Patient Care Coordinator

Title: Patient Care Coordinator
Compensation: $25 – $34 hourly
Position Type: Full-Time (40 hours/week), This position begins as a contract role for the first 90 days, with a transition to hourly employment after the initial 90-day period.
Location: Fully Remote (U.S.-based)
Schedule: Monday–Friday, approx. 9:30AM–6:30PM CST

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Position Overview

The Patient Care Coordinator ensures an exceptional patient experience from start to finish, serving as the bridge between patients and providers.

This is a highly skilled, patient-facing role that combines functional medicine knowledge, patient education, communication, charting, and care coordination. The Patient Care Coordinator supports patients between visits, helps them understand provider-directed recommendations, reinforces education shared during appointments, and ensures patient questions and updates are communicated to the appropriate provider.

We are seeking an articulate, proactive, and highly capable professional with a strong aptitude for functional medicine and the ability to understand and communicate detailed health information. The ideal candidate is organized, resourceful, comfortable working independently, and committed to providing patients with clear, compassionate, and consistent support throughout their care journey.

About Ruscio Institute

Founded by Dr. Michael Ruscio, the Ruscio Institute of Functional Health is a research-driven, virtual functional medicine practice specializing in digestive health, thyroid health, and complex chronic health concerns. Our approach combines clinical experience, ongoing scientific research, and individualized care to help patients make meaningful, sustainable improvements in their health.

Our collaborative team is committed to delivering thoughtful, evidence-informed care while making the patient experience as clear, supportive, and seamless as possible. Joining our team means working alongside knowledgeable providers, continuing to deepen your understanding of functional medicine, and playing a meaningful role in helping patients navigate their health journeys.

Key Responsibilities

Patient Support & Communication

• Provide knowledgeable, thoughtful, and timely support to patients between visits.
• Respond confidently to questions regarding provider-directed recommendations, protocols, and next steps within the scope of the role.
• Help patients understand and follow through with their care plan.
• Communicate complex information clearly, professionally, and compassionately.
• Recognize when a question requires provider input and ensure it is communicated appropriately.
• Build trust with patients through responsiveness, consistency, and excellent communication.
• Respond to patient needs with an appropriate sense of urgency, sound judgment, and consistent follow-through.

Patient Education

• Confidently review and explain patient education slides and materials shared by providers.
• Reinforce provider-directed education and recommendations.
• Help patients better understand the purpose of their next steps and what to expect.
• Communicate information in a way that is clear, approachable, and easy for patients to understand.
• Identify potential barriers to following through with recommendations and help patients navigate those challenges within the scope of the role.

Charting & Provider Support

• Complete accurate, timely, and detailed charting.
• Document patient communication, updates, questions, and follow-up needs.
• Prepare and organize relevant information for provider review.
• Support clear communication between patients, providers, and the internal care team.
• Maintain a high level of confidentiality, accuracy, and attention to detail.
• Proactively identify outstanding questions, communication gaps, or follow-up needs and ensure they are appropriately addressed.

Patient Experience & Retention

• Help deliver a consistently exceptional patient experience from onboarding through ongoing care.
• Support patient engagement, continuity of care, and appropriate follow-up.
• Identify barriers, concerns, or communication gaps that may affect the patient experience or retention.
• Take ownership of patient support needs and follow through appropriately.
• Contribute ideas that improve patient satisfaction, retention, communication, and clinic workflows.
• Anticipate patient needs and take proactive steps to address concerns before they become barriers to engagement or continuity of care. 

Patient Onboarding Support

• Assist with patient onboarding appointments when the New Patient Coordinator is unavailable or additional support is needed.
• Clearly and professionally communicate the clinic’s approach, processes, and expectations.
• Help ensure new patients feel welcomed, informed, and prepared to begin care.

Team Collaboration & Initiative

• Work closely with providers, leadership, and team members to support coordinated patient care.
• Participate actively in team meetings and contribute thoughtful ideas and solutions.
• Work autonomously while communicating proactively and escalating concerns appropriately.
• Take initiative, manage responsibilities effectively, and follow through on commitments.
• Identify opportunities to improve workflows, communication, and the overall patient experience.

Qualifications & Skills

• 3+ years of experience in functional or integrative medicine required.
• Strong working knowledge of functional and integrative medicine concepts, provider-directed protocols, and patient education.
• Ability to support patients in understanding and following through on provider recommendations, identify barriers to implementation, and coordinate next steps as appropriate.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the warmth, confidence, and professionalism needed to build trust with patients.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and consistently follow through.
• Comfort working independently, taking ownership of responsibilities, and making sound decisions within the scope of the role.
• Adaptable, resourceful, and solutions-oriented, with the ability to learn new information and processes quickly.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accurate documentation.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with providers, leadership, and a growing team.
• Experience with electronic medical records and remote communication tools.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate brings at least three years of hands-on experience in a functional or integrative medicine practice, working directly with patients and alongside clinical providers. They have a strong understanding of common functional medicine protocols, supplements, and treatment approaches, along with experience educating patients, reinforcing provider-directed recommendations, and supporting care between visits.

