Referral and Care Coordinator

About Apex Skin: We are Apex Skin, and our mission is to provide the highest quality dermatology and dermatologic surgery care to patients across Northeast Ohio with promptness, compassion, and excellence. We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional patient experiences, offering same-day appointments, and serving our communities through education and meaningful care. Our team is dedicated to creating a supportive, patient-focused environment where excellence, empathy, and teamwork thrive. Apex Skin is a physician-led and rapidly growing dermatology practice committed to delivering exceptional patient experiences.

We are seeking a talented and motivated Referral & Care Coordinator to join our team. The Referral & Care Coordinator will manage patient referrals from receipt through completion, coordinating referrals received by phone, fax, and electronic referral portals. This role will oversee referral documentation, insurance verification, prior authorizations, scheduling coordination, and communication with patients and healthcare partners. The ideal candidate is organized, proactive, comfortable with change, and interested in taking ownership of continuous improvement. A critical part of the role is closing the loop with referring providers by ensuring they receive timely updates on referral status and patient outcomes.

Essential Functions:

• Receive, review, and process referrals received through phone, fax, and electronic referral portals
• Verify and maintain accurate patient, insurance, referral, and provider information in the EHR
• Coordinate referrals from receipt through completion, including prior authorizations and insurance approvals
• Monitor outstanding referrals and proactively follow up on missing information, authorizations, or appointments
• Close the loop with referring providers by communicating referral status and appropriate patient outcomes, including completed, missed, canceled, or refused appointments
• Manage calls through the private physician/provider line and assist referring offices with referral-related questions
• Process and route referral documentation and incoming faxes appropriately
• Communicate professionally with patients, providers, referring offices, insurance representatives, and healthcare partners
• Maintain compliance with Apex Skin policies, HIPAA, and applicable privacy standards
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve referral workflows, communication, and efficiency
• Adapt to evolving processes and priorities as Apex Skin grows
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent required
• 1-3 years of experience in medical referrals, insurance verification, prior authorizations, care coordination, or related healthcare administration preferred
• Experience with EHR systems and electronic referral platforms; EpicCare Link and/or LeadingReach preferred
• Dermatology, specialty practice, hospital, or other fast-paced healthcare experience preferred
• Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities
• Ability to work independently, follow through on open items, and create structure in an evolving environment
• Interest in process improvement and willingness to take ownership of workflow enhancements
• Professional, patient-focused approach with the ability to remain calm and effective under pressure

Career Growth & Development:

This role provides opportunities to take ownership of referral processes and contribute to operational improvements as Apex Skin grows. Opportunities may include:

• Ownership of referral workflows and process improvement initiatives
• Development and implementation of standardized referral procedures
• Training and onboarding future team members
• Cross-training in other areas of operations and practice management
• Future leadership opportunities within operations or the call center

Apex Skin provides training, mentoring, and development opportunities for individuals who demonstrate initiative, reliability, strong organizational skills, and a commitment to improving the patient and provider experience.

Physical Requirements & Work Environment:

• Prolonged periods of sitting and working at a computer
• Frequent typing, data entry, and use of electronic systems
• Ability to speak and hear clearly when communicating with patients, providers, and team members
• Ability to read medical records, referral documentation, and EHR screens
• Requires sound judgment, organization, and calm communication when managing time-sensitive referrals
• Adherence to HIPAA, OSHA, and Apex Skin privacy, compliance, and safety standards

Apex Skin Culture:

Apex Skin fosters a collaborative, patient-first environment built on compassion, clinical excellence, and teamwork. We believe in a respectful and supportive workplace where employees feel valued, trusted, and empowered to contribute to exceptional patient experiences and meaningful clinical care.

Employee Health & Safety Requirements:

All patient-facing employees are required to provide proof of a TB test within the past 12 months and an annual flu vaccination as part of Apex Skin’s employee health and safety protocols. The Hepatitis B vaccination series is also strongly recommended for clinical staff due to potential occupational exposure risks. Apex Skin complies with federal and Ohio law by providing reasonable accommodations for medical conditions or sincerely held religious beliefs that prevent vaccination. Employees seeking an accommodation should contact Human Resources for more information.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Apex Skin provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Apex complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.