Community Health Navigator - School of Dentistry

The Community Health Navigator is a grant funded position and is an essential member of the Creighton University School of Dentistry (CUSoD) After-Hours Clinic (AHC) team. The Navigator assists uninsured and Medicaid-insured individuals and families seeking emergency dental care by helping them navigate oral healthcare, insurance, and social service systems. Responsibilities include orienting and onboarding patients to the AHC, identifying barriers to care, providing oral health education, connecting eligible patients with insurance and community resources, and facilitating referrals for ongoing dental care, healthcare, and chronic disease management as appropriate. Working closely with health systems, dental and medical clinics, and community-based organizations, the Navigator helps patients establish a dental home and access the support services they need. The Navigator also conducts community outreach, develops and maintains relationships with key community stakeholders, represents CUSoD at community events, and contributes to a coordinated network designed to improve oral health outcomes and continuity of care among rural, underserved, and uninsured populations.
As a member of the After-Hours Clinic staff there will be 3 days/week where your work schedule will be 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm.
Essential Functions:
Support community members with resource navigation, provide referrals, and follow-up as individual participant needs require.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, a passionate and experienced communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills
• Provide healthcare navigation and advocacy to AHC patients, including assistance with scheduling follow-up dental and medical appointments, establishing a dental home, understanding treatment recommendations, and improving oral health literacy.
• Identify barriers that may interfere with access to or continuity of care, such as transportation, childcare, language, cost, insurance status, or difficulty navigating healthcare systems, and communicate relevant concerns to the AHC clinical team and community partners.
• Connect patients with community-based resources addressing social needs that affect health and access to care, including housing, food, employment, financial assistance, education, immigration, legal services, parenting support, and language assistance.
• Assist eligible patients with identifying, applying for, and navigating public benefits and other assistance programs, including Medicaid enrollment, renewal, and eligibility-related processes.
• Advocate for patients and coordinate referrals with dental and medical providers, health systems, social service agencies, and community organizations to promote continuity of care and successful connection to appropriate services.
• Maintain accurate record-keeping in both patient charts in Axium and clinic administrative tools.
• Work with the billing department and patients throughout the revenue cycle (adjustments, payments, corrections, etc.).
• Stay "up to date" on all changes or adjustments in coding and billing procedures.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential documentation of patient contacts, identified needs, referrals, enrollment assistance, follow-up activities, and outcomes in designated tracking systems, consistent with CUSoD policies, applicable privacy requirements, grant-reporting expectations, and professional best practices.
• Experience with MS Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and other software as required.

Provide chronic disease management support and care coordination

• Reinforce provider-developed care recommendations and help patients understand the relationship between oral health and chronic conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension.
• Collaborate with dental and medical providers, specialists, and community-based health organizations to coordinate referrals and address patients’ short- and long-term oral health goals.
• Help patients overcome barriers to ongoing disease management by facilitating access to follow-up appointments, health education, insurance benefits, and community resources.
• Follow up with patients, when appropriate, to support continuity of care and connection to a dental home.
• Document screenings, education, referrals, follow-up activities, and outcomes in accordance with CUSoD policies and applicable privacy requirements.

Develop and maintain strong partnerships with community-based organizations, neighborhood groups, churches, schools, and other entities that support the community.

• Represent the CUSoD at select community-based events and activities, as determined in collaboration with CUSoD leaders.
• Conduct community outreach to promote CUSoD, and the After-Hours Clinic.

Interprofessional Collaboration and Program Support

• Collaborate daily with CUSoD faculty, staff, students, residents, researchers, social workers, and other members of the After-Hours Clinic team to support coordinated, patient-centered care.
• Communicate patients’ healthcare, social service, and access-related needs to appropriate members of the care team while maintaining patient confidentiality and complying with applicable privacy requirements.
• Participate in team huddles, case discussions, care coordination activities, and program meetings to identify barriers, coordinate referrals, and support continuity of care.
• Assist students and residents in understanding available community resources, referral pathways, and the social factors affecting patients’ ability to obtain and maintain oral healthcare.
• Coordinate with social workers and community partners to connect patients with dental, medical, behavioral health, public-benefit, and social support services.
• Collaborate with researchers and program evaluators in approved data-collection, patient follow-up, and program-evaluation activities, consistent with the Navigator’s assigned responsibilities, institutional policies, and applicable research and privacy requirements.
• Maintain timely and accurate documentation of patient navigation, referrals, follow-up activities, and outcomes to support clinical coordination, quality improvement, grant reporting, and program evaluation.
• Contribute to a respectful, collaborative learning environment and serve as a communication link among patients, clinical providers, trainees, researchers, and community organizations.
• Attend workshops, meetings, and/other activities as required.
• Additional activities in support of the CUSoD as requested, within the community and at the AHC

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree is preferred
• A degree in Healthcare Administration, Business, or a related field or equivalent work experience is preferred but not required
• Applicants should have 1-3 years' experience in health promotion, social services navigation, or benefits enrollment.
• Comfort in adapting to needs and expectations of a wide range of stakeholders from the CUSoD and the community.
• Effective communication skills with diverse stakeholders.

Additional qualifications that are strongly preferred:

• Bilingual (Karen, Spanish, Arabic, Somali, or other population languages)
• Familiarity with the North and South Omaha geographic service area
• Proven positive relationships with community agencies and populations.
• Community Health Worker (CHW) certification
• Experience building trusted relationships in diverse communities and with community-based organizations
• Has a deep understanding of community needs and existing health disparities locally and nationally in order to partner in developing sustainable solutions

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
The following skills are preferred:

• Action-oriented, adaptable, community-centered, and innovative approach to community engagement
• Mission-driven and self-directed; can exercise independent judgement and decision-making authority and maintain confidentiality and manage sensitive information in an appropriate manner
• Ability to cultivate existing relationships and establish new relationships
• Strong organizational skills
• Foster an inclusive working environment that upholds Creighton’s core values and demonstrates commitment to valuing diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Ability to work independently and cooperatively, and as part of a team
• Committed to ongoing learning and self-development

Licenses/Certifications:
Community Health Worker (CHW) certification preferred. Other position-specific trainings may be required after hire (e.g., blood pressure screening, CPR, health insurance enrollment, etc.)