AmeriCorp Pharmacy Advocate

Job Summary:
 Join our dynamic team at AccessHealth as a Pharmacy Advocate! In this pivotal role, you will serve as a dedicated patient liaison, ensuring that individuals have seamless access to vital pharmacy services. You'll coordinate support for pharmacy programs and tackle social determinants of health (SDOH) that impact patient outcomes. This position blends patient engagement with a focus on overcoming healthcare barriers, specifically from a pharmacy standpoint, to promote equitable access and enhance patient well-being. Unlike roles like Cashier or Pharmacy Technician, your focus will be on advocacy and outreach rather than transactional tasks or technical pharmacy functions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Patient Outreach and Engagement
   1. Educate patients about available pharmacy services at the front desk during check-in or in exam wait rooms, ensuring they understand the sign-in and ordering process.
   2. Assist patients in navigating eligibility screenings for pharmacy programs, ensuring accurate and complete document collection.
   3. Identify SDOH factors that impact medication adherence and connect patients with supportive services within AccessHealth and external resources.
   4. Support pharmacy initiatives to enhance medication management and promote health and wellness.
2. Health Literacy and Patient Support
   1. Empower patients by providing guidance on self-service tools (eg such as pharmacy applications, digital check-in platform) and health monitoring devices such as blood pressure or blood glucose monitors.
   2. Assist patients in completing paperwork at the pharmacy such as questionnaires for copay coupons or assistance program applications.
   3. Highlight the importance of medication adherence and offer solutions for overcoming barriers, such as financial constraints or limited access to transportation.
   4. Support administration of medication synchronization (med sync) programs to help patients simplify their medication management.
3. Medication Delivery Assistance
   1. Support medication deliveries to offsite clinic locations, enhancing access for patients in underserved areas.
4. Community and Stakeholder Collaboration
   1. Work alongside pharmacy staff and healthcare providers to identify patients who would benefit from additional pharmacy services or financial assistance.
   2. Foster relationships with local agencies, clinics, and community leaders to strengthen support networks and explore collaborative opportunities to address pharmacy-related SDOH.
5. Quality Improvement and Data Reporting
   1. Participate in quality improvement initiatives by gathering and analyzing patient data to improve pharmacy service delivery and capture rate.
   2. Provide feedback on pharmacy workflows and patient engagement strategies to identify service enhancement opportunities.
6. Advocacy and Program Representation
   1. Represent AccessHealth’s AmeriCorps program at community events, promoting AccessHealth’s pharmacy services and preventative health programs.
   2. Wear AmeriCorps apparel to maintain program visibility and stand ready to support disaster response initiatives if required.
7. Educational and Professional Development
   1. Attend trainings, case presentations, and shadowing opportunities to strengthen knowledge in healthcare and pharmacy services.
   2. Use health information technology (HIT) to streamline pharmacy workflows and support patient-centered care initiatives.

Nonessential Duties:

• Provide translation support for non-English speaking patients.
• Engage in community service or disaster response initiatives as needed.

Qualifications:

• Education: High School Diploma or equivalent
• Skills:
  • Strong communication skills with an emphasis on patient engagement and advocacy
  • Ability to manage applications, documentation, and track program progress for patients
  • Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred for broader service capabilities

In the event of a local, state, or federal disaster declaration, AmeriCorps members may be asked on a volunteer basis or be required by OneStar to activate to assist in disaster response and recovery activities within their communities. This may involve virtual service opportunities or in-person service opportunities. This May include service opportunities outside of the member’s standard service hours or in place of their standard service duties. In the event of a large-scale, high needs local, state, or federal disaster, AmeriCorps members may voluntarily or be required by OneStar to deploy to an area outside of their service area to assists in disaster response and recovery activities.