Elevated Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Patient Navigator (Hybrid Schedule)

Duke University Hospital is consistently rated as one of the best in the United States and is known around the world for its outstanding care and groundbreaking research.

Duke University Hospital has 1,048 licensed inpatient beds and offers comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic facilities, including a regional emergency/trauma center; a major surgery suite containing 65 operating rooms; an endo-surgery center; a separate hospital outpatient surgical department with nine operating rooms and an extensive diagnostic and interventional radiology area.

For 2021-2022, U.S. News and World Report ranked Duke University Hospital nationally in 11 adult specialties: cancer, cardiology & heart surgery, diabetes & endocrinology, ear, nose & throat, gastroenterology & GI surgery, gynecology, neurology & neurosurgery, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pulmonology & lung surgery, and urology.

Duke University Hospital is also ranked first in North Carolina and first in the Raleigh-Durham area.

In addition to its hospitals, Duke Health has an extensive, geographically dispersed network of outpatient facilities that include primary care offices, urgent care centers, multi-specialty clinics and outpatient surgery centers.

This position is hybrid with ~1-2 days per week onsite meeting patients in the clinic and ~2-3 days per week virtually following up with patients via phone and video calls.

The Duke Cancer Institute is building their Patient Navigation Program to support patients all the way from the time of diagnosis through to survivorship.  This Patient Navigator role works with patient populations at higher risk for healthcare disparities with the overall goal to diagnose prostate cancer as early as possible.  The Navigator connects with patients shortly after their PSA referral from Primary Care and explains in lay terms what the PSA test is and the importance of further testing and examination. After the Navigator connects with patients and completes the education, the navigator works very closely with our scheduling team to ensure the patients are seen as soon as possible.  After the patient’s initial visit with the care team, the Navigator follows up with the patients to ensure they understand the importance of their follow-ups (ex. repeat PSA labs, biopsy, MRI, etc.) and answers any questions they may have.  The Navigator works with patients to identify and address barriers that may impact follow-up diagnostic care and treatment. 

Occ Summary

The Patient Navigator Special Patient Population provides navigation services across the care continuum for the patients for a specialized patient population based on phase of care or identified need. The Patient Navigator Special Patient Population works with an identified patient population to develop, implement, and support comprehensive care plans to ensure patients receive appropriate medical and psychosocial care that is equitable, patient centered, and timely. The Patient Navigator Special Patient Population will work as an integral part of an interdisciplinary team, ensuring excellence in patient care, in an effort to achieve optimal clinical outcomes through a seamless model of access and care

Work Performed

• For identified patient population, Patient Navigator Special Patient Population will ensure comprehensive, timely, and seamless care through development and support of care plans, coordination with medical team members, and providing patient education and support.
• Exhibit extensive understanding of patient care and health system pathways and serve as a conduit between patient and providers to address medical and psychosocial needs. Assess the educational needs of patient.
• Provide educationabout diagnosis, treatment, side effects, and post treatment care or other specialty topic area based on patient population needs.
• Provide care and education in a culturally competent manner.
• Assess and document patient's needs, goals and preferences and ensure preferences are integrated into treatment and care delivery.
• Bridge gaps in care and assess/troubleshoot transitions in care and barriers to care. Document all patient encounters in EPIC.
• Enhance access to therapeutic clinical trials and optimize communication with patients, families and investigators regarding therapeutic clinical trials.
• Provide targeted patient education regarding clinical trials, in order to assist patients in making informed decisions.
• Reinforcing patient education to facilitate active participation in decision making in care. Practice according to professional and legal standards.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent written, oral and conversational communication skills to effectively work with diverse groups.
• Ability to analyze, evaluate multiple solutions and solve complex problems using well developed critical & analytical thinking skills.
• Excellent time management skills needed to prioritize among many competing priorities.
• Attention to detail needed to operate accurately and effectively.
• Mastery of Microsoft Office, especially Word and Excel, and electronic medical record documentation and/or reporting. Metric tracking skills

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Bachelor's degree in a clinical field, such as behavioral/social sciences, health education, or public health fields.

Experience

Three years of experience in a patient-centered, health related field. Experience in patient navigation preferred.

Degrees, Licensures, Certifications

Completion of national patient navigation training preferred.

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.