Job Description

Job Title:                       Community Health Worker - Outreach

Reports To:                   Supervisor, Outreach Community Health Worker

Job Summary:                     Provides basic health checks, educational services and referrals to our special populations in a community setting. Assists community members in enrolling in Marketplace and Affordable Care Act plans as well as in our Sliding Fee Discount Program.

                                                                                                                                                                       

Qualifications and Requirements:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. 

 

Essential Job Duties:

Provides basic health checks, educational services and referrals

  • Screens for diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol by performing glucose finger sticks, blood pressure screenings and cholesterol finger sticks.
  • Screens for high BMI (Body Mass Index) and provides appropriate education and referrals.
  • Renews clinical skills checklist sign-off annually to ensure accurate collection of blood pressure, blood sugar, height, weight, BMI, neck and waist measurement, oxygen saturation metrics
  • Screens, documents, and reports back on patient’s social determinants of health.
  • Completes and documents all community health screenings accurately into NextGen Electronic Health Records and submits monthly reports.
  • Prepares and updates educational material on health care programs and services so that it is culturally appropriate.
  • Performs quality assurance testing on all equipment.
  • Attends and participates in department-specific training and staff meetings.
  • Attends Community Health Worker conferences and other developmental/educational opportunities.
  • Assists patients with scheduling clinic appointments when in the field.
  • Reviews monthly schedule for staffing and inventory needs.

 

Performs clinical duties within scope while working with a provider

  • Obtains and records patients vital signs according to protocol (blood pressure, blood sugar, height, weight, BMI, neck and waist measurement, oxygen saturation) prior to patient seeing provider
  • Fills out necessary paperwork for recording purposes, inputs vitals information into NextGen for provider review
  • Maintains patient confidentiality following HIPAA policies and procedures
  • Communicates in a professional and timely manner with patients and other members of the care team at all times
  • Assists clinical staff with determination of patient eligibility for certain services such as immunizations (based on age and CDC guidance)
  • Follows up on provider tasks assigned to CHW team, including contacting and scheduling patients following or preceding a provider visit

 

Provides short term care coordination and connection to resources and support for patients.

  • Works to reduce cultural and socio-economic barriers between patients and the care team, health center or other institutions.
  • Provides non-emergency transportation to CCHCI established patients.
  • Assists patients in accessing health related services including obtaining a medical home, overcoming barriers to obtaining needed medical care and/or social services by scheduling follow-up appointments, arranging transportation, and following up with patients who missed appointments.
  • Based on social determinants of health screening and needs, facilitates patient access to community resources, including locating housing, food, clothing, education and life skills training.
  • Assists patients in utilizing community services including scheduling appointments with social services agencies and assisting with completion of applications for programs for which they may be eligible.
  • Follows up with both patients and providers regarding health/social service plans to ensure patients’ medical needs are met.
  • Works to reduce cultural and socio-economic barriers between patients and institutions.
  • Travels to patient homes, community locations, various agencies and other outreach destinations.

Maintains Optimal Department Productivity

  • Proactively schedules patient appointments.
  • Confirms patient appointments as needed.
  • Checks in patients on location.
  • Works assigned early mornings, late evenings and weekends as required.
  • Work in remote areas of Cochise County as required.

 

Transcribe Accurate Patient Demographic Information into the Required Systems to Ensure Timely Reimbursement of Visits

  • Verifies medical insurance coverage and eligibility when applicable.
  • Verifies patient demographic information.
  • Informs patients of encounter co-pays, deductibles, account balances and takes payments over the counter at the time of visit as applicable.
  • Deciphers the correct amount to charge self-pay, prompt pay or sliding fee discount program for patients.

 

Provides Excellent Customer Service

  • Provides and facilitates the completion of necessary patient forms.
  • Assists patients with presumptive applications for Sliding Fee Discount Program.
  • Takes and documents messages as appropriate.
  • Proactively greets, interacts with, and assists patients and staff in a professional manner.
  • Travels to any location as needed.
  • Performs other duties assigned by supervisor/manager.

 

Required Education, Experience, Certificates & Licenses:

  • High School Diploma or GED.
  • Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the necessary skills required may be considered.
  • Must maintain current CPR training certification.
  • Must be 21 years of age and possess a current Arizona driver's license to qualify for coverage under company insurance. Proof of Insurance may be required if requesting mileage reimbursement.
  • Annual Health-E-Arizona plus and Certified Application Counselor Certification renewals are required.
  • Completion of 40-hour domestic violence awareness training required upon 6 months after hire.
  • Completion of 40-hour sexual assault awareness training required upon 6 months after hire.
  • Completion and certification for Pesticide Handler and Worker Safety Training required upon 6 months of hire
  • Valid Fingerprint Clearance Card.

 

Preferred Qualifications – Education, Experience, Certificates & Licenses:

  • A background in health or social services field is preferred.

 

Required Language Skills:

  • Ability to comprehend and compose instructions, correspondence and communications in English and Spanish in both oral and written format.
  • Bilingual in English and Spanish is required.

 

Physical Requirements:

  • Ability to frequently move objects weighing up to 25 pounds.
  • Ability to traverse short distances indoors and outdoors between work sites.
  • Possess hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to constantly operate computer, telephone, and other office machinery.
  • Possess close visual acuity necessary to accurately record and view information on a computer monitor, handwritten and typed documents.
  • Ability to discern the nature of sounds at a normal spoken volume.
  • Possess hand-eye coordination and visual acuity necessary to frequently operate a motor vehicle in normal and adverse weather conditions.
  • Possess range of body motion and ability to exert enough force to assist in moving and lifting patients.

 

Other Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  • Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals.
  • Ability to gather data in an organized fashion from varied sources.
  • Ability to perform a variety of assignments requiring independent judgment.
  • Ability to deal with challenges involving several variables in routine situations.
  • Knowledge of health plans and community health centers preferred.
  • Knowledge of HIPAA rules and regulations.
  • Knowledge of Medicaid and Medicare programs preferred.
  • Computer literacy required.
  • Knowledge of Electronic Health Records preferred.
  • Basic knowledge of preventable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.
  • Knowledge and ability to work with special needs populations (homeless, veterans, low income housing residents, migrant and seasonal farmworkers).
  • Ability to work independently and in “nontraditional” work settings.
  • Ability to establish positive, supportive relationships with patients, providers and the community.
  • Knowledge and understanding of community resources and services.

 

Work Environment & Conditions:

  • Work is frequently performed both indoors and outdoors with exposure to outside weather conditions to include heat and cold, and humid, windy and dry conditions.
  • Work is occasionally performed in a health clinic setting with occasional exposure to communicable diseases, bodily fluids and hazardous chemicals.
  • Work is occasionally performed in community-based settings, including patient’s home.
  • Work is frequently performed in farm fields with chance for exposure to pesticides.
  • Work includes frequent driving in normal and adverse weather conditions over improved and rough road surfaces.
  • Work requires reliable transportation as position requires frequent travel and extended hours to include early mornings, evenings, holidays and weekends.