Referral Supervisor
General Job Summary
The Supervisor, Referrals oversees day-to-day operations of the centralized referral authorization function, ensuring timely, accurate, and efficient processing of referral requests. This role leads a team responsible for referral coordination and authorization activities, supporting patient access to care while maintaining compliance with payer requirements and organizational standards.
Primary Job Responsibilities
Coordinates and supervises daily referral authorization activities, ensuring timely processing of referral requests from clinics
Assigns and prioritizes work to support efficient workflow and patient access to specialty care
Maintains clinician distribution lists and workflow assignments to support efficient referral routing
Monitors referral status and facilitates resolution to ensure timely authorization and scheduling
Ensures adherence to standardized referral workflows, payer requirements, and documentation standards
Supports training, audit readiness, and continuous improvement across referral operations
People Leadership & Team Development
Supervises referral team members, including scheduling, timekeeping, and attendance management
Conducts regular check-ins and performance evaluations to support accountability and development
Participates in recruitment, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, and training of referral staff
Provides coaching and feedback to ensure consistency, accuracy, and strong performance
Promotes team engagement through recognition and a supportive, service-oriented environment
Quality, Compliance & Audit Readiness
Maintains quality metrics, including rework rates, error trends, and audit findings
Oversees audit processes and ensures compliance with organizational policies and payer requirements
Identifies gaps in performance and partners with leadership to develop and implement corrective action plans
Ensures accurate documentation, referral processing, and adherence to established standards
Operational Performance & Issue Resolution
Maintains team productivity and workflow efficiency, addressing barriers to performance in a timely manner
Troubleshoots clinician and clinic concerns related to referral processes and escalates issues as needed
Serves as a subject matter resource for referral workflows, policies, and payer requirements
Ensures timely resolution of issues impacting patient access or referral completion
Training, Workflow Standardization & Process Improvement
Supports development and reinforcement of standardized workflows and training materials
Ensures team members are fully onboarded, trained, and aligned with current processes and expectations
Identifies opportunities for process improvements and implements changes to improve efficiency, accuracy, and patient access
Promotes consistency in referral processing and reduces rework through clear workflows and expectations
Education and Experience
High School diploma or equivalent
Experience in a medical office or healthcare setting supporting referral coordination, scheduling, or patient access
Experience using electronic health records (EHR systems)
Strong organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills
Experience working with payer authorization or referral processes
Preferred
Associate degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
Experience in centralized referral or authorization functions
Experience in a lead or supervisory role
Experience with quality monitoring, audits, or process improvement
Physical Requirements
Work consistently requires walking, standing, sitting, lifting, reaching, stooping, bending, pushing, and pulling.
Must be able to lift and support weight of 35 pounds.
Ability to concentrate on details.
Use of computers for long periods of time.