The Clinical Care Navigator is responsible for monitoring the completion of all patient-related clinical and administrative tasks, identifying gaps in care coordination, and ensuring timely follow-through by the appropriate team members. The role supports physicians and nurse practitioners in our Oncology department in Brooklyn, NY.
The Navigator combines the clinical skills of a Senior Medical Assistant with the scheduling, authorization and patient-communication work of a Patient Care Coordinator. They guide patients from referral through diagnosis, treatment and follow-up, and make sure labs, imaging, records, authorizations and appointments are in place before each visit or treatment.
The ideal candidate is a Certified Medical Assistant with specialty-practice experience, strong EMR skills in Aria, and a calm, compassionate, patient-centered approach. Bilingual Spanish or Russian speakers are highly preferred.
Key responsibilities
Care coordination and navigation
- Track open patient tasks (orders, referrals, prior authorizations, results, records requests, callbacks and refills) and confirm each is completed on time by the responsible team member.
- Identify gaps in care, such as missed follow-ups, pending results, unscheduled imaging or treatments, and expired authorizations, and escalate to the appropriate provider, MA or front-desk staff.
- Serve as the main point of contact for patients newly diagnosed or starting treatment, guiding them from referral and consultation through simulation, treatment and follow-up.
- Make sure required labs, imaging, pathology and outside records are in the chart before each visit, procedure or treatment.
- Coordinate with referring physicians, hospitals, imaging centers and labs; fax consult letters, follow-up notes and visit summaries to referring providers.
- Lead or take part in daily huddles to review the schedule, outstanding tasks and patients who need follow-up.
Scheduling, authorizations and registration
- Schedule and confirm consultations, simulations, procedures, treatments, imaging and follow-up visits.
- Request prior authorizations for imaging, procedures, injections and treatments, and track them to approval.
- Verify insurance coverage on a regular basis, particularly for patients actively undergoing treatment.
- Register new patients and obtain, scan and upload medical records and insurance cards into the EMR; track and request imaging CDs as needed.
- Keep providers informed of reschedules, no-shows and add-ons, and coordinate with the front desk on scheduling.
Patient communication and support
- Communicate pre-visit and pre-procedure instructions clearly, and send reminders and confirmations through Weave.
- Manage patient calls, messages, prescription refill requests and referral questions as directed by providers.
- Coordinate transportation with patients' insurance and/or rideshare services so patients arrive on time for visits and treatments.
- Support patients and families with compassion through diagnosis, treatment and follow-up, and resolve concerns with empathy and professionalism.
Oncology clinical support
- Escort patients to and from exam rooms, treatment areas and physician offices.
- Record vitals and update medication lists, allergies and pain scores before provider visits.
- Administer subcutaneous and intramuscular injections as directed, including hormone therapies such as leuprolide, and track patients due for their next dose.
- Perform venipuncture and capillary collection when needed, and label, process and send out specimens correctly.
Documentation and compliance
- Document accurately and on time in Aria.
- Prepare and send medical records upon receipt of a signed release of information.
- Support compliance with OSHA, HIPAA and infection-control standards, and flag issues to the Practice Manager.
Staff training and onboarding
- Train and orient new Medical Assistants, Patient Care Coordinators and front-desk staff on Aria, including charting, orders, task queues, scheduling and document scanning.
- Teach oncology department workflows: patient intake and rooming, referral and records intake, prior authorizations, results follow-up and visit-to-treatment handoffs.
- Serve as the go-to resource for staff questions on EMR use and workflows, and help troubleshoot day-to-day issues.
- Keep training checklists and workflow guides up to date, and share changes with the team when systems or processes change.
Qualifications
Required
- High school diploma and graduate of an accredited Medical Assistant program.
- Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) credential; current BLS certification, or within 3 months of hire.
- 3–5 years as a Medical Assistant in a specialty practice, including scheduling, prior authorizations or care coordination.
- Strong EMR and Microsoft Office skills.
- Competence in venipuncture, injections and specimen handling.
Preferred
- Bilingual in Spanish or Russian (highly preferred).
- Oncology or hematology experience, including navigating patients through active treatment.
- Hands-on experience with Aria.
- Prior lead, preceptor or training experience.
Skills
- Strong follow-through: tracks open items to completion and escalates early when something is at risk of falling through.
- Clear, compassionate communication with patients, families, providers and outside offices.
- Strong organization, time management and ability to prioritize in a fast-paced, multi-provider clinic.
- Attention to detail in documentation, specimen labeling, authorizations and patient privacy.
- Ability to stay calm, professional and effective in high-stress situations.
- Ability to work independently and to lead and collaborate with peers as part of a team.