Native Health Coordinator - Research

Summary:

The Native Health Coordinator (NHC) mission is to develop a deep level of trust with our patients, understanding their healthcare needs and engaging them on how we can best support them and their families. The Native Health Coordinator (NHC) strives to be a change maker in addressing barriers to care and disparities in care. NHC will provide navigation and support services to Native American patients who require diagnostic workup and treatment for a cancer diagnosis. The Coordinator will be trained to help identify barriers to care and coordinate care for patients in a timely and efficient manner across the continuum of cancer care. The NHC will be able to assess the physical, psychological and social needs of patients and their families. The NHC participates in the care of patients through direct patient visits, patient education, phone calls, testing, and office procedures. Collaborates with the providers and staff in the coordination and management of patient care. The NHC will collaborate with teams throughout the organization and Northern New Mexico to share knowledge gained during the development of the oncology native health coordinator program.

Responsibilities:

• Meets expectations of the applicable OneCHRISTUS Competencies: Leader of Self, Leader of Others, or Leader of Leaders.
• Demonstrate patient confidentiality and privacy when working with clinical and professional staff both within and outside of systems of care and community-based programs.
• Enhance process to ensure patient confidentiality, privacy and trust when working with clinical and professional staff within and outside systems of care and community-based programs.
• Develop intake process and method for documentation of information, including accurate demographics and social determinants of health that may affect care.
• Use assessment information to develop plans to address health and related patient needs in collaboration with the patient and based on patient priorities.
• Demonstrate culturally-respectful behaviors when assisting patients with traditional practices or special services that are pertinent to the patients’ cultural healthcare values, beliefs and practices.
• Implement cultural knowledge and sensitivity in all aspects of work including, seeking to understand and acting in accordance with a patients’ cultural norms when appropriate, awareness of potential bias in one’s own culture and life experience; and awareness of the influence of diverse beliefs and practices on thinking and behavior across cultures, communities, and organizations.
• Learn about and respond to specific traditional/ cultural care patients may use or prefer.
• Advocate for and integrate specific traditional/ cultural care patients may use or prefer and work with healthcare team to accommodate practices.
• Ensure culturally-relevant, health-literacy and linguistically-appropriate resources are available for patients.
• Demonstrate the ability to identify and proactively advocate for ways to respect patients’ privacy and modesty.
• Coordinate internal CSV and affiliated provider education initiatives to increase cultural awareness and sensitivity among healthcare teams.
• Identify gaps in patients’ knowledge regarding their health status and diagnoses.
• Establish accountability with the patient and healthcare team to complete plans of action and fulfill healthcare needs.

Requirements:

Education/Skills

• Bachelor’s Degree in health sciences or public health preferred.
• Considerable knowledge of health care facilities, policies and issues, and of the full spectrum of community patient care and oncology services
• Ability to coordinate various functions and activities for maximum cooperation and integration of services providers and persons receiving care within a clinic for continuum of care services
• Ability to direct, instruct and advise staff, and to receive and effectively react to day-to-day problems
• Ability to utilize strong communication skills, both written and oral, and effectively demonstrate an interactive style of care coordination
• Ability to understand and implement sensitivity and culture of care measures appropriate to a diverse population
• Ability to work with various levels of the CHRISTUS organization including clinical, financial, administrative and medical staff.
• Triages calls received from patient or families. Addresses issues directly when within scope of practice using protocols where appropriate in a timely manner.
• Participates in committee work and data collection and analysis for native health navigation program.
• Possesses an understanding of patient care flow within job boundaries, matching resources to the unique needs of the patient, identifying resources and analyzing gaps in care.
• Understand patient coordinator role within a multidisciplinary team and explain the role and function to clinical and administrative staff, patients, families, and partners.
• Advocate for patients’ healthcare needs and decisions when interacting with healthcare professionals and systems of care.
• Ability to assess patient situations holistically, focusing on the unique aspects of each patient.
• Identify how the social determinants of health impact a patients’ ability to access health care at the individual, family, and community level.
• Ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary team members to address patient barriers and improve patient care at the clinical and community/ system level.
• Demonstrate and implement behaviors that promote health equity across the cancer continuum.
• Demonstrate skill in linking individuals and families to appropriate community and clinical resources.
• Demonstrate skill in emotional support for patients’ and in navigating complex healthcare situations.

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a health care setting and at least 2 years of experience in oncology. Experience with tribal healthcare preferred.

Licenses, Registrations, or Certifications

• Current BLS certifications issued by the American Heart Association required or must be obtained within 2 weeks of hire.

In accordance with the CHRISTUS Health License, Certification and Registration Verification Policy, all Associates are required to obtain the required certifications for their respective positions within the designated time frame.

Work Schedule:

5 Days - 8 Hours

Work Type:

Full Time