Discharge Planner

Position Overview

Healthy Connections is seeking a Discharge Planner to join the care team at our Little Rock Midtown clinic. This role is essential to ensuring patients experience a smooth, supported transition from provider visits to the next steps in their healthcare journey. The Discharge Planner works closely with providers, nurses, referral teams, and community partners to review care plans, address social determinants of health, and connect patients with appropriate services and resources.

This is a patient-facing, coordination-focused role that requires strong communication, organization, and independent problem-solving. Discharge Planners balance clinical coordination, administrative tasks, and community connection work throughout the day. This position is not new, but it has expanded responsibilities and plays a critical role in continuity of care, clinic workflow, and patient outcomes. Complete training is provided, and experience in a medical office or care coordination environment is strongly preferred.

Volunteer hours are required as part of this role, reflecting Healthy Connections’ mission as a community health network.

Healthy Connections is a Federally-Qualified Health Center serving Western and Central Arkansas for more than 25 years. Guided by our pillars of Community, Compassion, and Excellence, we provide integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health services designed to improve access, quality, and equity in the communities we serve. Our teams work collaboratively across disciplines to support whole-person care and long-term health outcomes.

• Attend post-provider visit consultations to review and understand patient care plans.
• Serve as a system navigator and primary point of contact for patients and families.
• Ensure patient charts are updated with specialist consults, hospitalizations, ER visits, and community service information.
• Coordinate specialty referrals, 340B pharmacy program benefits, behavioral health services, and other needed care.
• Act as a liaison between patients, primary care providers, insurance companies, and external healthcare partners.
• Assist patients in accessing healthcare benefits such as transportation, interpretation services, and medications.
• Review health summaries, problem lists, and medical histories annually.
• Provide clinic and community-based resource materials to patients as appropriate.
• Support high levels of patient satisfaction and encourage patient feedback.

• Maintain a working knowledge of the 340B Pharmacy Program to guide patients effectively.
• Collaborate with the referral department to ensure timely scheduling of specialty appointments.
• Assess patients for Chronic Care Management services and support coordination of Annual Wellness Visits.
• Utilize the i2i dashboard to monitor high-risk patients and ensure appropriate follow-up.
• Follow up with patients who miss appointments and assist with rescheduling.
• Educate patients on use of the patient portal and telehealth services.
• Complete prior authorizations for medications to support continuity of care.
• Verify that all Healthy Connections patients are assigned to an active provider and assist with panel reassignment when needed.
• Assist in other clinic areas as needed to support patient flow and clinic operations.

• Maintain accurate patient records in compliance with required standards.
• Ensure HIPAA compliance and adherence to all organizational policies and procedures.
• Participate in quality improvement initiatives, including PCMH, Meaningful Use, and other organizational programs.
• Support clinic work plans and quality goals.
• Participate in meetings, trainings, and community engagement activities as required.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support clinic operations.

• High school diploma required.
• Minimum of two years of experience in a medical office setting.
• Bilingual (Spanish) skills preferred but not required.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office and electronic medical record systems.
• Knowledge of medical terminology and abbreviations.
• Strong…