Medical Assistant / Patient Navigator - Occupational Medicine

Benefits:

• Competitive salary
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
  
  
  

Medical Assistant / Patient Navigator - Occupational Medicine

Northwest Medical Group (NWMG) - Moses Lake, WA

Join a growing, mission-driven healthcare organization where your care experience directly impacts patient outcomes, employer partnerships, and team success.

Position Summary:

The Patient Navigator serves as the primary coordinator of the patient's care journey within the occupational medicine practice. This role ensures seamless progression through the treatment plan by proactively managing chart preparation, referral coordination, L&I documentation, patient communication, and care plan tracking from initial referral through claim closure. The Patient Navigator partners with providers, the scheduling team, the authorization specialist, and external stakeholders to ensure that every element of the patient's care is executed efficiently, on time, and to a high standard of quality.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Prepare patient charts a minimum of two (2) business days in advance of scheduled visits, ensuring all records, specialist notes, results, and L&I correspondence are organized and available for provider review
• Support patient rooming, intake, and exam room preparation
• Assist with order entry and management per provider direction, and prepare required L&I forms (APF, PIR, and others) for timely submission within regulatory deadlines
• Manage outbound referrals end to end: send the referral, track appointment status with the specialist, confirm the patient was seen, and retrieve notes into the chart prior to the next NWMG visit
• Monitor patient progress against the care plan, tracking treatment milestones, visit compliance, and service utilization across all modalities (PT, OT, MT, BH, PGAP, work hardening)
• Communicate proactively with patients about their care journey, setting expectations for next steps, reinforcing the importance of completing their full recovery plan, and serving as their primary point of contact within the practice
• Coordinate with the authorization specialist to ensure reauthorization requests are initiated with adequate lead time
• Collaborate with vocational counselors, attorneys, claims managers, and employer representatives as appropriate to support the patient's return-to-work plan Facilitate communication between providers, clinical staff, front office, and billing using ModMed task queues, Klara, and Teams per established protocols
• Maintain accurate documentation of all care coordination activities within ModMed
• Adhere to HIPAA and confidentiality standards in all patient interactions
• Participate in weekly Patient Navigator team meetings and daily clinical huddles
  
  
  

Key Competencies

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple patient cases simultaneously
• Attention to detail, particularly with regulatory documentation and time-sensitive deadlines
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Customer service orientation with a patient-centered mindset
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and anticipate needs in a fast-paced environment
• Familiarity with occupational medicine workflows and L&I claim processes preferred
  
  
  

Qualifications

• Medical Assistant certification (CMA, RMA, or equivalent) preferred but not required; comparable clinical experience in a healthcare setting is accepted
• Experience in occupational medicine, workers' compensation, care coordination, or a clinical support role preferred
• Proficiency with electronic health record systems; experience with ModMed preferred
• Bilingual in English and Spanish strongly preferred
  
  
  

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent required
• 1 to 3 years of experience in healthcare, care coordination, or a clinical support role preferred
• Experience with L&I / workers' compensation claims processing is a significant advantage