About the Role

The Patient Care Coordinator – Intake & Scheduling (PCC-IS) plays a vital administrative and coordination role within the Care Coordination Department of Elmwood Healthcare’s Home Health Division. This full-time, office-based position serves as a central liaison among referral sources, community partners, physicians, patients, clinicians, and the broader care team. The PCC-IS is responsible for managing the continuum of care from the point of initial referral through the entirety of the patient’s home health episode.

Key responsibilities include receiving and reviewing incoming referrals for home health services, facilitating timely and accurate onboarding, and ensuring smooth coordination among field-based clinical staff, including nurses, therapists, social workers, and home health aides. The PCC-IS supports optimal patient care by overseeing scheduling operations, ensuring that patient visits are aligned with physician orders and meet all regulatory and policy requirements.

This role requires a thorough understanding of home health care practices and a working knowledge of relevant local, state, and federal regulations that govern home health services. The PCC-IS plays a critical role in maintaining compliance while supporting the delivery of high-quality, patient-centered care.

Success in this position demands strong organizational skills, adaptability, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic healthcare environment. A foundational knowledge of home health operations is essential, along with a commitment to excellence in patient coordination and communication.

Core Responsibilities:

Referral and Intake Management

• Receives, reviews, and facilitates all incoming referrals in accordance with the Elmwood Home Care Intake Procedures and established systematic guidelines.

  • Review → Accept → Verify Benefits → Create Medical Record → Email Referral Notification → Log Referral

• Accepts only those patients whose care needs fall within the scope of services provided, following agency-defined Admission Criteria.

• Monitors and promptly responds to electronic referrals via approved electronic referral systems.

• Collaborates with community partners and internal team members to process new referrals and provide timely updates on pending referrals.

• Maintains accurate and up-to-date patient status information throughout the intake and care process.

Verification and Coordination of Benefits

• Conducts comprehensive verification of insurance coverage for all prospective patients, including Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, managed care plans, and other third-party payers.

• Confirms patient eligibility for home health services, policy limitations, authorization requirements, and benefit coverage related to specific services (e.g., skilled nursing, therapy, medical social work).

• Coordinates with insurance providers, physician offices, and case managers to obtain necessary authorizations and ensure timely approval of services.

• Identifies and resolves discrepancies in coverage, benefits, or authorizations that may impact care delivery or reimbursement.

• Ensures that insurance information is accurately documented in the electronic medical record (EMR) and communicated to billing, clinical, and scheduling teams.

• Acts as a liaison between the agency and payers to support reimbursement integrity, minimize claim denials, and ensure compliance with payer guidelines and agency policies.

• Maintains current knowledge of payer requirements and updates intake procedures accordingly to align with regulatory and reimbursement changes.

Scheduling & Care Coordination

• Creates, maintains, and oversees the schedules of assigned patients based on physician orders and individualized care plans.

• Manages clinician schedules to align staff availability with patient needs and caseload requirements, taking into account staffing variances.

• Inputs and updates scheduling data to ensure the accuracy of orders and alignment with care delivery timelines.

• Coordinates interdisciplinary communication to support seamless transitions and high-quality, patient-centered care.

• Communicates proactively with clinicians, care providers, and patients regarding schedule changes, care updates, and service delivery timelines.

Operational Oversight and Compliance

• Demonstrates a thorough understanding of the operational flow of a Medicare-certified home health agency, including post-acute and transitional care processes.

• Ensures compliance with agency policies, procedures, and all applicable local, state, and federal regulations.

• Upholds the safety, security, and confidentiality of all patient and staff information in accordance with HIPAA and internal standards.

• Generates reports related to scheduling, staffing, and care coordination metrics, as assigned.

• Actively monitors and provides feedback on agency care coordination systems and processes for continuous improvement.

• Department Collaboration and Support

• Serves as a liaison across departments, acting as the central point of coordination for pre- and post-transitional care activities.

• Participates in the performance evaluation and appraisal process for department personnel.

• Provides coaching, counseling, and disciplinary action to team members as necessary, in alignment with HR and agency standards.

• Accepts additional tasks and responsibilities as assigned, following appropriate training.

Quality and Customer Service

• Maintains and promotes high standards of patient satisfaction, customer service, and quality of care as defined by Elmwood Healthcare.

• Demonstrates accountability, professionalism, and a commitment to continuous improvement in patient care delivery.