Patient Navigator - Wic

Hawaii Island Community Health Center

Job Title: Patient Navigator-WIC

Supervised By: Patient Navigator-WIC

Under the general direction of the Health Equity Associate Director (HEAD) and the direct supervision of the Patient Navigation Supervisor, the Patient Navigator- Women, Infants and Children’s (PN-WIC) position has a dual role that includes the same responsibilities as a Hawaiʻi Island Community Health Center (HICHC) Patient Navigator on the Health Equity team and additional duties specific to the WIC program. The PN-WIC takes on responsibilities related to coordinating health and social services for HICHC patients while simultaneously supporting the WIC team to carry out the nutritional objectives of the WIC Program designated in the State of Hawaiʻi contract.

The PN-WIC assists Hawaiʻi Island Community Health Center (HICHC) patients and WIC program participants in achieving wellness and autonomy through assessment, intervention, health education, service facilitation, and advocacy. PN’s primarily work in a clinical setting and may participate in outreach work in the community.

This position may have various work assignments within HICHC. This description is intended to be generic in nature, and as such it does not detail all duties and responsibilities of the job assignment. Various duties, responsibilities and accountabilities may be assigned to an incumbent in this position depending on clinic needs, and may include but not be limited to the following:

• Partners with the patient to address the non-clinical barriers that patients face, with a focus on the social factors that negatively affect the patient’s health (i.e., food security).
• Provides care coordination and case management to target the health needs identified by the patient and the care team.
• Provides services in the community, either direct services to individuals or health outreaches to groups.
• Provides brief counseling (i.e., health education, motivational interviewing, behavioral activation, nicotine cessation, and problem-solving treatment) to support patients in reaching health goals.
• Documents all service contacts on a timely basis including face-to-face, collateral and networking contacts, correspondence and maintains the case records in accordance with agency and regulatory standards and requirements.
• Facilitates referrals for clinically indicated services outside of the organization (e.g., social services such as housing assistance, vocational rehabilitation, mental health specialty care, substance use treatment). o Screens for food security and provides referrals for adjunct nutrition programs such as QUEST, SNAP or TANF.
  1. Screens for other various social determinants of health (i.e., voter registration, transportation, etc) and refers to appropriate resources.
  2. Assists patients with corresponding paperwork and applications.
• Performs WIC applicant eligibility and certification; provides explanation of the WIC program, its benefits, and basic nutrition education to participants.
  1. In partnership with participants, begins WIC certification process (collects demographic information and verifies residency, income, identification, etc.)
  2. Utilizes an electronic health platform to enter and retrieve participant information; Obtains and documents anthropometrics and hemoglobin of a participants.
  3. Screens for immunization status and refers participants under 2 years of age for immunizations and well child visits.

• Supports with WIC participant scheduling and performs other clerical duties as assigned.
  • May include filing, ordering materials and supplies, faxing, copying materials (including nutrition education materials and packets), nutrition education display board, disperse of nutrition education materials and mail.
• Networks with community-based organizations and engages in advocacy through committees and coalition work to change the systems that negatively impact their patients.
• Participates in interdisciplinary staff meetings and interagency meetings and huddles to improve and enhance service continuity.
• Works in collaboration with the clinic staff to ensure there is an integrated healthcare delivery system at HICHC that is efficient, effective and timely with appropriate response to patient and community needs.
• Meets regularly with the immediate supervisor for professional development, while reviewing, and processing the provision of services.
• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor or WIC Administrator which are consistent with the position and in compliance with HICHC policies and procedures.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and Experience

• High School graduate or GED certificate required.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Services field strongly preferred.
• Two years related experience in health or social services field; OR any equivalent combination of experience, training and/or education approved by Human Resources.
• Trained as a breastfeeding peer counselor preferred.

Licenses and Certifications

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• This position requires a self-starter who can work independently and use sound judgment to solve problems in a variety of situations (e.g., conflict resolution with clients/patients, vendors, community members, infrastructure challenges) without readily available supervision.
• This position requires the ability to work collaboratively with other HICHC programs and partner agencies.
• Must be able to work as part of an interdisciplinary team.
• Must be sympathetic and compassionate to the client’s issues, while maintaining professional boundaries.
• Ability to prioritize and balance tasks in a high paced environment, with autonomy.
• Problem solving skills—the individual identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner, gathers and analyzes information skillfully and utilizes management appropriately.
• Emotionally stable, sensitive and mature with the ability to deal with various people effectively.
• Technological aptitudes - the individual is adept at utilizing Microsoft Office applications, video teleconferencing platforms, and can learn new skills in adjacent electronic documentation systems.

Language Skills

• Ability to read and interpret documents such as patient records, operating and maintenance instructions, procedure manuals, etc.
• Ability to write at an above average level of competence, including internal reports and memoranda.
• Ability to communicate with diverse groups of people to include staff and providers and patients.
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients and their families to make their visit a pleasant experience.
• Sensitivity to the multicultural nature of the service area population and may be required to communicate in another language.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Prolonged periods of standing, bending and reaching.
• Must be able to lift up to 20 pounds at times.

Personal Characteristics

Personal characteristics include: a team player, high integrity, multitasker, communication and customer relations skills, regular work attendance, courteous and friendly, able to work well with diverse groups of people, gain and maintain the respect of others, accept HICHC mission and values.

Confidential and Sensitive Information

Because the employee has access to personal and professional data regarding individual employees and their families, personal data regarding individual patients and the families, and/or sensitive company financial data, an essential job result is the maintenance of a high level of confidentiality of the information processed by the employee. Violation of this confidence may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.