Patient Intake Coordinator

Are you organized, compassionate, and ready to make a difference in the lives of cancer patients? Illinois CancerCare is looking for a full-time Patient Intake Coordinator to join our dedicated New Patient Scheduling team. This is a full-time, Monday-Friday (8:00am-4:30pm) role with no weekends, or major holidays, offering a great work-life balance.

The Patient Intake Coordinator is primarily responsible for providing a smooth and welcoming process for new patients by scheduling initial appointments and coordinating essential details. You'll also communicate important information to referring providers and internal staff to ensure seamless care coordination from day one.

Pay & Benefits

• Pay Range: $16.00 - $25.00/hour
  (Based on experience, education, and other factors)
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance (multiple plan options)
• Special wellness programs - Maven, HingeHealth, Livongo, Vitality, and Wondr
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer contributions
• Company-paid life, short-term, and long-term disability insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA) & Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Paid time off and holidays
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Discounts through our Perks Program

What You'll Do

• Serve as the first point of contact for new patients, delivering exceptional customer service and creating a welcoming experience across all communication channels.
• Manage high volumes of inbound and outbound calls with professionalism, empathy, and efficiency, ensuring each interaction reflects the organization's standards.
• Collect and verify patient demographic, insurance, referral, and pre-visit information with accuracy and attention to detail.
• Clearly communicate appointment logistics, including time, location, directions, and preparation instructions, to ensure patients are well-informed and prepared.
• Document all call interactions and updates in the applicable system in real time, following established protocols and documentation standards.
• Resolve patient inquiries, concerns, and complaints promptly and effectively, using sound judgment and escalation protocols when necessary.
• Consistently meet or exceed key performance indicators (KPIs), including average call handling time, first-call resolution, and patient satisfaction scores.
• Collaborate with clinical and administrative teams to ensure seamless coordination of care and scheduling accuracy.
• Maintain up-to-date and complete patient records, ensuring data integrity and compliance with HIPAA and all applicable healthcare regulations.
• Escalate complex or sensitive issues to the appropriate department or supervisor for timely resolution.
• Uphold organizational policies and compliance standards in every interaction, ensuring patient confidentiality and regulatory adherence.
• Support additional administrative or operational tasks as assigned, contributing to the overall efficiency of the call center team.
• Other duties as requested or assigned.

What We're Looking For

• High School Diploma or GED required
• Two (2) years call center-related, referral management and/or patient access experience in healthcare preferred with progressive responsibility or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Experience with Microsoft Office Products (Outlook, Word, Teams, and Excel) required.
• Knowledge of medical terminology, insurance processes, and HIPAA compliance.
• Strong communication and active listening skills, with empathy and patience.
• Ability to handle high call volumes while maintaining quality service.
• Must successfully complete required onboarding courses and on-demand training within 45 days of occupying position. Proficiency in a call center or customer service setting, with knowledge of customer service principles and practices and call center telephony and technology.
• Experience with Electronic Medical Record (EMR), referral management, and practice management systems.
• Excellent listening, interpersonal, and communication (verbal and written) skills, and professional, pleasant, and respectful telephone etiquette.

Competencies:

• Uses Technical and Functional Experience: Possesses up to date knowledge of the profession and industry; accesses and uses other expert resources when appropriate.
• Demonstrates Adaptability: Handles day to day work challenges confidently; is willing and able to adjust to multiple demands, shifting priorities, ambiguity, and rapid change; shows resilience in the face of constraints, frustrations, or adversity; demonstrates flexibility.
• Uses Sound Judgment: Makes timely, cost effective and sound decisions; makes decisions under conditions of uncertainty.
• Shows Work Commitment: Sets high standards of performance; pursues aggressive goals and works efficiently to achieve them.
• Commits to Quality: Emphasizes the need to deliver quality products and/or services; defines standards for quality and evaluated products, processes, and service against those standards; manages quality; improves efficiencies.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to be present at the employee site during regularly scheduled business hours and regularly required to sit or stand and talk or hear. Requires full range of body motion including handling and lifting patients, manual and finger dexterity, and eye-hand coordination. Requires standing and walking for extensive periods of time. Occasionally lifts and carries items weighing up to 40 lbs. Requires corrected vision and hearing to normal range.

Work Environment: The work environment may include exposure to communicable diseases, toxic substances, ionizing radiation, medical preparations, and other conditions common to an oncology/hematology clinic environment. Work will involve in-person and virtual interaction with co-workers and management and/or clients. Work may require minimal travel by air or automobile to office sites. Fast-paced, patient-focused environment.