Referral Specialist in Los Angeles, California at United American Indian I Inc

Found in 1974, United American Indian Involvement, Inc. (UAII) is the only Urban Indian Organization in Los Angeles County, proudly serving as a home for American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Through our healthcare facility and culturally centered programs, we provide essential physical, behavioral, and spiritual health services—helping individuals stay connected to their Tribal heritage and traditions.

For over 50 years, UAII has grown to become the largest nonprofit provider of health and human services for American Indians and Alaska Natives in Los Angeles, home to the nation’s largest Urban Indian population. Our dedicated team delivers compassionate care that supports daily healing, resilience, and the continued strength of our communities.

UAII is committed to uphold Indigenous values in all aspects of our work. It guides our actions, relationships, and responsibilities, ensuring that we serve our communities with integrity, respect, and accountability.

Core Principles

• Respect for Relatives – I will honor the dignity of all people, recognizing that every individual is a relative deserving of respect, compassion, and care.
• Community Responsibility – My work is not only for individual benefit but for the collective well-being of our communities, present and future.
• Cultural Integrity, I will safeguard and uplift Indigenous languages, traditions, and cultural practices, ensuring they remain central to our organizational life.
• Reciprocity We give back in balance with what we receive, fostering mutual trust and accountability in all relationships.
• Stewardship – I will act as a caretaker of our communities, resources, and environment, mindful of the impact of our decisions on future generations.
• Truth and Transparency – I will communicate honestly and openly, ensuring clarity in our commitments and accountability in our actions

Job Summary

United American Indian Involvement, Inc. (UAII), is seeking a Referral Specialist to collaborate with medical staff and member services to improve health outcomes of members through panel management and care coordination. Primary responsibilities include completing required grant activities, assisting members in accessing all levels of care, improving the quality of chronic care services, assisting medical care providers in chronic disease management, and participating in continuous quality improvement.

Job Duties & Responsibilities

· Daily outreach and follow up with members via phone, letters, member portal messaging, and face-to-face interaction in order to coordinate member care, implement action plans, and communicate PCP recommendations to members.

· Assist primary care provider(s) in formulating processes to identify and address unmet care needs; processes may include outreach and follow up calls to the patient and referral source, and follow-up evaluation.

· In collaboration with the data team (ECW), run and provide requested reports and participate in the validation of data and clinical outcome results.

· Maintain accurate patient registries via bi-monthly outreach and lost-to-care follow-up in order to provide current and accurate data.

· Generate health status reports for the purpose of sharing the data during meetings, monitor progress, and identify members that require outreach.

· Assist members with accessing care by outreaching and scheduling for nutrition referrals, group visits, health education classes, and other services for which they are due.

· Aid members in accessing appropriate care services following hospitalizations and to provide care follow-up.

· Manage and coordinate all referrals generated in the Health Clinic and Dental department from start to finish. This will include sending referrals to specialists, ensuring their receipt, informing patients of referrals, and following up to see such appointments were kept.

· Proactively work with healthcare departments such as MA’s, case managers and Dental department to ensure follow up on patients’ specialty appointments. Take appropriate scheduling action for follow up medical appointments.

· Schedule specialty appointments for patients; notify and remind patients of such appointments by phone and by letters through the United States Postal Service.

· Provide patient education on specialty appointments and address all patient questions in a manner that ensures their understanding.

· Maintain ECW tracking for referred appointments that includes referred date, dates and times of referral appointments, missed appointments, and the recall procedure.

· Referral –related calls, return calls and provide referral statuses to patients. Document patient telephone calls in an EHR telephone template.

· Document all telephone calls and letters in the EHR.

· Develop and cultivate positive working relationships with specialist providers

· Proactively work with Department Leaders to resolve any technical or flow issues regarding referrals.

· Assist in closing the loop on subspecialty referrals, in collaboration with the medical staff.

· Provide administrative support to health education services. This will include member recruitment, attendance monitoring, and arranging group logistics.

· Provide interpretation and translation, as needed.

· Ensure HIPAA compliance with regards to data, making sure all data is secured properly, whether stored electronically or on paper and report any HIPAA breaches immediately to the HIPAA officer or supervisor.

