Description

POSITION SUMMARY:
This position is responsible for the strategic direction, design, leadership and management of the outreach program, core navigation services and coordination between the NMDP network and the Patient Support Center. This critical role involves overseeing the daily operations of a team dedicated to guiding patients and providers through complex treatment pathways, ensuring seamless coordination and exceptional customer experience. This leader provides oversight of development and implementation of systems to track contacts to the NMDP Patient Support Center, both incoming and through proactive outreach, and utilizes tools provided to understand data and make data-driven decisions. The role is responsible for creating a model for aligning our services with transplant centers to enhance TC capacity and improve access to transplant. This position manages the workforce capacity model for navigators in conjunction with finance and builds metrics-driven teams, drives process improvements, and fosters a patient-centric culture. Serves as lead Patient Services representative on interdepartmental projects and task forces related to the core navigation and care coordination with transplant centers.

ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Collaboration and Strategy
• Serves as a key member of the Patient Services leadership team.
• Liaises with cross-functional departments including clinical operations, case management, and others to ensure smooth handoffs and integrated service delivery.
• Maintains an enterprise view of the needs of and solutions for patients and families.
• Contributes to the strategic planning and development of navigation services and care coordination, adapting to evolving patient needs and industry best practices.
• Collaborates with other members of the Patient Services leadership team to improve internal processes and carry out the goals and tactics of the strategic plan.
• Supports and demonstrates customer service commitments to internal and external partners guided by the NMDP's vision, mission, and operating philosophy.
• Represents the Voice of the Patient as NMDP builds out a product strategy.

Team Leadership and Management:
• Lead, mentor, and motivate a team of patient navigators to achieve high performance and professional growth.
• Manage staffing, scheduling, and capacity planning to ensure adequate coverage and efficient service delivery.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, provide constructive feedback, and develop training programs to enhance team skills.
• Ensure team alignment with other department functions.
• Implements continuous quality improvement in the delivery of the patient advocacy, navigation, and care coordination model in Patient Services.
• Builds and maintains a team environment which supports the mission of the NMDP
• Provides annual assessment of training needs and professional development of assigned team members.

Operational Excellence & Metrics Management
• Drive operational efficiency by monitoring and analyzing key performance indicators (KPIs) such as patient connect rates, conversion to transplant, patient satisfaction survey results, and service utilization.
• Utilize data to identify trends, pinpoint operational bottlenecks, and implement continuous process improvements.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) and workflows in conjunction with the Manager, Patient Services Operations.
• Directs delivery of world class individualized patient navigation services (In English and Spanish) for patients undergoing the search process for an unrelated donor and/or who experience barriers or other issues regarding access to stem cell transplantation.
• Responsible for patient or family grievance. Works as primary Patient Services contact working with an interdisciplinary team to investigate complaints.

Customer Experience & Quality Assurance
• Builds a model of care coordination between transplant centers and the NMDP Patient Support Center navigation team.
• Develops a deep understanding of the voice of the customer for the TC Social Worker Audience
• Champion a culture of empathy, professionalism, and patient advocacy within the team.
• Establish quality assurance protocols to monitor interactions and ensure the delivery of exceptional, high-touch service to both patients and healthcare providers.
• Address and resolve complex patient and provider escalations in a timely and effective manner.
• Builds relationships with internal and external key stakeholders with the goal of improving patient navigation, financial and insurance navigation and outreach.
• Collaborates with NMDP and Network Community Engagement staff to support patients and families involved in recruitment efforts.

