Access Specialist I- Radiation Oncology

About the Role

Performs various appointment and access-related duties including scheduling, canceling, rescheduling, providing general appointment information, and directions. Coordinates services across multiple DUHS and PDC clinical locations, departments, and providers. Tasks are transactional and productivity-based.

Professionally and effectively communicates verbally and in writing with patients, referring providers, colleagues, and Duke Providers. Actively identifies, listens, and understands the needs of the caller, owning calls through resolution. Proactively resolves conflict using emotional intelligence and positive language based on Duke Health Access Services values. Utilizes appropriate medical terminology and proactively offers alternative providers or locations when appropriate.

Uses multiple technology applications and systems to perform scheduling tasks, including EPIC, Cadence, Op-time, template changes, On Base, and telephony systems such as Finesse, TeleOpti, and ZOOM.

Responsibilities

• Scheduling an appointment:
  • Identify the caller and relationship to the patient using compliance-based scheduling guidelines.
  • Identify the patient using 2 identifiers in accordance with compliance guidelines.
  • Register the patient by entering, verifying, and/or updating demographic and guarantor information, including emergency contacts.
  • Gather special needs information and coordinate the provision of necessary support services (e.g., disabilities, language services).
  • Translate a patient's request using clinical terminology and specialty-specific guidelines recognized by information systems and approved by clinical leadership.
  • Use scheduling questionnaires, guidelines, and other resources to conduct an advanced appointment search.
  • Determine the appropriate provider, appointment template, and slot while respecting provider, referring provider, and patient preferences.
  • Coordinate and schedule necessary tests and studies associated with a clinic visit.
  • Understand and respond appropriately to scheduling-related warning messages to ensure adherence to provider template guidelines.
  • Complete the appointment by resolving all registration and scheduling warning messages, confirming referring provider, location, directions, and additional scheduling instructions.
• Revenue Cycle:
  • Collect or verify insurance information.
  • Initiate an eligibility check for new insurance entries.
  • Communicate sensitive healthcare-related financial obligations when non-contracted insurance, self-pay, or specific coverage types (e.g., Out-of-County Medicaid, Veterans Administration, Worker's Compensation) are identified.
  • Follow workflows to create a referral for financial review and trace its progress.
  • Identify who is responsible for payment and enter the information in the guarantor section.
  • Notify the patient of financial responsibility for the visit, including required payment at the time of the visit.
• Working from a worklist:
  • Analyze and prioritize worklists by Emergent, Urgent, and Routine requests.
  • Manage worklists including faxed referral requests from strategic partners, medical practices, and programs, as well as internal Duke Providers' requests for new patient appointments.
  • Handle patients needing rescheduled appointments due to provider schedule changes, future appointments when schedules are not yet published, or sooner appointments.
  • Use all available resources (phone numbers, MyChart, email) to contact the patient while following compliance guidelines.
  • Provide detailed information about the reason for the call, remain attentive, and resolve complex tasks.
  • Schedule appointments and coordinate related tests or labs using approved scheduling algorithms if the patient is ready.
• Quality and Performance Measures:
  • Achieve call quality standards, recognizing calls are recorded and scored.
  • Meet quality and performance expectations, including adherence to published daily work schedules and availability scores.
  • Support service measures such as reducing abandoned calls, call duration, and lost calls.
  • Support other services and functions within Duke Health Access Services.

Requirements

• Education: A high school diploma or equivalent is required. College or completion of post-secondary education is preferred.
• Experience: A minimum of 2 years of customer service experience or 1 year of relevant healthcare and/or call center experience.