Licensed Practical Nurse Referral Reviewer

Zimmerman Associates, Inc. (ZAI) is currently seeking to hire Licensed Practical Nurse Referral Reviewers to support its contract with the Integrated Referral Management and Appointing Center (IRMAC), the National Capital Regions’ premier coordinating authority for appointing and referral management services for beneficiaries in the Defense Health Network. 

The candidate must be a U.S Citizenship required as well as ability to obtain a Public Trust Clearance

Pay Rate: $31.44/hour (non-negotiable due to Wage Determination)

Health and Welfare (H&W) Allowance: $4.93/hour 

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY:

Licensed Practical Nurse Referral Reviewers will be responsible for facilitating centralized product line and specialty referrals for Active-Duty Service Members and Tricare Prime beneficiaries enrolled to a Military Treatment Facility (MTF) in the National Capital Region.

This is an onsite employment opportunity.  

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES:

• Minimum of an Associate’s degree, current, active full and unrestricted License Practical Nurse Certification/Licensure from an approved National League of Nursing program and 2 years of clinical nursing experience.
• Knowledge, skills, and computer literacy to interpret and apply medical care criteria, such as InterQual, Milliman Ambulatory Care Guidelines, Specialty Referral Guidelines (SRGs) or other evidence-based guidelines identified by the Military Health System (MHS).
• Knowledge of medical terminology with an ability to learn MHS, VA-DOD Sharing Program, TRICARE, HIPAA, release of medical information.
• Effective communication and people skills.
• Superior customer service skills.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of Access to Care Standards within the Direct Care System.
• Attention to detail and the appropriate use of deferral codes.
• Excellent organizational skills, i.e., ability to manage time effectively, prioritize tasks, set goals, and implement plans for achieving those goals.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Suite of Products, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook (email), and the Internet is required.

ESSENTIAL TASKS:

• Perform referral review duties, collaborating with team leads, Product Line Leaders, Appointing Center(s) and other members of the healthcare team and MTF points of contact as necessary. Reviews all referrals for administrative, clinical completeness and appropriateness upon receipt, dispositioning the referral within 24 hours from the date referral was written. Collaborates with appointing center, case managers, product line nurses, providers, clinics, manage care support contractor liaison and other members of the healthcare team as needed to address any process issues or concerns, to ensure proper use of Direct Care system and civilian network resources, and to ensure that patients are booked at the right time, with the right provider, at the right place.
• Receives and places telephone calls and computer/written correspondence regarding specialty clinic appointments and referrals. Routinely monitors and processes referral management Genesis Work Lists to ensure consults are being processed within the established guidelines.
• Advises patients of their referral status. This may include providing references for benefit counseling assistance and/or patient advocacy. Reschedule/instruct patients of other health care options within 3 days of notification of disapproved referral or invalid referral. Advises of Line-of-Duty issues as it relates to referral management.
• Receives and enters ROFR referrals in MHS-GENESIS from the MCSC’s portal for assigned specialties/product lines. Adheres to the defined timelines for response established by MHS, IRMAC standard operating procedures. Identifies and resolves ROFR issues in accordance with NCR Business Rules. Reports concerns related to the ROFR referral process to team lead as needed.
• Completes and returns Clear Legible Reports (CLR) to the ordering civilian provider within the required ROFR timelines.
• Verifies patients' eligibility in MHS-GENESIS. If a patient is not showing as registered in MHS Genesis and eligible for care, the contact information for DEERS, the Managed Care Contractor for Tricare and the Benefits Counseling Assistance Coordinator is to be provided to patient.
• Provides recommendations and/or assistance to staff, patients, and other members of the healthcare team when providing guidance regarding access to care options related to patient eligibility and beneficiary status.
• Advises patients of their referral/health treatment options and provides resources to address concerns related to Tricare benefits.
• Document in MHS-GENESIS, explaining appropriate options to patients when they refuse appointments within access to care (i.e., point of service, Tricare Select, be connected to Beneficiary Counselor and Assistance Coordinator).
• Contacts product line nurse/clinic when appropriate for accommodation of highly valuable cases.
• Interfaces with the MCSC and multidisciplinary personnel as needed to ensure appropriateness of referrals. Submits referrals to non-network providers to TRICARE Service Center for medical necessity/appropriateness review.
• Routinely monitors referral management voicemail to ensure patient calls are returned within the guidelines established.
• Provides information about EPRO to requestors outside the NCR requesting care within the NCR.
• Assists Medicare beneficiaries in coordinating their medical care within the Direct Care System.
• Closes unused referrals as directed by DHA IPM, NCR MD policies and notifies ordering provider accordingly.
• Orients and trains new IRMAC staff in the referral processes and timelines.
• Other duties as assigned.

ZAI is an equal opportunity employer. In compliance with Federal and State Equal Opportunity Laws, qualified applicants are considered for all positions applied for without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, veteran status or any other legally protected status.