Outpatient Access Specialist

Opening

Full Time 40 hours Grade 007 Strong Memorial Hospital URMC

Responsibilities

GENERAL PURPOSE:

Performs functions associated with patient information processing for ambulatory care visits. Completes the tasks of reception, registration, charge reconciliation process, appointment scheduling, eRecord task management, In Basket management and Telephone encounter management using the electronic medical record and patient access and revenue cycle systems. Assures patient satisfaction with information processing and reception service. Requires accuracy in order to generate a billable service for the provider. Responsible for functions being completed in an accurate, efficient, and customer friendly manner. May be a resource to new staff. Responsible for monitoring own performance on assigned tasks. Self-directed: must make complex decisions. May train new or less experienced support staff.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Reception: Greets patients to initiate positive ambulatory experience, requests patient identification, assures use of two identifiers to verify the correct patient, identifies healthcare provider to be seen, identifies referring provider and primary care physician, directs patients to next destination, obtains signatures as needed (e.g., for insurance forms), identifies and assesses patient special needs (e.g., interpreters), monitors reception area to assure patient needs are met. Provides interaction of warm hand-off to registration & insurance management

(RIM). Updates patients regarding waiting time for the provider every 15 minutes. Protects Personal Health

Information (PHI) for patients as indicated by HIPAA regulations. Assures cleanliness and order in the waiting room/lobby.

• Registration: Collects patient demographic and financial information in an efficient, customer-oriented manner, asks specific questions of patient to verify information accuracy in order to establish a billable account. Enters information into the electronic medical record and patient access and revenue cycle system. Requests patient e- mail address for confirmation purposes. Assures completion of all appropriate forms by patients, such as,

Medicare Secondary Payer assurance, provision of HIPAA information for new patients, requesting patient identification to verify identity, provision of Financial Assistance Program, etc.

• Appointment Scheduling: Schedules new and return visits to ambulatory care using the electronic medical record and patient access and revenue cycle system, monitors schedules and reports problems to Supervisor, pre-registers patients for next visit, coordinates appointments for ancillary testing or referrals to other clinic sites, follows-up missed appointments and cancellations, completes any correspondence or forms involved with appointment scheduling, schedules interpreters, schedules outside services to meet patient's needs (e.g., transportation), assures patient satisfaction with visit prior to discharge from the area. Prints After Visit

Summary (AVS) at check-out when appropriate, uses 2 patient identifiers to assure provision of the summary to the correct patient. May assist with Provider template changes. Collect patient co-pays, prepare end of day deposits and reconcile any discrepancies.

• Telephone Management: Answers phone in a timely and courteous manner. Manages incoming clinic calls, sorts calls to various providers. Opens a telephone encounter in eRecord when speaking with patients. Assures routing of encounter in eRecord to the appropriate staff/provider. Coordinates outgoing calls related to major functions above. Provides information to patients in order to minimize the need to distribute the telephone call, forwards calls, pages providers, and takes messages.
• eRecord and Performance Analysis: Edits and corrects registration errors and completes missing registration data. Assists in charge reconciliation process. Assures accuracy of patient schedules, identifies ways to reduce follow-up, repetitive, or corrective work.

• Manages multiple processes in eRecord including messaging in eRecord In Basket and referral work queue processing. This information is part of the patient legal medical record, therefore, assures accurate and concise information is entered.
• Customer interaction: Assesses the urgency of a situation and determines the appropriate routing for the patient, serves as a focal point for handling complaints, utilizes service recovery concepts, serves as front-line problem solver.
• Other clinic service tasks as assigned: May escort patient into the treatment corridor, collects height and weight information, records list of current medication, records basic visit documentation, obtains vital signs, etc.

Competencies must be verified by clinical staff before performance of any of these duties.

QUALIFICATIONS:

High School Diploma required. 1 year of related work experience in an administrative capacity or customer service field required or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Demonstrated ability to word process documents and enter data into a database preferred. Demonstrated skills related to achievement of customer satisfaction preferred.

How to Apply

All applicants must apply online.

EOE Minorities/Females/Protected Veterans/Disabled

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: $15.00 - $17.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability

Education:

• High school or equivalent (Preferred)

Experience:

• Customer service: 1 year (Preferred)

Work Location: One location