· Maintain absolute integrity of clinical data sets, including accuracy, validity and ensuring data has not been manipulated.

· Safely performs all duties and follows required protective protocols to ensure personal safety as well as the safety of others.

· Actively participate in internal quality improvement teams and work with members proactively to drive quality improvement initiatives in accordance with the mission and strategic goals of the organization, federal and state laws and regulations, and accreditation standards, when assigned.

· Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications (Education & Experience)

· High school diploma or equivalent.

· Three (3) years of experience working in a healthcare setting.

Preferred Qualifications (Education & Experience)

· Bachelor’s degree in a health-related field.

· Five (5) years of experience working in a healthcare setting.

· Previous experience working as a Medical Assistant strongly desired.

· Proficiency in Spanish highly desirable.

· Experience working with the American Indian/Alaskan Native community.

· Experience working with nonprofit organizations, community groups, and performance-based government contracts.

Necessary Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Competencies

· Demonstrate understanding and apply working knowledge of safety policies and ensuring safe member practices.

· Knowledge of chronic conditions, medical terminology, and health education.

· Knowledge of Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (PL93-638).

· Knowledge of Title V of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (PL 94-437).

· Knowledge of the Affordable Care Act (PL 111-148).

· Strong understanding and sensitivity to American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) cultures and lifestyles, and work effectively with AI/AN population.

· Effective oral and written communications skills with sensitivity to lifestyles of targeted participants, while maintaining a high level of professionalism.

· Skills in operating personal computer using a variety of computer software (Microsoft Office, Adobe, Microsoft Teams, Zoom).

· Ability to maintain strict confidentiality of client and personnel information, exercise discretion, and comply with all applicable federal and state privacy laws, as well as UAII policy (HIPAA, HITECH, etc.).

· Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with management, coworkers, and outside contacts.

· Ability to keep up with a fast-paced environment.

· Ability to anticipate issues and find solutions quickly and effectively.

· Ability to learn and apply program/agency operating policies and procedures.

· Ability to manage multiple priorities and tasks concurrently and meet deadlines.

· Ability to interact with various people on various, and at times, complex issues.

· Ability to work independently as well as with teams.

Benefits

· Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage

· Voluntary Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity Insurance Plans

· Company-paid Short-Term & Long-Term Disability

· Company-paid Basic Life Insurance and AD&D

· HSA, FSA

· 403(b) Retirement Plan with 4% Employer Match

· Employee Assistance Program

· Bereavement and Jury Duty Paid Leave

· Employee Wellness Program

· Paid Vacation - 12 days (first 2 years)

Conditions of Hire

· Eligibility to work in the US.

· Fingerprint clearance.

· Pass a post-offer drug test.

· Negative TB test result

· Proof of Hepatitis B vaccination

· Valid CA driver's license, if driving for the company and/or a requirement of the position.

· Maintain auto insurance coverage, if driving for the company.

Working Conditions

The work environment characteristics described here represent those an employee encounters while performing the primary functions of this job:

This is a fully on-site position, and the successful applicant will be expected to work on-site daily.

Normal office conditions exist, and the noise level in the work environment can vary from low to moderate. Because of occupational exposure to aerosol transmissible diseases, employees are strongly encouraged to receive annual influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations to not only protect their health, but also the health of our colleagues and the community. In the absence of the recommended vaccinations, employees are advised to wear a mask at all times while on company premises as a precautionary measure to help prevent the spread of illnesses.

Potential occasional exposure to low dose radiation hazards, hazardous chemicals and body fluids and waste. Personal protective equipment provided. May be exposed to infectious and contagious diseases. Work is performed in a health clinic setting. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate. This job routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, telephones, photocopiers, and fax machines. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodation:

The employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand and/or sit. The employee is occasionally required to walk, sit and climb or balance. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision and depth perception.

United American Indian Involvement, Inc. (UAII) provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected status under federal, state, or local law. UAII is a drug-free workplace and complies with ADA regulations. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

UAII is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs, in accordance with applicable law.