Clinical Services Associate

Patient Care

• Promptly rooms patients, using EMR to alert provider that patient is ready
• Reviews past medical, surgical, family, smoking history, allergies, medications; notes corrections in EMR
• Notes medication refills needed for the physician to review
• Initiates self-management goal setting where appropriate
• Obtains patient’s vital signs and documents in EMR
• Prepares chart for patient visit
• Understands insurance restrictions for lab work, referral needs, precertification requirements, etc.
• Observes patient condition and communicates any abnormal data or changes to provider
• Auxiliaries patients as needed with walking, transfers, dressing, undressing, preparing for the exam
• Remains in exam room when necessary/requested
• Specimen management: obtains specimens for testing if applicable (including performing phlebotomy and anterior nares nasal swab collections)
• Performs laboratory and screening tests, records results in EMR and reconciles with logs where appropriate
• Documents and reports findings to providers
• Performs all quality controls as per Point of Care Testing guidelines
• Prepares specimens for transport as necessary
• Performs EKGs and other outpatient screening tests as per MD order and after properly preparing the patient
• Accurately documents results in EMR
• Assists with minor surgical procedures by handing instruments, maintaining sterile field, positioning of patient and other duties within scope of responsibility
• Functions as a witness for procedural consents if required
• Responds appropriately to emergency/code situations
• Demonstrates competence in the observation, treatment, and care of the specific patients served in that practice, whose ages may range from neonate to geriatric

Clerical / Other

• Responsive and proactive telephonic patient care - including care coordination with specialists, ancillary services, hospitals, labs, home care agencies, and all other involved health services
• Obtain and scan documents as appropriate and required for visit: test results, faxes, reports, notes, referrals, etc.
• Completes medical forms and other clinical requests for information as appropriate and required
• Prepares and sends patient correspondence as required
• Auxists nursing staff with the maintenance of patient education materials, as needed
• Promptly performs call-backs as directed by provider, giving patients information within their scope of practice
• Provides patients with follow up care instructions
• Schedule patient appointments (on phone or in person) by determining reason for visit, following established schedules and protocols, using appropriate billing area/appointment location, communicating changes and confirming appointments, and, as needed, offering alternative and canceling/rescheduling appointments
• Responsible for arriving/departing activities of patient at practice and performs point of service activities: collects copays and records accurately, obtains necessary signatures/forms, obtains insurance cards and referrals/authorizations, updates appointment status in EMR, and finalizes all check-out procedures
• Communicates with patients regarding patient flow and wait times – keeps manager aware of potential issues as they arise
• Issues referrals and obtains pre-authorizations for patients as required and as per protocol
• Maintains up to date knowledge of insurance requirements pertinent to patient service and billing procedures: including basic knowledge of all managed care plans and which insurers require a copayment or referral
• Validates patient demographic/insurance information and/or registers new patients into EMR using established protocols
• Records receipts accurately to ensure end of day reconciliation; participates in cash reconciliation delineations
• Resolves work queues and/or issues from front-end reports; proactively prioritizes recovery of missing charges
• Orders supplies for the office and generates front-end process reports as requested

Environmental / Safety

• Adheres to universal body fluids precautions and infection control policies
• Disposes of infectious waste properly
• Promotes infection control by using appropriate hand washing techniques
• Ensures that the patient care areas are kept neat, orderly, well stocked and properly prepared
• Cleans, disinfects, and sterilizes instruments and equipment according to protocols and checks that the instruments and equipment are in proper working order
• Notifies Supervisor of malfunctions
• Sets up equipment and instruments as per practice protocol
• Cleans and restocks equipment as needed
• Authorized to access secured area to obtain items such as intravenous solutions and medication preparation supplies for the purpose of stocking and maintaining pars in the medication carts
• Retrieves supplies and medications/blood products from tube system
• Sets up equipment and instruments as per practice protocol
• Cleans and restocks equipment as needed
• Maintains temperature log for refrigerator or room temperature as needed
• Maintains a safe environment and protects the patient from injury by observing the patient who may be at risk for falls, confusion, disorientation, or wandering behaviors

Patient Service

• Strives to understand and anticipate patient needs, manages service recovery efforts when needed, enlists management assistance as appropriate, identifies opportunities to improve the patient experience
• As per practice/department protocols and/or measurements: answer phones in a timely manner, manage/handle patient requests and route appropriately, retrieve voicemails in a timely manner, take accurate and thorough messages and route appropriately through EMR
• Schedule patient appointments (on phone or in person) by determining reason for visit, following established schedules and protocols, using appropriate billing area/appointment location, communicating changes and confirming appointments, and, as needed, offering alternative and canceling/rescheduling appointments
• Responsible for arriving/departing activities of patient at practice and performs point of service activities: collects copays and records accurately, obtains necessary signatures/forms, obtains insurance cards and referrals/authorizations, updates appointment status in EMR, and finalizes all check-out procedures
• Communicates with patients regarding patient flow and wait times – keeps manager aware of potential issues as they arise
• Issues referrals and obtains pre-authorizations for patients as required and as per protocol

Financial

• Maintains up to date knowledge of insurance requirements pertinent to patient service and billing procedures: including basic knowledge of all managed care plans and which insurers require a copayment or referral
• Validates patient demographic/insurance information and/or registers new patients into EMR using established protocols
• Records receipts accurately to ensure end of day reconciliation; participates in cash reconciliation delineations
• Resolves work queues and/or issues from front-end reports; proactively prioritizes recovery of missing charges
• Orders supplies for the office and generates front-end process reports as requested

Other / Regulatory

• Ensures compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulatory standards (ex TJC, DOH, FDA, HIPAA, HCFA, DPW, LCGME, SCGME, etc)
• Flexible and readily adopts new processes and engages in practice operation changes
• Performs duties in accordance with Penn Medicine and entity values, policies, and procedures