Virginia Mason Franciscan Health has a rich history of providing exceptional healthcare, dating back to 1891. Building upon a legacy of compassionate care and innovation, our organization has evolved over the years through strategic partnerships and integrations to expand our reach and services across the Puget Sound area.

Today, as Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, we remain deeply committed to healing the whole person – body, mind, and spirit – in the communities we serve. This commitment is strengthened by the diverse expertise and shared values brought together through our growth.

Our dedicated providers offer a full spectrum of health care services, from routine wellness to complex disease management, all grounded in rigorous research and education. Our comprehensive network of 10 hospitals and nearly 300 care sites strategically located across the greater Puget Sound region reflects our ongoing commitment to accessibility and comprehensive care.

We are proud of our pioneering medical advances and numerous awards and accreditations that reflect our dedication to excellence. When you join Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, you become part of a team that delivers top-quality, professional healthcare in modern, well-equipped facilities, and contributes to a legacy of service built on collaboration and shared purpose.

Job Summary / Purpose

The Care Coordination Assistant role is responsible for supporting critical and time sensitive functions of the Clinical Care Coordination team, including but not limited to managing post acute care referrals, direct communication with patients/families, post acute care agencies, and other key stakeholders.  The Care Coordination Assistant performs these duties with a high degree of accuracy utilizing critical thinking skills and in compliance with hospital policies, standards of practice, and Federal and State regulations. Employees are accountable for demonstrating a strong commitment to our organizational values of: Compassion, Inclusion, Integrity, Excellence, and Collaboration.

• Bachelor’s degree, LVN/LPN, BSW preferred.

Essential Key Job Responsibilities

The Care Coordination Assistant, under the direction and supervision of clinical staff performs the following functions:

• Manage timely post-acute care referrals, to assist with length of stay management and mitigation of denials.
• Communicate and collaborate with interdisciplinary team, patients, and family to facilitate care progression.
• Ensure post-acute follow-up appointments for identified patients to assist with readmission prevention and ensuring continuity of care. 
• Deliver required patient notifications and letters, and obtain patient or family signatures on required documentation as needed to meet regulatory compliance.
• Manage transportation referrals as requested.
• Comply with confidentiality policies, HIPAA regulations, and organizational standards when transmitting protected patient information to external agencies and vendors as needed for placement, payment or referral.
• Ensure compliance with hospital policies, standards of practice, applicable Federal or State regulations pertaining to their role, and contribute to the identification of opportunities for process improvement.

In facility where Care Coordination has responsibility for Utilization Management functions, the Care Coordination Assistant will also be responsible for:

• Prioritize and manage communications relating to insurance requests, denials and Physician Advisor status recommendations to the appropriate licensed staff member, and documents any related authorizations, denials or status determinations in the designated EMR or software program.

Minimum Qualifications:

Required Education and Experience:

Associate (two-year) Degree in Business/Health-Related field or High School Diploma with Medical Assistant or Certified Nursing Assistant certificate or experience in a healthcare setting.

Medical terminology certificate or ability to pass medical terminology test required.

At least 3 years previous experience in health care, care coordination, utilization review, discharge planning or similar healthcare setting is required.

Experience supporting clinicians in demanding and fast paced patient care environments.

Intermediate to advanced computer skills required to include Microsoft Office and/or Google Workspace applications including Word, Docs, Excel, Sheets, typing, and data entry skills

Required Licensure and Certifications:

None