LOCATION: John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital
Job Title Department
Cancer Center Patient Liaison Cancer Center
This position is exempt from Career Service under the CCH Personnel Rules.
Job Summary
The Cancer Center Patient Liaison serves as an advocate for Cook County Health (CCH) cancer patients. This position serves as a single point of contact for referring physicians, patients, and caregivers to provide resources and assistance with accessing clinical and supportive care services offered within CCH and in the community. Facilitates patient appointments, including those made with labs, diagnostic areas, and specialty physicians.
Typical Duties

• Serve as an essential link between patients and all other care providers.
• Completes comprehensive assessments of the barriers to quality cancer care that contributes to disparities and identifies information, resources and emotional support needs of newly diagnosed and medically underserved patients, survivors, and caregivers.
• Assists patients in accessing cancer care and navigating healthcare systems.
• Assists with practical problem-solving related to concrete cancer needs such as housing, transportation, financial needs, etc.
• Builds and maintains relationships with key staff in hospital to builds patient referral mechanisms and promote patient navigation services.
• Facilitates appointments for consults and support services within established service standards, including social workers, dietitians, physicians, etc.
• Assists patients in referrals, follow-ups, and completing applications for services that are facilitated by the Community Health Worker.
• Follows patients throughout the care continuum, including inpatient admissions, and collaborates with inpatient care management resources.
• Provides support to team members and management on a regular basis to ensure continuum of care is achieved.
• Implements a follow-up plan for each constituent to ensure that services have met their needs.
• Ensures patient cases are reviewed, documented, and delivered to treating physicians.
• Continuously ensures documentation is accurate and aligned with standard operating procedures.
• Practices a high level of integrity and honesty in maintaining confidentiality.
• Delivers quarterly report card to hospital committees and other groups which demonstrates outcomes and performance improvement activities.
• Coordinates outreach efforts to establish and maintain positive working relationships with staff.
• Performs other duties and projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university (must provide transcripts at the time of interview )
• One (1) year of experience with patient navigation in a clinical setting, including scheduling appointments, connecting patients to community resources and/or taking patients through various steps of disease treatment
• Prior community outreach experience
• Basic knowledge of and experience using medical terminology

Preferred Qualifications

• One (1) year of experience working with cancer patients and programs
• Basic knowledge cancer terminology
• Prior experience working with a culturally diverse population

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other Characteristics

• Knowledge of cancer, healthcare systems, cancer treatment, supportive care options and how to access care and services

• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite

• Strong problem solving, decision making and critical thinking skills

• Excellent organizational, written, verbal communication and interpersonal skills

• Comfortable with shared accountability for goals with other leaders in health care system

• Comfortable with diversity of individual specialty practice needs, while creating commonality of culture and process

• Ability to work in a self-directed environment, with an ability to work with and lead teams

• Ability to implement professional and community-based education programs.

• Ability to demonstrate empathy, integrity, honesty, and compassion in difficult conversations.

• Ability to demonstrate active listening, interpersonal and communication skills that results in the effective exchange of information with solutions-oriented interactions.

• Ability to establish a close relationship with patients to ensure quality, comprehensive care.

• Ability to bring disparate groups, goals and objectives together under one operating “umbrella”

Physical and Environmental Demands
This position is functioning within a healthcare environment. The incumbent is responsible for adherence to all hospital and department specific safety requirements. This includes but is not limited to the following policies and procedures: complying with Personal Protective Equipment requirements, hand washing and sanitizing practices, complying with department specific engineering and work practice controls and any other work area safety precautions as specified by hospital wide policy and departmental procedures.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of the personnel so classified.

For purposes of the American with Disabilities Act, “Typical Duties” are essential job functions.
VETERAN PREFERENCE
PLEASE READ

When applying for employment with the Cook County Health & Hospitals System, preference is given to honorably discharged Veterans who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States for not less than 6 months of continuous service

• Meet the minimum qualifications for the position.

• Identify self as a Veteran on the employment application by answering yes to the question by answering yes to the question, “Are you a Military Veteran?”

• Attach a copy of their DD 214, DD 215 or NGB 22 (Notice of Separation at time of application filing. Please note: If you have multiple DD214s, 215s, or NGB 22S, Please submit the one with the latest date. Coast Guard must submit a certified copy of the military separation from either the Department of Transportation (Before 9/11) or the Department of Homeland Security (After 9/11). Discharge papers must list and Honorable Discharge Status. Discharge papers not listing an Honorable Discharge Status are not acceptable

OR
A copy of a valid State ID Card or Driver’s License which identifies the holder of the ID as a Veteran, may also be attached to the application at time of filing.
MUST MEET ALL REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AT TIME OF APPLICATION FILING.

• Degrees awarded outside of the United States with the exception of those awarded in one of the United States’ territories and Canada must be credentialed by an approved U. S. credential evaluation service belonging to the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE). Original credentialing documents bust be presented at time of interview.

BENEFITS PACKAGE
Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
Basic Term Life Insurance
Pension Plan
Deferred Compensation Program
Paid Holidays, Vacation, and Sick Time
You may also qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)
100% Tuition Reimbursement for nursing-related programs

For further information on our excellent benefits package, please click on the following link: http://www.cookcountyrisk.com/

• Please note all offers of Employment are contingent upon the following conditions: satisfactory professional & employment references, healthcare and criminal background checks, appropriate licensure/certifications and the successful completion of a physical and pre-employment drug screen.

• CCHHS is strictly prohibited from conditioning, basing or knowingly prejudicing or affecting any term or aspect of County employment or hiring upon or because of any political reason or factor.

COOK COUNTY HEALTH & HOSPITALS SYSTEM IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER