Bilingual Dental Health Care Patient Navigator

University of Colorado Anschutz

Department: College of Nursing

Job Title: Bilingual Dental Health Care Patient Navigator

Position #: 00853968 – Requisition #: 41434

Job Summary

Nature of Work:

The CU College of Nursing is seeking a full-time (1.0 FTE), benefits-eligible, Bilingual Dental Health Care Navigator within its federally qualified community health center, Sheridan Health Services (SHS).

The Bilingual Dental Health Care Navigator will perform both referral and administrative duties. This includes a variety of clerical and patient service duties necessary to maintain efficient flow of operations in the dental/medical office. The support of operations will be established through case management support for dental professionals and other providers on the team. This position will represent Sheridan Health Services Family Health Clinic professionally and positively to enhance and promote our mission to provide quality patient-centered care, always exercising utmost discretion, diplomacy, and tact during patient interactions and interactions with clinical partners. Sheridan Health Services is a Patient-Centered Medical Home, and as such, we uphold a model of care that places the patient at the center, incorporating the values and beliefs of the patient in all decision-making. The position may be required to staff clinical sites in the community.

Clinic Description:

Sheridan Health Services is a multi-site, nurse-managed federally qualified community health center, funded through the Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Primary Healthcare, and is a collaborative effort between the College of Nursing and the Sheridan School District. There are now two convenient locations to serve community health needs primarily for residents of Arapahoe, Denver, and Jefferson counties. Sheridan Health Services is located in southwest Denver on the Fort Logan campus and provides services to adults and children, 65% of whom identify as Latinx, and 42% of whom are best served in another language, with Spanish being the predominant second language. Services offered include primary care across the lifespan; prenatal and postpartum, gynecology, dentistry, pharmacy, health, and outpatient substance abuse treatment.

https://nursing.cuanschutz.edu/patient-care/sheridan-health-services

Supervision Received:

This position reports directly to the Clinic Operations Coordinator at Sheridan Health Services.

Examples of Duties Performed:

Care Coordination (80%)

• Serves as primary point of contact for dental patients to support access, engagement, and continuity of care
• Maintains accurate records of patient interactions, referrals, and outcomes
• Participates in interdisciplinary team meetings and care coordination efforts
• Coordinates care for all Dental referrals (endodontic, oral surgery, periodontic, pediatric, prosthodontic, and others as indicated) with community providers and other providers within the clinic and tracks completion of referrals in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) to ensure patient needs are supported and to ensure completion of care
• Connects and empowers dental patients and families to access identified resources and assists in navigating systems of specialty care to meet identified needs
• Communicates appropriate diagnostic and clinical information as needed to complete referrals and pre-authorization requests
• Provides care navigation, including scheduling, referrals, pre-authorization requests, and follow-up coordination for dental services
• Assists patients in understanding dental treatment plans, dental estimates, insurance coverage, and financial responsibilities
• Screens patients for barriers to care (transportation, language, insurance) and connects them with resources as indicated
• Works from a strengths-based, recovery-based perspective and takes cultural considerations into account, including facilitating communication between patients and SHS team members, including interpretation support when applicable
• Assists in grant reporting and deliverables related to access to community resources and Social Determinants of Health measures
• Conducts patient outreach (phone, text, in-person) to reduce missed appointments and improve treatment completion
• Supports patient intake, registration, and Electronic Health Record (EHR) documentation
• Maintains Behavioral Oral Health Integration (BOHI) spreadsheet to track referrals to and from dental/behavioral health service lines, especially those patients identified as Neurodevelopmental Disorders, to ensure benchmarks are achieved/documented
• Coordinates with front desk to reschedule broken appointments in accordance with clinic policies
• Checks Epic and CORHIO for ER/hospital visits and schedules follow-up as needed
• Supports community outreach, education, and oral health promotion activities on- and off-site, including occasional after-hours or weekend events

Administrative Support (10%)

• Assists with insurance verification and eligibility screening
• Processes health referrals by verifying patient insurance eligibility and connecting with appropriate resources
• Communicates with clinical staff regarding clinical issues
• Obtains prior authorization or pre-certification, answers phones, completes patient registration in accordance with HIPAA, provides customer service, basic phone triage, and scheduling as needed
• Determines eligibility for appropriate services based on established criteria and provider capacity
• Gathers demographic data and health information of patients
• Schedules appointments consistent with patients’ insurance plans and health needs
• Performs administrative work related to referrals and tracking until completion
• Collaborates with the front desk for administrative needs of the team
• Responds in a timely manner to patient and team needs/requests
• Responsible for managing/processing releases/requests of information (ROI)
• Helps front desk schedule dental visits by accurately taking into account patient-specific needs/accommodations
• Works with DA team to maintain supply inventory through tracking and stocking, including maintenance and storage of sterilized instruments. Coordinates between patients/pharmacy as indicated or requested by providers and participates in insurance Prior Authorizations (PARs) for medications, as needed

Community Relations (10%)

• Build relationships with community resources to assist in a seamless referral process
• Attends community partner meetings to support and represent the SHS team
• Serves as clinic liaison to community partners such as Children’s Hospital Colorado, CU Anschutz School of Medicine, Sheridan School District, Urban Peak, and Family Voices, among others.

