Director of Access and Care Navigation

The Director, Access & Care Navigation serves as a strategic and operational partner to the Chief Operating and Business Development Officers, helping lead and optimize the organization’s access, intake, referral management, patient navigation, and transition-of-care functions. This role is responsible for ensuring a seamless, compassionate, and highly coordinated experience for patients, families, referral partners, and care teams across the continuum of care.
The Director supports growth, service excellence, operational performance, workforce development, and strategic initiatives that improve access, responsiveness, patient experience, and market presence. The role acts as both a leader and collaborator, driving alignment between clinical operations, business development, call center/intake functions, and community-based care delivery.

Why Gilchrist?

Gilchrist is Maryland’s leading nonprofit provider of serious illness and end-of-life care. With geriatric, palliative, hospice, and grief care, our specialized support programs ensure that our patients and families have the best possible quality of life and the opportunity to live every moment to its fullest.

Nationally Recognized, Nonprofit Leader

For more than 30 years, Gilchrist has been a nationally recognized nonprofit leader in caring for people with serious and life-limiting illnesses. Our commitment to compassionate, expert care remains at the heart of everything we do. Through comprehensive, coordinated services, we support patients and families with their medical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs, helping them navigate this journey with comfort and confidence.

Education:

Bachelors of Nursing

Experience:

• Minimum of 5–7 years of leadership experience in healthcare operations, hospice, home health, palliative care, care navigation, intake, or access management.

• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary teams and operational improvement initiatives.

• Strong understanding of healthcare systems, referral management, patient flow, and transition-of-care processes.

• Experience with CRM, EMR, preferably EPIC, and operational reporting systems preferred.

Licensures, Certification:

Current MD Registered Nurse or Nurse Practitioner License Preferred

Skills:

• Demonstrated ability to think strategically

• Experience in developing operational excellence in assigned areas of responsibility

• Strong Relationship Management skills and experience

• Possesses a Growth Orientation and can motivate a team to do the same

• Use a Data-Driven Decision-Making model for their work

• Effectively Communicates & is able to Influence others

• Strong Change Leadership Skills

• Compassionate Service orientation consistent with serious illness and end of life care work

• Demonstrated ability to engage effectively in cross-functional collaboration

• Uses effective Problem Solving & Process Improvement tools to advance the work

• Mastery of Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

• Skilled in written and oral business communication

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Partner with the Chief Operations Officer to develop and execute strategic initiatives that strengthen access, referral conversion, care coordination, and patient navigation.

• Help design and implement scalable systems that improve speed, responsiveness, and continuity of care.

• Support organizational growth strategies through referral optimization, relationship management, and market expansion efforts.

• Contribute to strategic planning, performance improvement initiatives, and operational transformation projects.

Operational Oversight

• Provide day-to-day leadership support for intake, admissions, referral coordination, transfer center, navigation, and access-related functions.

• Monitor operational workflows to ensure timely response to referrals, admissions, and patient/family inquiries.

• Collaborate with clinical, operational, and business development leaders to remove barriers to access and improve transitions of care.

• Ensure compliance with regulatory, payer, and organizational standards.

Performance & Analytics

• Track and analyze key performance indicators including referral conversion, response times, admission timeliness, CAHPS-related touchpoints, customer experience metrics, and growth trends.

• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, capacity management, and patient experience outcomes.

• Develop dashboards, reports, and action plans to support executive decision-making.

Relationship Management

• Foster strong partnerships with hospitals, physician groups, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities, payers, and community organizations.

• Support escalation management and service recovery efforts when needed.

• Serve as a collaborative liaison between access teams and clinical operations.

Team Leadership & Culture

• Support recruitment, onboarding, coaching, and professional development of access and navigation team members.

• Promote a culture of accountability, service excellence, collaboration, innovation, and compassion.

• Help create a high-performing environment focused on responsiveness, empathy, and coordinated care delivery.

Budget and Financial Management

• Assists with the budget development and monitor program efficiency, resource utilization, and operational needs for the Gilchrist Access Center and work.

• Support financial stewardship by aligning quality, compliance, and education initiatives with available resources and organizational priorities.

• Partner with Finance and operational leaders to understand budget impact, staffing needs, program expenses, and resource allocation.

• Support education related to reimbursement, documentation, and revenue cycle processes in partnership with Finance for the access team..

• Identify opportunities to improve workflow efficiency, reduce duplication, and support sustainable program operations.

• Monitor quality and compliance activities that may impact reimbursement, regulatory performance, patient outcomes, or operational risk.

• Provide input into program planning, budget needs, and resource requests related to growth and access.

Success Measures

• Improved referral response and conversion rates

• Enhanced patient and referral partner experience

• Increased operational efficiency and coordination

• Strong employee engagement and retention

• Growth in admissions and market presence

• Improved care transition outcomes and service accessibility

• Partner with the overall leadership team on strategic planning, program development, and growth initiatives.

All roles must demonstrate Gilchrist Values

Respect

I will treat everyone with courtesy. I will foster a healing environment.

• Treats others with fairness, kindness, and respect for personal dignity and privacy
• Listens and responds appropriately to others’ needs, feelings, and capabilities

Excellence

I will strive for superior performance in every aspect of my work. I will recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of others.

• Meets and/or exceeds customer expectations
• Actively pursues learning and self-development
• Pays attention to detail; follows through

Accountability

I will be professional in the way I act, look and speak. I will take ownership to solve problems.

• Sets a positive, professional example for others
• Takes ownership of problems and does what is needed to solve them
• Appropriately plans and utilizes required resources for various job duties
• Reports to work regularly and on time

Teamwork

I will be engaged and collaborative. I will keep people informed.

• Works cooperatively and collaboratively with others for the success of the team
• Addresses and resolves conflict in a positive way
• Seeks out the ideas of others to reach the best solutions
• Acknowledges and celebrates the contribution of others

Ethical Behavior

I will always act with honesty and integrity. I will protect the patient.

• Demonstrates honesty, integrity and good judgment
• Respects the cultural, psychosocial, and spiritual needs of patients/families/coworkers

Results

I will set goals and measure outcomes that support organizational goals. I will give and accept help to achieve goals.

• Embraces change and improvement in the work environment
• Continuously seeks to improve the quality of products/services
• Displays flexibility in dealing with new situations or obstacles
• Achieves results on time by focusing on priorities and manages time efficiently

Pay Range

$79,517.04 - $143,130.67

Final salary offer will be based on the candidate's qualifications, education, experience and alignment with our organizational needs.

Equal Employment Opportunity

GBMC HealthCare and its affiliates are Equal Opportunity employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, national origin, mental or physical disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.