Referral Coordinator / Clinic Scheduler

Position Summary

The Patient Referral Coordinator and Clinic Scheduler plays a key role in delivering excellent care by ensuring patients are referred efficiently and appropriately for specialty services and follow-up care. This role manages referral activities for the care center, ensuring timely scheduling, complete documentation, insurance coordination, and excellent communication with patients, providers, and external offices.

Location: Proliance Puget Sound Orthopaedics - Tacoma clinic

Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm

Key Duties and Responsibilities

The key duties and responsibilities of the Patient Referral Coordinator include, but are not limited to:

Referral Management

• Receive and process incoming referrals from primary care providers, internal clinicians, and external sources.
• Ensure referrals are complete, accurate, and meet insurance or clinic requirements.
• Coordinate patient appointments with specialty providers, ensuring timely access to care.
• Serve as the primary contact for referral-related inquiries from patients and provider offices.
• Track and follow up on referral statuses until completion or closure.
• Processes and validates all incoming online appointments and appointment requests, ensuring accurate scheduling and timely follow-up as needed.
• Notify relevant clinic staff of any delays, rescheduling needs, or cancellations.

Insurance Coordination

• Verify insurance eligibility and benefits related to referred services.
• Obtain prior authorizations for referrals when required.
• Document authorization numbers and details in the patient’s chart and practice management system.

Documentation and Communication

• Accurately enter referral details into the EMR and practice management systems.
• Maintain communication with patients regarding referral status and appointment scheduling.
• Collaborate with care team members to ensure all supporting documentation is available.
• Maintain confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA guidelines.

Care Team Collaboration

• Work closely with clinical staff, medical assistants, and front office personnel to coordinate seamless patient care.
• Provide feedback to the care team about referral process changes or patient scheduling concerns.
• Assists with a provider’s clinic schedule to ensure efficient patient flow and appropriate appointment allocation, including clinic openings, closures, and other schedule adjustments as needed.

Education/Experience

• High school diploma or its equivalent required, courses related to anatomy, biology, physiology or medical terminology a plus
• 1-2 years of experience in a medical office preferred
• Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree in related field preferred

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Attention to detail, excellent organizational and time management skills
• Ability to work both independently and as a team member
• Demonstrated ability to learn quickly and function well in a fast paced, high-pressure environment
• Great interpersonal skills; patient, composed, cooperative, and able to work well with patients, physicians, staff, and business associates
• Understanding of and adherence to all safety, risk management and precautionary procedures (OSHA/WISHA), including the consistent respect for confidentiality (HIPAA)
• Self-motivated; able to work following specific guidelines and in accordance with detailed instructions; measure self against standard of excellence, overcome obstacles and challenges with little supervision
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks efficiently while maintaining accuracy and timeliness
• Strong communication skills; able to interact professionally with external providers, patients, and internal teams
• Proficiency in using electronic health records (EHR) and practice management systems
• Ability to identify, research, and resolve scheduling discrepancies in a timely manner
• Knowledge of insurance verification and authorization processes, including understanding of bundle and single case agreements
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and comply with HIPAA regulations regarding patient data
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work under pressure with minimal supervision
• Ability to generate reports and analyze data for referral metrics and compliance tracking
• Ability to coordinate and communicate effectively with external providers, clinical staff, and patients
• Demonstrated ability to ensure all necessary documentation and forms are completed accurately and efficiently

Work Environment/Physical Demands

The work environment/physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a teammate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable differently abled persons to perform the essential functions.