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Patient Support Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Patient Navigator

Laguna Hills, CA ยท On-site

$20 - $22/hr

Develop strategic outreach plans to support patient engagement and departmental objectives. * Meet or exceed established call volume, response time, and performance metrics. * Promote company ...

Patient Navigator

Laguna Hills, CA ยท On-site

$20 - $22/hr

Develop strategic outreach plans to support patient engagement and departmental objectives. * Meet or exceed established call volume, response time, and performance metrics. * Promote company ...

Develop strategic outreach plans to support patient engagement and departmental objectives. * Meet or exceed established call volume, response time, and performance metrics. * Promote company ...

Showing results 21-40

Patient Support information

See California salary details

$30.6K

$34.9K

$38.5K

How much do patient support jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 12, 2026, the average yearly pay for patient support in California is $34,870.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $34,000.00 and $36,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a patient support specialist?

To thrive as a Patient Support specialist, you need a solid understanding of healthcare processes, patient care protocols, and often a background in healthcare or customer service. Familiarity with electronic health record (EHR) systems, scheduling software, and basic medical terminology is typically required. Outstanding communication, empathy, and problem-solving skills help you effectively address patient concerns and coordinate care. These skills ensure patients receive timely assistance, feel supported, and experience a positive journey through the healthcare system.

What are some typical challenges faced by patient support professionals, and how are they addressed in a healthcare setting?

Patient Support professionals often encounter challenges such as managing high patient volumes, addressing diverse patient needs, and handling sensitive or emotional situations. To address these, healthcare organizations provide ongoing training in communication, empathy, and problem-solving skills. Additionally, Patient Support staff typically work closely with medical teams, social workers, and administrative personnel to ensure patients receive comprehensive care and assistance, making collaboration and adaptability essential to success in this role.

What is the role of patient support?

The role of patient support involves assisting patients with understanding their medical conditions, treatment plans, and healthcare procedures. Patient support staff often provide emotional support, coordinate care, and help patients navigate healthcare systems, ensuring they receive appropriate services and resources. Strong communication skills and knowledge of healthcare protocols are essential for this role.

What does a patient support specialist do?

A Patient Support specialist assists patients with navigating healthcare systems, answering questions about treatments, insurance, and appointments, and providing emotional and administrative support. They often act as a liaison between patients, healthcare providers, and insurance companies to ensure patients receive the care and information they need. Their role can include helping patients understand medical instructions, access resources, and manage paperwork related to their care.

What is the difference between Patient Support vs Patient Advocate?

AspectPatient SupportPatient Advocate
CredentialsMay require certifications like Certified Patient Support SpecialistOften requires knowledge of healthcare laws and patient rights, sometimes certifications
Work EnvironmentHospitals, clinics, community health centersLegal settings, healthcare organizations, community outreach
Employer & IndustryHospitals, healthcare providers, community programsHealthcare advocacy groups, legal organizations, hospitals
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding roles in patient care supportLearning about patient rights and advocacy

Patient Support focuses on assisting patients with daily needs, education, and emotional support within healthcare settings. Patient Advocates, on the other hand, primarily represent and defend patient rights, navigate healthcare systems, and ensure patients receive appropriate care. While both roles aim to improve patient experiences, Patient Support is more hands-on and service-oriented, whereas Patient Advocates focus on legal and systemic issues.

What are the most commonly searched types of Patient Support jobs in California? The most popular types of Patient Support jobs in California are:
Infographic showing various Patient Support job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 73% Full Time, 20% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $34,870 per year, or $16.8 per hour.