This description is a summary only and describes the general level of work being performed; it is not intended to be all-inclusive. The duties of this position may change from time to time and/or based on business need. We reserve the right to add or delete duties and responsibilities at the discretion of the supervisor and/or hiring authority.

Work Location:

On-site - Sheridan Health Services , 3525 W. Oxford Avenue, Unit G1, Denver, CO 80236. The position may be required to staff clinical sites in the community.

Why Join Us

CU Nursing is an amazing place to be. We have the distinct advantage of being a part of a huge medical campus with three incredible hospitals – the VA, the nationally ranked University of Colorado Hospital, and the Children’s Hospital Colorado where our nursing students and faculty learn every day. From our beginning 125 years ago as part of the School of Medicine at CU Boulder to our current home at the Anschutz Medical Campus, the college has been a recognized leader in nursing education (ranked #10 in online MS graduate programs by U.S. News & World Report 2023). Our faculty, students, and staff have been instrumental in shaping the profession of nursing and teaching the next generation of nurses while treating patients in our own nurse-led clinics. Be a part of an innovative, dynamic, diverse, and exciting workplace -- helping make great things happen. Join us in our quest to boldly transform health together.

Why work for the University?

We have AMAZING benefits and offer exceptional amounts of holiday, vacation, and sick leave! The University of Colorado offers an excellent benefits package, including:

• Medical: Multiple plan options
• Dental: Multiple plan options
• Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision
• Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10% of your gross pay
• Paid Time Off: Accruals over the year
• Vacation Days: 22/year (maximum accrual 352 hours)
• Sick Days: 15/year (unlimited maximum accrual)
• Holiday Days: 15/year
• Tuition Benefit: Employees have access to this benefit on all CU campuses
• ECO Pass: Reduced-rate RTD Bus and light rail service

There are many additional perks & programs with the CU Advantage .

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Four (4) years of experience working with patients in a health care setting, with at least one (1) year of experience with referral coordination in a clinical setting and/or in an insurance company health plan referral unit
• Substitution: A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned equal to four (4) years

Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC)
• Experience working as a Care Coordinator, Case Manager, Patient Navigator, or either Dental or Medical Assistant
• Experience working with health insurance

Conditions of Employment

• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship. We are unable to provide work visa sponsorship or employment authorization for this position now or in the future.
• Must be willing and able to utilize bilingual skills (Spanish/English) at a conversational level in a clinical setting
• Must be willing and able to obtain current BLS/CPR certification by the date of hire
• Must be willing and able to remain credentialed and ensure credentialing materials stay current
• Must be willing and able to work in a patient care environment with some exposure to biological hazards and infectious diseases

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally, both in writing and orally
• Interpersonal skills to work effectively with patients, their families, and other members of the interdisciplinary health care team
• Ability to prioritize tasks and effectively manage time independently
• Outstanding customer service skills
• Attention to detail
• Knowledge of health terminology and experience using electronic health record systems
• Ability to identify problems, research and recommend resolutions while exercising discretion and appropriate decision-making
• HIPAA and OSHA compliance
• Intermediate-level computer competency
• Exemplary organizational skills and ability to prioritize organizational needs
• Ability to work independently and function collaboratively as a team member
• Highly responsible, reliable, and courteous
• Unconditional ability to maintain patient confidentiality
• Ensures compliance with HIPAA, FQHC regulations, and University policies

How to Apply

For full consideration, please submit the following document(s):

• A letter of interest describing relevant job experiences as they relate to the listed job qualifications and interest in the position
• Curriculum vitae / Resume

Questions should be directed to: College of Nursing Human Resources at CON.HR@ucdenver.edu or 303.724.4447.

Screening of Applications Begins:

Applications will be accepted until finalists are identified, but preference will be given to complete applications received by 10/29/26. Those who do not apply by this date may or may not be considered.

Anticipated Pay Range:

The starting salary range ( or hiring range ) for this position has been established as $53,940 to $60,408 .