Completes projects and tasks, including but not limited to:
• Develops, revises, and implements changes or updates of department policies, procedures, tools, educational materials, and navigation process.
• Attends conferences related to evidence-informed practice, oncology navigation, scalable patient support models, voice of the customer and data-driven decision-making.
• Participates in the development and delivery of orientation and training to NMDP staff and Network personnel.
• Takes lead role in projects that relate to patient advocacy, navigation and care coordination.
• Maintains affiliations with professional organizations related to psychosocial and navigation services to patients, including conferences related to hematopoietic cell transplantation or patient navigation
• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Knowledge of:
• Healthcare systems, terminology, patient navigation models, and HIPAA regulations.
• Partnership models for delivering shared care.
• Principles of case management and confidentiality
• Medical knowledge of oncology and/or stem cell transplantation
• Medical insurance case management and benefits, Federal and State insurance programs
• Health disparities
• Core Competencies for Oncology Patient and Nurse Navigation
Ability to:
• Build a strong customer outreach model based on data and patient experience.
• Manage a team against operational metrics (KPIs, SLAs).
• Demonstrate strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and translate insights into actionable strategies.
• Demonstrate excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Work successfully in CRM systems and healthcare management software.
• Think strategically and work with agility and flexibility
• Demonstrate understanding of the healthcare landscape related to patient resources, partnerships, and community resources.
• Demonstrate advanced interpersonal, problem solving, mediation and customer service skills.
• Mentor and coach others.
• Exhibit team leadership and conflict management skills
• Work with high-demand customers.
• Maintain confidentiality related to information and records management.
• Maintain professional awareness, knowledge, and understanding of specific issues that BMT patients face in the search and transplant process.
• Communicate effectively with team members, patients, caregivers, families, and the public to build trusting relationships across a broad range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.
• Demonstrate empathy, integrity, honesty, and compassion in difficult conversations.
• Commit to occasional travel.
• Plan and execute on complex, interdepartmental projects

Education and/or Experience:
• Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Management, or a related fi eld (Master's preferred).
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in a healthcare operations management role, ideally within patient services, call centers, or care coordination environments. At least 4 years of people leadership experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: (Additional qualifications that may make a person even more effective in the role, but are not required for consideration)
• Oncology Patient Navigator-Certified Generalist (OPN-CG) or Oncology Nurse Navigator-Certified Generalist (ONN-CG) Certification
• Second language a plusResponsibilities

POSITION SUMMARY:
This position is responsible for the strategic direction, design, leadership and management of the outreach program, core navigation services and coordination between the NMDP network and the Patient Support Center. This critical role involves overseeing the daily operations of a team dedicated to guiding patients and providers through complex treatment pathways, ensuring seamless coordination and exceptional customer experience. This leader provides oversight of development and implementation of systems to track contacts to the NMDP Patient Support Center, both incoming and through proactive outreach, and utilizes tools provided to understand data and make data-driven decisions. The role is responsible for creating a model for aligning our services with transplant centers to enhance TC capacity and improve access to transplant. This position manages the workforce capacity model for navigators in conjunction with finance and builds metrics-driven teams, drives process improvements, and fosters a patient-centric culture. Serves as lead Patient Services representative on interdepartmental projects and task forces related to the core navigation and care coordination with transplant centers.

ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Collaboration and Strategy
• Serves as a key member of the Patient Services leadership team.
• Liaises with cross-functional departments including clinical operations, case management, and others to ensure smooth handoffs and integrated service delivery.
• Maintains an enterprise view of the needs of and solutions for patients and families.
• Contributes to the strategic planning and development of navigation services and care coordination, adapting to evolving patient needs and industry best practices.
• Collaborates with other members of the Patient Services leadership team to improve internal processes and carry out the goals and tactics of the strategic plan.
• Supports and demonstrates customer service commitments to internal and external partners guided by the NMDP's vision, mission, and operating philosophy.
• Represents the Voice of the Patient as NMDP builds out a product strategy.

Team Leadership and Management:
• Lead, mentor, and motivate a team of patient navigators to achieve high performance and professional growth.
• Manage staffing, scheduling, and capacity planning to ensure adequate coverage and efficient service delivery.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, provide constructive feedback, and develop training programs to enhance team skills.
• Ensure team alignment with other department functions.
• Implements continuous quality improvement in the delivery of the patient advocacy, navigation, and care coordination model in Patient Services.
• Builds and maintains a team environment which supports the mission of the NMDP
• Provides annual assessment of training needs and professional development of assigned team members.