Director, Patient Access & Experience Field Team (Remote)

Diversified Nutrition and Lifestyle Industries

South San Francisco, CA โ€ข On-site, Remote

Full-time

Medical, Retirement

Posted 27 days ago


Job description

Neurodegenerative diseases are one of the largest medical challenges of our time. Denali Therapeutics is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing breakthrough therapies for neurodegenerative diseases through our deep commitment to degeneration biology and principles of translational medicine. Denali is founded on the collaboration of leading scientists, industry experts, and investors who share the vision that scientific discovery energetically applied to translational medicine is the key to delivering effective therapies to patients.
We invite you to consider an opportunity with Denali to help achieve our goal of delivering meaningful therapeutics to patients.
The Director, Field Patient Access & Experience will lead Denali's field-based patient support organization, ensuring a consistent, high-quality experience for patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and office staff throughout the treatment journey.
Serving as the bridge between patient support strategy and execution, this role translates Patient Services programs into meaningful engagement and support outcomes. The Director will lead the Patient Access & Experience team, drive execution excellence, establish field engagement standards, and build capabilities to support future growth.
As a leader in a lean and evolving organization, this individual will balance strategic leadership with hands-on involvement, supporting complex patient and provider situations, managing escalations, and addressing operational challenges. The role is ultimately accountable for delivering Patient Access & Experience services effectively, consistently, and in alignment with Denali's patient-centered values.
Key Responsibilities
Field Patient Access & Experience Leadership
  • Lead, develop, and coach a high-performing team of Patient Access & Experience field members and reimbursement specialists.
  • Foster a culture of patient-centricity, accountability, collaboration, and service excellence.
  • Support workforce planning, territory alignment, resource deployment, and workload management strategies.
  • Build and evolve Patient Access & Experience capabilities to support current needs, future portfolio growth, and evolving patient support models.

Patient & Provider Experience
  • Own the delivery of Denali's Patient Access & Experience model across patient-facing support resources.
  • Serve as a visible leader in the field, partnering alongside team and field partners to support patients, families, providers, key business initiatives, and support complex patient and provider situations and escalations..
  • Establish standards and best practices for field-based patient access support across patients, caregivers, providers, and office staff.
  • Develop field engagement approaches, tools, and resources in partnership with cross-functional stakeholders.
  • Monitor experience trends and identify opportunities to improve service quality, consistency, and engagement.

Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Partner closely with Market Access, Sales, Marketing, Medical Affairs, Patient Advocacy, Legal, Compliance, and Commercial Operations.
  • Represent field execution and patient experience perspectives in cross-functional planning and governance discussions.
  • Support commercialization planning and future portfolio readiness through development of field execution strategies and capabilities.

Qualifications
Education & Experience
  • BS/BA required; advanced degree preferred.
  • Typically 8 plus years of experience in pharmaceutical/biotech patient support, patient access, field education, reimbursement, specialty pharmacy, patient & customer experience, or related healthcare functions.
  • Minimum 5 years of leadership experience managing field-based, patient-facing, or patient support teams.
  • Experience in rare disease, pediatrics and complex therapies preferred; with a demonstrated passion for patient-centricity and customer-experience
  • Proven track record building, leading, and developing high-performing teams.
  • Demonstrated experience supporting patient access, reimbursement, patient services, specialty pharmacy, or related functions.
  • Product launch experience and experience supporting specialty, rare disease, and/or complex therapies preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
  • Strong leadership, coaching, and talent development capabilities.
  • Deep understanding of patient support programs and patient experience principles.
  • Strong understanding of U.S. payer systems, including Commercial, Medicaid, and Medicare (Part B and Part D), and medical vs. pharmacy benefit design
  • Ability to identify and navigate patient access challenges through effective collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Strong communication, stakeholder management, and collaboration skills.
  • Ability to leverage customer insights to drive strategic and operational improvements.
  • Demonstrated ability to balance strategic leadership with hands-on execution in a dynamic launch environment.
  • Willing & able to travel 25-30%

Salary Range: $204,000.00 to $265,000.00 . Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including a candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. Denali offers a competitive total rewards package, which includes a 401k, healthcare coverage, ESPP and a broad range of other benefits. Learn more at https://www.denalitherapeutics.com/careers
This compensation and benefits information is based on Denali's good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.
Denali is committed to its core company value of unity by creating a diverse and inclusive environment. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, basis of disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.