Patient Navigator

About the role

The Patient Navigator (PN) will provide care coordination, resources, and advocacy for patients needing support as they transition care from emergency room visits or hospitalizations to outpatient treatment services for substance use disorder. This role will function within an integrated care team of medical professionals. The PN will help patients navigate the healthcare system, reduce access barriers, and help patients achieve improved health outcomes and quality of life.

This is a temporary position, with the possibility of extension based on satisfactory performance, availability of work, and departmental/grant funding. This position is supported by the MDH-TOWN grant program, currently funded through May 31, 2028. Renewal of this position is dependent on job performance, availability of work, and future funding.

Responsibilities

• Connect patients with medical care, health insurance, and pharmacy benefits.
• Coordinate resources for food, housing, transportation, education, and employment.
• Facilitate access to services for physical, mental, and spiritual health.
• Conduct a high volume of outbound calls to patients to assist during transitions of care, remind of upcoming appointments, reschedule missed office visits, and check-in about medication needs and resources.
• Contact healthcare providers, pharmacies, and recovery community organizations (RCOs) about follow-up information to support patients.
• Answer questions from inbound callers and provide support or resources, as requested.
• Assist in maintaining harm reduction supplies at North Memorial Hospital (NMH; emergency department, labor/delivery, inpatient care) and distribute kits to patients at time of contact.
• Partner with other care coordinators and support staff at NMH, Broadway Family Medicine, and other local clinics to meet the needs of patients and share resources.
• Conduct survey follow-ups with patients to determine outcomes of patient navigation services.
• Perform clinical documentation in electronic health record.
• Maintain HIPAA-compliant database for patient navigation services for tracking patient services and reporting purposes to funding agency.
• Promote health equity in interactions with patients and medical professionals.
• Maintain relationships with RCOs, neighborhood coalitions/councils, and advocacy groups that support patients.
• Participate in outreach efforts, including community health fairs and events, MN State Fair experience, and neighborhood huddle meetings to share information, promote service, and improve community health.
• Maintain an organized, up-to-date repository of community resources for food, housing, education, employment, medical/dental, SUD treatment, mental health, and legal concerns.
• Stay current on education and knowledge base associated with professional degree.
• Conduct patient navigation services that are contemporary with ASAM principles (American Society of Addiction Medicine).
• Uphold the missions and values of the University of Minnesota and affiliated clinical sites we serve.

Requirements

All required qualifications must be documented on application materials.

• Education: BA/BS degree in Social Work, Human Services, Addiction Studies, Minnesota Community Health Worker (CHW) Certificate, or a closely related health field or training, such as Licensed Alcohol & Drug Counselor (LADC) or Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS).
• Experience: 2 years of experience in healthcare navigation, community health, social services, or peer support, specifically working with individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) or mental health concerns; OR a combination of related education and work experience totaling at least six years.
• Systems & Data Knowledge: Proven experience documenting in Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems (e.g., Epic) and maintaining HIPAA-compliant databases for tracking and reporting.
• Communication Skills: Demonstrated capability to handle a high volume of telephonic outreach (inbound/outbound calls), manage care transitions, and conduct follow-up surveys.
• SUD Knowledge Base: Foundational understanding of harm reduction principles, naloxone distribution, and stigma-free, trauma-informed care.
• Community Outreach: Ability to participate in public outreach events, community fairs, and neighborhood stakeholder meetings to promote services.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced Certification: Current certification as a Minnesota Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) or Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES).
• Master’s degree in Social Work, Human Services, Addiction Studies, or a closely related health field.
• Local Network & Resources: Established relationships with Twin Cities Recovery Community Organizations (RCOs), local housing/food resources, and Hennepin County safety-net programs.
• Health Equity Expertise: Formally trained in cultural humility, health equity, or social determinants of health (SDOH) interventions within diverse urban populations.
• Clinical Setting Experience: Prior experience working directly within an emergency department, treatment centers, or inpatient hospital setting (ideally within the NMH or U of M system).
• Bilingual Skills: Fluency in a language widely spoken in the local community (e.g., Somali, Spanish, or Hmong) to better assist diverse patient populations.

About the Department

The Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota was created more than 50 years ago in response to a legislative mandate to train primary care physicians. Since then, we have been leaders in transforming the specialty through education, research, and patient care. We are the academic sponsor of ten family medicine residencies—five in the Twin Cities, five in Greater Minnesota. We are involved in medical student education activities across the Medical School's three campuses: Twin Cities, Duluth, and Saint Cloud. We sponsor five fellowship programs—sports medicine, hospice and palliative medicine, behavioral medicine, clinical informatics, and human sexuality—and offer continuing medical education opportunities. We are regularly among the top National Institutes of Health-funded family medicine departments. Our faculty are actively researching health disparities, healthcare delivery, and population health.

More at https://med.umn.edu/familymedicine.

Pay

Pay Range: $23.84–$27.42 per hour. Most offers will be around the midpoint of this range, depending on education and experience.

Schedule

100% appointment (40 hours per week).

Benefits

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off.
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program.
• Low-cost medical, dental, pharmacy, and disability plans.
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts.
• University HSA contributions.
• Employer-paid life insurance.
• Employee wellbeing program.
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity.
• Financial counseling services.
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost.
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area.