Operational Excellence & Metrics Management
• Drive operational efficiency by monitoring and analyzing key performance indicators (KPIs) such as patient connect rates, conversion to transplant, patient satisfaction survey results, and service utilization.
• Utilize data to identify trends, pinpoint operational bottlenecks, and implement continuous process improvements.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) and workflows in conjunction with the Manager, Patient Services Operations.
• Directs delivery of world class individualized patient navigation services (In English and Spanish) for patients undergoing the search process for an unrelated donor and/or who experience barriers or other issues regarding access to stem cell transplantation.
• Responsible for patient or family grievance. Works as primary Patient Services contact working with an interdisciplinary team to investigate complaints.

Customer Experience & Quality Assurance
• Builds a model of care coordination between transplant centers and the NMDP Patient Support Center navigation team.
• Develops a deep understanding of the voice of the customer for the TC Social Worker Audience
• Champion a culture of empathy, professionalism, and patient advocacy within the team.
• Establish quality assurance protocols to monitor interactions and ensure the delivery of exceptional, high-touch service to both patients and healthcare providers.
• Address and resolve complex patient and provider escalations in a timely and effective manner.
• Builds relationships with internal and external key stakeholders with the goal of improving patient navigation, financial and insurance navigation and outreach.
• Collaborates with NMDP and Network Community Engagement staff to support patients and families involved in recruitment efforts.

Completes projects and tasks, including but not limited to:
• Develops, revises, and implements changes or updates of department policies, procedures, tools, educational materials, and navigation process.
• Attends conferences related to evidence-informed practice, oncology navigation, scalable patient support models, voice of the customer and data-driven decision-making.
• Participates in the development and delivery of orientation and training to NMDP staff and Network personnel.
• Takes lead role in projects that relate to patient advocacy, navigation and care coordination.
• Maintains affiliations with professional organizations related to psychosocial and navigation services to patients, including conferences related to hematopoietic cell transplantation or patient navigation
• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Knowledge of:
• Healthcare systems, terminology, patient navigation models, and HIPAA regulations.
• Partnership models for delivering shared care.
• Principles of case management and confidentiality
• Medical knowledge of oncology and/or stem cell transplantation
• Medical insurance case management and benefits, Federal and State insurance programs
• Health disparities
• Core Competencies for Oncology Patient and Nurse Navigation
Ability to:
• Build a strong customer outreach model based on data and patient experience.
• Manage a team against operational metrics (KPIs, SLAs).
• Demonstrate strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and translate insights into actionable strategies.
• Demonstrate excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Work successfully in CRM systems and healthcare management software.
• Think strategically and work with agility and flexibility
• Demonstrate understanding of the healthcare landscape related to patient resources, partnerships, and community resources.
• Demonstrate advanced interpersonal, problem solving, mediation and customer service skills.
• Mentor and coach others.
• Exhibit team leadership and conflict management skills
• Work with high-demand customers.
• Maintain confidentiality related to information and records management.
• Maintain professional awareness, knowledge, and understanding of specific issues that BMT p atients face in the search and transplant process.
• Communicate effectively with team members, patients, caregivers, families, and the public to build trusting relationships across a broad range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.
• Demonstrate empathy, integrity, honesty, and compassion in difficult conversations.
• Commit to occasional travel.
• Plan and execute on complex, interdepartmental projects

Education and/or Experience:
• Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Management, or a related field (Master's preferred).
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in a healthcare operations management role, ideally within patient services, call centers, or care coordination environments. At least 4 years of people leadership experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: (Additional qualifications that may make a person even more effective in the role, but are not required for consideration)
• Oncology Patient Navigator-Certified Generalist (OPN-CG) or Oncology Nurse Navigator-Certified Generalist (ONN-CG) Certification
• Second language a plus