Triage Specialist

Summary

• Position Summary

  • The Clinical Triage Specialist assesses needs of patients, condition severity, referring providers documentation in order to make an informed decision regarding follow up and testing requirement; will use patient feedback combined with physician protocol and care plans to prioritize care needs and asses care urgency.  Clinical Triage Specialist readily confers with overseeing physicians regarding patient status and facilitates access to the appropriate level of care readily. Practices phone etiquette and develops a relationship with various resources ensuring patient needs are met, including accommodating and facilitating special request for surgical resources. Resolves scheduling/resource utilization conflicts.  The  Clinical Triage Specialist works with team members within their specialty, outside practices, and other health system departments to coordinate care, update the electronic medical record accordingly. Possesses excellent analytical and problem-solving skills along with effective written and verbal communication skills.  

• Education
  • Bachelor's  degree in a Healthcare field - Preferred
• Experience
  • 5 -7 Years Healthcare with EMR experience - Required
  • 5 Years Pharmacy or Specialty Office experience - Required
  • Medical terminology and human anatomy/physiology - Required
• License & Certification
  • Medical Assistant (MA) Certification or Pharmacy Technician Certification - Required, or to be obtained within the first year from hire
• Core Job Functions
  • Serves as clinical patient advocate and as point of clinical escalation for other clinical staff. Triage issues, and confer with relevant provider to address perceived clinical concerns and care gaps, following through, documenting, and communicating back the course of action taken to the appropriate party. Helps physician prioritize the delivery of specialty services, via communicating and coordinating escalated patient care needs, and advocating for patients with deteriorating conditions. Obtains and relays physician medical advice as warranted. Clarifies areas of confusion for patients and caretakers concerning condition status. Readily educates and clarifies next steps to patients and caretakers so they are knowledgable on the upcoming procedure/process and actions warranted on their part. Escalates in-depth clinical questions that arise to the medical professional. Coordinates interpreters for patients, as needed.
  • Schedules patients, oversees escalated phone encounters in ambulatory scheduling, and applies educational tools where warranted. Fully leverages the electronic medical record and other software systems to best prepare the patient record via indexing documents, collecting robust patient history, verifying medication usage, condition status, test results, and noting recent hospitalizations, etc. Corresponds with patients, managing escalated incoming and outgoing patient communications, via phone or portal.
  • Assists patients in navigating physician care plans and clinical expectations pertaining to their heath condition(s).  Appropriately directs patients to external specialists and educational resources, as needed, and partners with other clinical stakeholders to assure optimal patient coordination and care.
  • Readily cross-cover other duties as assigned, functioning as a cross trained clinical resource for the practice teams, physicians and patients; Assisting with patient rooming and throughput, general call backs, direct patient care, injection preparation, documentation, registration, staff training, referral and order coordination/fulfillment, incoming HIM/faxes, prior authorizations, disability paperwork assistance, or other duties requested by the supervising physician or manager.
  • Manages prescription refill appropriateness on behalf of provider's last progress note, or per protocol/verbal instruction. Obtains medication authorizations, and conducts PDMP queries, etc. for medication refill requests. Responds to medication related questions presented by patients, and confirms patient understanding, as needed. Documents all actions taken in medical record.
  • Assists manager in select clinical areas, such as monitoring schedules to best identify/utilize available appointment slots, running routine clinic huddles, coverage assistance, EMR workflow adherence, new hire training, and specialized clinical training for team as those needs arise, and other duties as assigned.