They are clinically knowledgeable and confident discussing detailed health information, able to clearly explain the rationale behind provider-directed recommendations, answer patient questions within their scope, and recognize when provider input is necessary.

Beyond their technical expertise, they possess exceptional patient-facing skills. They communicate with warmth, clarity, and professionalism, navigate challenging conversations effectively, and are committed to helping patients feel informed and supported.

They are organized, proactive, and comfortable working independently in a remote environment. They demonstrate sound judgment, take initiative, respond with an appropriate sense of urgency, and follow through consistently on patient needs.

Most importantly, they are genuinely invested in helping people improve their health and take pride in contributing to a collaborative, patient-centered care team.

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Success Metrics & KPIs

First 90 Days: Foundation & Familiarization

Theme: Build clarity, confidence, and reliability in communication and coordination.

• Master clinic communication tools, EMR, and workflows.
• Demonstrate strong patient communication and education skills, including proficiency independently conducting onboarding calls, clearly explaining clinic processes, and addressing routine patient questions.
• Independently manage routine patient support needs, including reviewing patient questions, communicating provider-directed recommendations, documenting interactions, and ensuring appropriate follow-through without frequent guidance or oversight.
• Maintain 100% chart readiness for assigned responsibilities before appointments.
• Respond to routine patient communications within one business day and escalate urgent concerns according to clinic protocols.
• Demonstrate sound judgment in answering patient questions and recognizing when provider input is necessary.
• Demonstrate strong learning agility and the ability to perform core responsibilities independently with minimal guidance by the end of 90 days.
• Identify communication or workflow gaps and propose improvements.

Second 90 Days: Optimization & Ownership

Theme: Strengthen systems, consistency, and proactive patient support.

• Independently manage patient communications, charting, and follow-up needs with minimal supervision.
• Take ownership of outstanding patient questions and concerns, ensuring appropriate resolution or handoff.
• Proactively identify patient needs, barriers, or communication gaps and coordinate appropriate support.
• Implement or meaningfully contribute to at least one process improvement related to patient experience or provider efficiency.
• Contribute to at least one SOP draft or revision.

Third 90 Days: Refinement & Retention

Theme: Strengthen patient engagement, retention, and team collaboration.

• Support patient retention through proactive outreach, follow-up, and continuity of care.
• Identify recurring patient concerns or barriers to engagement and recommend improvements.
• Deliver monthly summaries highlighting patient feedback, communication trends, and opportunities for improvement.
• Demonstrate consistent reliability, independent judgment, and positive collaboration across clinical and administrative teams.

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KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)

Category	Measure of Success	Example Targets
Patient Communication	Timely and professional responses to emails, calls, and messages, with clear, compassionate communication and consistent follow-through.	All patient inquiries are acknowledged and addressed within a reasonable business timeframe, with outstanding concerns tracked through resolution or appropriate handoff.
Chart Management	Accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of chart preparation and patient documentation.	Charts are consistently prepared and finalized prior to each scheduled visit, with accurate documentation of patient communications, updates, and follow-up needs.
Patient Retention	Consistent engagement and follow-up with patients, including proactive identification of barriers to continued care.	Patients receive timely follow-up communication after appointments to support continuity of care, with opportunities for appropriate re-engagement identified and addressed.
Provider Support	Effective triage and handling of provider messages, including appropriate clinical escalation and clear communication of patient needs.	Messages are accurately routed and require minimal correction or reassignment. Providers receive relevant patient information in a timely, organized manner.
Operational Efficiency	Proactive identification and resolution of workflow challenges.	Regularly identifies opportunities to streamline processes and contributes to team-wide improvements.
Feedback & Reviews	Encouragement and collection of patient feedback, including recognition of patient concerns and opportunities to improve the experience.	Regularly gathers and communicates meaningful patient feedback, including positive experiences and concerns, that reflects patient satisfaction and service quality.
Team Collaboration	Constructive communication and teamwork with providers and peers, demonstrating initiative, accountability, and independent judgment.	Demonstrates reliable collaboration, mutual respect, and proactive support within the team, consistently following through on responsibilities with minimal oversight.

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90-Day Performance Review

At the conclusion of the initial 90-day period, assess whether the Patient Care Coordinator demonstrates:

• Strong functional medicine knowledge and the ability to communicate provider-directed recommendations.
• Exceptional patient communication and education skills, including proficiency in independently conducting patient onboarding calls.
• Accurate documentation, organization, and consistent follow-through.
• Sound judgment, appropriate escalation, and independent problem-solving.
• Initiative, accountability, and the ability to manage core responsibilities with minimal supervision, including independently managing routine patient support needs and ensuring timely resolution or appropriate escalation.

Employment Transition & Performance Improvement

Successful completion of the 90-day performance review is required for conversion to employee status.

If performance expectations are not met, the individual will receive specific feedback outlining areas for improvement and be given an additional 30–60 days to demonstrate progress. Performance will be reassessed at the end of this period to determine eligibility for employee conversion.