Outreach Specialist

SUMMARY:

The purpose of the Outreach Specialist is to proactively engage Gracelight Community Health (Gracelight) patients to facilitate their access to care, improve health outcomes, and ensure continuity of insurance coverage. This role will be responsible for reaching out to new patients to schedule initial appointments, contacting existing patients who have missed appointments or are due for screenings, and specifically engaging with patients who have lost insurance coverage or are aging into Medicare to connect them with enrollment assistance. The primary goal of the Outreach Specialist is to improve patient access to comprehensive care and foster ongoing engagement across all Gracelight health centers while also supporting patients in maintaining continuous health insurance coverage. This individual will utilize various communication methods to connect with patients, address barriers to care and insurance enrollment, and schedule timely medical and enrollment-related appointments.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Support and implement the organization’s vision, mission, and values.
• Determines priorities and methods of completing daily responsibilities in a timely manner, focusing on outreach targets, appointment scheduling goals, and insurance enrollment assistance.
• Performs all job functions in a professional and courteous manner, including clear and effective communication with patients via phone, email, and other approved methods.
• Develop and maintain a strong understanding of Gracelight’s various services, appointment types, scheduling protocols, as knowledge of insurance enrollment processes.
• Provide accurate and comprehensive information to patients regarding appointments, available services, and resources for insurance enrollment.
• Adhere to all organizational guidelines and patient privacy regulations (HIPAA) during all outreach activities and when discussing insurance-related matters.
• Fosters and promotes a culture of service excellence and proactive patient engagement, including support for maintaining continuous insurance coverage.
• Proactively contact newly assigned patients to welcome them to Gracelight and schedule their initial primary care appointment.
• Conduct patient outreach via phone and other approved communication methods to understand barriers to care and insurance, and work collaboratively with patients to overcome them, including connecting them with enrollment resources.
• Provide support and education to patients regarding the importance of preventative screenings, chronic disease management, adherence to their care plans, and the need to maintain continuous health insurance.
• Provide clear and concise information to patients about appointment preparation, location, any necessary documentation, and what to expect during an enrollment assistance meeting.
• Promote awareness and access to the full range of healthcare and enrollment services offered at Gracelight.
• Accurately document all outreach attempts, patient interactions (including insurance-related discussions), and appointment/enrollment outcomes in the designated system.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant health information, screening guidelines, appointment protocols, and basic information about insurance enrollment processes, including aging into Medicare and loss of coverage.
• Collaborate with clinical staff, administrative staff, and enrollment specialists/brokers to ensure seamless coordination of patient appointments, follow-up care, and insurance enrollment assistance.
• Demonstrate ability and flexibility to work in other areas and/or locations of the organization as needed to meet patient care needs and outreach/enrollment goals.
• Track outreach efforts and appointment/enrollment outcomes to contribute to performance monitoring and quality improvement initiatives.
• Follow up with patients as needed to confirm appointments, provide reminders, address any questions or concerns (including insurance-related inquiries), and ensure they connect with enrollment assistance if needed.
• Identify and report any systemic barriers to patient access, engagement, or insurance enrollment to the appropriate supervisor.
• Conduct in-reach by contacting existing Gracelight patients as needed to schedule appointments for various services, including connecting those losing coverage or aging into Medicare with enrollment support.
• Refer patients to appropriate internal resources (e.g., health education, social services, enrollment specialists/brokers) as needed.
• Attend relevant training meetings and updates to stay informed about organizational policies, procedures, outreach best practices, and basic insurance enrollment information.
• Maintain current and up-to-date knowledge of Gracelight’s services, appointment types, scheduling procedures, and basic information regarding Medicare eligibility and loss of other coverage.
• Complete data tracking and any required reports on outreach activities and appointment/enrollment outcomes.
• Perform outbound calls to patients who may benefit from specific medical services or who are identified as needing enrollment assistance due to loss of coverage or aging into Medicare.
• Perform outbound calls to patients to schedule necessary screenings, follow-up appointments, or meetings with enrollment specialists/brokers based on their care plans or insurance status changes.
• Assist patients with navigating the appointment scheduling and insurance enrollment assistance processes and addressing any related inquiries.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Bilingual English and Spanish required.
• Ability to learn about and understand state and county programs such as Medi-Cal, Covered CA (Affordable Care act) and other health insurance programs required.
• A valid CEC certification, requiring annual renewal (GCH will sponsor upon hiring)
• Valid California driver license, good driving record and proof of car insurance.
• Available to work evenings and weekends.
• Successfully pass the Live Scan background check for a CEC.
• Sales/Marketing and public speaking and presentation experience preferred.
• Ability to read and interpret documents, such as policies and procedures, benefits information, benefit surveys, board minutes, routine mail, simple contracts, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to compose routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively with employees, visitors and management.
• Ability to calculate figures and basic math.
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
• Ability to apply common sense to daily situations that arise.
• Ability to make decisions and execute to produce a positive outcome.
• Exercise good judgment.
• Ability to identify and access appropriate community resources and work with of community leaders.
• Familiarity with multicultural settings and sensitivity to multicultural issues.
• Self-starter, able to take initiative and provide input for decision-making.
• Computer literate.

Salary : $23 - $34