Access Referral Specialist

The Access Referral Specialist is a vital member of the Access Center team, serving as the primary point of contact for answering all inbound calls, faxes, and emails from our referral partners, the community, and from Gilchrist staff which ensures the highest quality customer service in all referral development and management.

This role supports the delivery of exceptional customer service and coordinates referral development and patient access for all Gilchrist service lines, including hospice, palliative care, and geriatric medical services. The Access Referral Specialist works under the supervision of the Access Center Manager, to ensure the delivery of high quality, professional, compassionate services in accordance with the mission and core values of Gilchrist.

The Access Referral Specialist is accountable for establishing and maintaining relationships with patients, families, and referral sources responding to all customer requests and concerns; while possessing strong organizational skills, with emphasis on accurate and thorough documentation with a high degree of accuracy. The Access Referral Specialist facilitates the admission and appointment scheduling process for hospice patients, serving as the primary point of contact for referral sources.

The Access Referral Specialist works cohesively with all organizational disciplines to facilitate hospice, palliative, and geriatric medical service admissions. The Access Referral Specialist will verify insurance coverage for all patients with Medicare/Medicaid and identify all applicable commercial insurance plans and coordinate with the clinical team for concurrent care review as needed. The Access Referral Specialist will utilize Docu Sign to obtain signatures for patient consents and other required documentation as needed.

The Access Referral Specialist will assist field staff with uploading documents to the EMR and obtaining consent signatures as requested.

The Access Referral Specialist is cross‑trained to perform the role of the Bed Coordinator when needed. The Access Referral Specialist will monitor the admission appointments for all Gilchrist entities for completeness, geographic efficiency and nurse schedules. The Access Referral Specialist will assist the Access Center Manager with revising workflows/processes, Epic reporting, and Epic Dashboard and Workqueue management. The Access Referral Specialist will be responsible for participating in mentoring and leadership development classes offered by the organization to enhance and expand their leadership skills.

The Access Referral Specialist will manage data, and must be proficient in Windows, Excel, and Word interfaces. The Access Referral Specialist will be proficient in all Gilchrist programs.

High School or the equivalent. Associate’s or Bachelor's degree preferred.

Minimum of 3 years’ experience with Gilchrist or equivalent experience in a complex health care call center required. Working knowledge of the health care environment and terminology preferred.

• Strong phone skills to include excellent verbal and active listening.
• Able to manage conflict and resolve concerns from the community.
• Able to work well with other departments.
• Knowledge and ability to understand and accurately verify insurance benefits Medicare/Medicaid and all commercial insurance payors required.
• Prior experience with Docu Sign or equivalent tool to obtain signatures for patient consents and other required documentation as needed.
• Understanding of the Condition of Participation, CHAP and other regulatory requirements for admission to hospice, palliative and geriatric services
• Ability to effectively work with nurses, physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, and others.
• Detail oriented with a high degree of accuracy and reliability
• Strong computer skills
• Ability to multi-task, set priorities, and manage time effectively.
• Demonstrated empathy, genuine concern, and passion for helping customers.
• Strong assessment skills to identify the customer’s needs, clarify information, research issues, and provide resources and information that best meet assessed needs.
• Adept at…