Digital Coach-Navigator

Job Summary

Digital navigation is the act of supporting people to access digital tools and skills in order to participate in the digital ecosystem. Chronic disease health coaching has been found effective to address chronic conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and COPD or asthma, particularly for low-income and vulnerable patients. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the “digital divide,” meaning gap in access for patients with variable socioeconomic status has expanded, with lower telehealth access for racially and ethnically minoritized patients who are more likely to have less access to devices and internet due to structural racism. With the likelihood of upcoming pandemics and the convenience of telehealth services for patients with competing demands, narrowing the digital divide with an equity lens for telehealth is an utmost priority.

The “Digital Coach-Navigator” position will work closely with a transdisciplinary team including nephrology, family and community medicine, library science and informatics to implement an intervention to provide digital navigation and health coaching for patients with diabetes. This assistance may be provided in person or by voice telephone, email, text, video chat, and other communication methods that work for the patient. The incumbent will receive extensive training at the beginning of employment to gain the knowledge and skills needed to work with patients in an individualized manner. The Digital Coach-Navigator will work collaboratively with the research coordinator team and in conjunction with one other coach-navigator. Duties will include reviewing patient records, gathering relevant patient data, meeting with referred patients, assisting patients with basic health education regarding diabetes and hypertension, supporting chronic disease self-management skills, assess digital literacy, assess device and internet access, and support patient to access community resources to best meet their telehealth needs. The coach-navigator will also liaise with the primary care team to support patient goals for telehealth and chronic disease management. 

The Digital Coach-Navigator will act as a representative of the study team, interacting with clinicians, staff, and patients of participating health centers; personnel of community-based organizations, as well as with study participants. This study is oriented to particularly close the “digital divide” for patients who experience racism particularly Black and Latinx patients; the Digital Coach-Navigator must demonstrate exceptional patient-facing communication skills, demonstrate high cultural awareness and humility, and apply a health equity and justice framework when working with participants of diverse racial, ethnic and sociodemographic backgrounds. The Digital Coach-Navigator must work well as a team player to manage responsibilities across different investigators, departments, and co-workers.

Critical Skills and Aptitudes
● Ability to embrace the challenge of learning and teaching basic technological concepts related to internet services, computer and device characteristics, and common online services and applications.
● Excellent self-organization and proactivity for assigned tasks
● Excellent telephone and online communication skills, including the ability to establish trust with clients of varied educational and cultural backgrounds and to have patience in working with adult learners and learners of different learning styles
● Ability to demonstrate positive attitude, excellent interpersonal skills, cultural humility in working with diverse patients, coworkers, and community.
● Ability to creatively solve problems and negotiate and handle stressful situations in a positive manner.
● Ability to provide excellent customer service, establish appropriate boundaries with clients, and to demonstrate innovation and flexibility.
● Ability to speak Spanish highly favorable, but not required.
-Ability to take initiative, work with autonomy, and demonstrated reliability are also required.
-The incumbent must be able to be organized to meet project deadlines.

The final salary and offer components are subject to additional approvals based on UC policy.

To see the salary range for this position (we recommend that you make a note of the job code and use that to look up): TCS Non-Academic Titles Search (https://tcs.ucop.edu/non-academic-titles)

Please note: An offer will take into consideration the experience of the final candidate AND the current salary level of individuals working at UCSF in a similar role.

For roles covered by a bargaining unit agreement, there will be specific rules about where a new hire would be placed on the range.

To learn more about the benefits of working at UCSF, including total compensation, please visit: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html

Department Description

The Division of Nephrology is dedicated to delivering outstanding patient care in the diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases in a premier academic environment. The Division of Nephrology spans across three sites including UCSF Medical Center, the San Francisco Veteran Administration Health Care System and the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. All are unified in their commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity across patient care, education, and research and in our central mission to foster an environment of discovery, innovation and excellence for our faculty and fellows.  The ZSFG Division of Nephrology has 8 faculty and 45 staff with annual expenditures of $7.8M.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related area  and 1+ years of related work experience; and / or equivalent experience / training.
• This is a critical position. The incumbent must pass a background check and fingerprinting.
• Able and willing to work flexible hours including some weeknight and weekend work
• Ability to travel between community based sites within and near San Francisco to conduct duties
• Proficiency with Windows-based software including Microsoft word, Excel, Outlook. Knowledge of computer systems and software used in functional area.
• Solid interpersonal and customer service skills. Ability to be diplomatic and highly organized. Ability to remain calm under pressure and apply sound judgment.
• Willingness to acquire knowledge of medical terminology, patient privacy standards, clinic workflows, and patient-centered communication techniques.
• Knowledge of data collection, compilation, and analytical techniques.
• Skills to comprehend and assess patient situation and to provide education and connections to needed resources. Working knowledge of the organization and how to get issues resolved.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, demanding environment with minimal supervision. Ability to manage and oversee multiple tasks simultaneously
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certificate of completion from an accredited medical assistant training program
• Minimum 6 months experience working with electronic medical record systems such as eCW to review patient records, identify care gaps, and communicate across care team members
• Minimum 6 months prior experience working with adult patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) and/or asthma to help them manage their chronic condition
• Minimum of 6 months working with underserved or vulnerable populations
• Demonstrated fluency in Spanish in reading, writing, and verbal skills

About UCSF

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It is the only campus in the 10-campus UC system dedicated exclusively to the health sciences. We bring together the world’s leading experts in nearly every area of health. We are home to five Nobel laureates who have advanced the understanding of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, aging and stem cells.

Pride Values

UCSF is a diverse community made of people with many skills and talents. We seek candidates whose work experience or community service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence – also known as our PRIDE values.

In addition to our PRIDE values, UCSF is committed to equity – both in how we deliver care as well as our workforce. We are committed to building a broadly diverse community, nurturing a culture that is welcoming and supportive, and engaging diverse ideas for the provision of culturally competent education, discovery, and patient care. Additional information about UCSF is available at diversity.ucsf.edu

Join us to find a rewarding career contributing to improving healthcare worldwide.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California San Francisco is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

Job Code and Payroll Title

004468 PAT NAVGTR NON-CLIN 2 CX

Job Category

Professional (Non-Clinical), Support Services

Bargaining Unit

Teamsters Local 2010 - Clerical and Allied Services Unit (CX)

Location

Zuckerberg San Francisco General (ZSFG)

Additional Shift Details

M-F 8AM – 5 PM with occasional evening or weekend hours