem solving, record keeping, correspondence, and service tracking options

• Member uses initiative in carrying out recurring assignments following set procedures, independently.
• The supervisor assigns service activities, advises on changes in procedures, and is available for assistance when required.
• The supervisor assigns service activities in terms of project objectives and basic priorities and is available for consultation in resolving controversial issues.
• Supervisors work with NHC members to establish broad goals based on percentage of time to be spent on each task, and check in weekly (initially, more frequently). NHC members take initiative to identify and prioritize patients day to day based on needs.

• The service activities are reviewed for accuracy through spot checks, through complaints from customers, and through observation of the Member at service.
• The Member independently plans and carries out the projects and selects the approaches and methods to be used in solving problems.
• Completed projects are reviewed very generally to determine that objectives have been met and are in compliance with policies and regulations.
• Supervisors review individual member progress to ensure they are on track and are comfortable with assigned tasks. Supervisors also evaluate team success on broad metrics.

• Written and oral guides provide specific instructions for doing service
• Detailed guidelines exist, including regulations and directives, handbooks, precedents, industry standards and files of previous projects.
• Guidelines are generally applicable, but the Member independently makes adaptations in dealing with problems and unusual situations.
• Thorough written and oral guides exist, but COVID-19 and technological updates mean that processes change and members will come across outdated guidelines, or processes that are no longer efficient that they can assist with changing.

• Member has little or no choice about how to perform the service position.
• In making decisions, the Member is often required to depart from past approaches and to extend traditional techniques.
• There is limited flexibility in the broad priorities of the role (SDOH; cancer screenings), but members may need to think outside the box for more efficient ways to navigate the assigned tasks as processes change.

• The Member’s service output is necessary in order to facilitate the service of other staff.
• Member provides timely services of a personal nature to others.
• The service position product or service affects the accuracy, reliability, or acceptability of further processes or services.
• The service position product or service affects the design or operation of systems, programs, or equipment.
• The service position product or services affect the social, physical, and economic well-being of a substantial number of people on an ongoing basis.
• The member is required to investigate or analyze a variety of unusual conditions, problems, or questions.

• Clients
• other DVCH employees and community organizations will also be frequent contacts.

• To provide customer service
• giving and exchanging information will also be commonly done with other DVCH employees. The member may resolve problems and motivate other staff as well.

• Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination must be produced upon hire.