Referral Coordinator

Referral Coordinator

Department: Patient Access / Referral Management
Position: Referral Coordinator
Employment Type: Full-Time
Work Location: Remote / Work From Home

About the Position

We are seeking a highly organized, dependable, and proactive Referral Coordinator to join our Patient Access team.

The Referral Coordinator plays a critical role in helping patients move from referral to completed appointment. This position is responsible for managing the referral process from start to finish, communicating with patients and referring physician offices, obtaining necessary records and information, scheduling appointments, and ensuring referrals do not fall through the cracks.

The ideal candidate is someone who takes ownership of their work, follows up consistently, communicates professionally, and can manage a high-volume workload with minimal supervision.

Key Responsibilities

Referral Management

Review and process incoming referrals daily.

Enter and maintain referral information accurately in eClinicalWorks (eCW).

Verify patient demographics, insurance, referring provider information, diagnosis, and supporting medical records.

Identify missing information and promptly follow up with referring offices.

Track referrals from receipt through appointment completion or appropriate closure.

Ensure every referral has a documented status and next action.

Prevent referrals from becoming inactive or lost due to lack of follow-up.

Patient Scheduling & Outreach

Contact referred patients promptly to assist with scheduling.

Communicate with patients by phone, text, and email using approved methods.

Explain appointment requirements and assist patients with scheduling barriers.

Follow up with patients who have not yet scheduled.

Document all patient communication and outreach attempts in eCW.

Work to maximize the number of referred patients who successfully schedule and complete their appointments.

Referring Provider Communication

Communicate professionally with referring physicians and their staff.

Request missing medical records, orders, authorizations, or other required documentation.

Provide referral status updates when appropriate.

Respond promptly to questions and requests from referring offices.

Help maintain strong professional relationships with referral sources.

Insurance & Referral Requirements

Identify insurance referral and authorization requirements.

Verify that required referrals and documentation are in place.

Identify potential insurance-related barriers before the patient's appointment.

Communicate issues to the appropriate team member and follow through until resolved.

Medical Records

Request and obtain outside medical records as needed.

Follow up on outstanding records.

Upload and organize records appropriately in eCW.

Ensure providers have the necessary clinical information before appointments.

eClinicalWorks

Maintain accurate and timely documentation, including:

Referral entry

Telephone encounters

Patient communication

Task management

Document scanning/uploading

Referral status updates

Appointment information

Daily Expectations

The Referral Coordinator is expected to:

Review referral queues every workday.

Process assigned referrals promptly.

Follow up consistently on outstanding referrals.

Keep referral statuses current.

Complete assigned tasks within established deadlines.

Communicate outstanding issues before the end of the workday.

Prioritize urgent patient needs appropriately.

Work independently and proactively identify problems before they become larger issues.

Every assigned referral should have a clear status, documented action, and next step.

Performance Expectations

Success in this position will be measured using objective performance standards, including:

Number of referrals processed.

Timeliness of patient outreach.

Referral-to-appointment conversion.

Appointment completion rates.

Number of unresolved or inactive referrals.

Accuracy and completeness of documentation.

Timeliness of follow-up.

Professionalism with patients and referring offices.

Productivity and ability to meet deadlines.

Reliability and ownership of assigned responsibilities.

Qualifications

Required

Previous experience in healthcare, medical scheduling, referrals, patient access, or a related field.

Strong organizational and time-management skills.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Strong attention to detail.

Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities.

Ability to work independently in a remote environment.

Professional and courteous communication style.

Ability to consistently follow up and complete assigned tasks.

Preferred

Experience with eClinicalWorks (eCW).

Experience with medical referrals and insurance requirements.

Experience communicating with physician offices.

Bilingual English/Spanish skills are a plus.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for someone who:

Takes ownership rather than waiting to be told what to do.

Follows through on commitments.

Is comfortable making frequent patient outreach calls.

Can work efficiently in a high-volume environment.

Notices details and catches problems before they affect the patient.

Is comfortable being held accountable to measurable performance standards.

Communicates clearly and professionally.

Understands that every referral represents a patient who needs care.

Confidentiality & Compliance

The Referral Coordinator must:

Maintain patient confidentiality.

Follow HIPAA requirements and applicable healthcare regulations.

Follow all practice policies and procedures.

Maintain professional communication with patients, providers, and coworkers.

Accurately document patient and referral information.

Report and correct errors promptly.

Additional Responsibilities

Healthcare operations require flexibility. The Referral Coordinator may also assist with:

Patient scheduling.

Front desk support.

Insurance verification.

Patient outreach campaigns.

Administrative projects.

Other duties assigned by practice leadership.