PAS Resource Specialist

Knight Cancer Institute - Community Hematology and Oncology in Gresham is seeking a Patient Access Resource Specialist (PASR) to join our team. This 100% on-site role supports both patients and clinic stakeholders in a fast-paced environment, requiring strong communication and collaboration skills.

About the Role

The PASR gathers and records patient information, provides customer service including insurance verification, financial obligation determination, and authorization management. This position schedules physician office appointments, cancer treatments, and ancillary services, often handling a high volume of complex procedures. The role serves as a liaison between physicians, nursing staff, support teams, referring offices, patients, and insurance companies.

Key responsibilities include answering and triaging clinic calls, conveying detailed information to patients, coordinating appointments across clinics and treatment units, managing reschedules and waitlists, and preparing new patient information packets. The PASR also directs patients to appropriate providers, completes referrals, responds to patient messages, and accurately enters data into the electronic medical record.

Responsibilities

• Enrollment & Authorization:
  • Gather and verify patient demographics, insurance coverage, and financial status.
  • Confirm patient eligibility and clarify managed care arrangements.
  • Obtain authorizations for clinical care, procedures, and laboratory studies.
  • Enter information accurately into OHSU databases or medical records.
  • Follow up on pending authorizations until obtained.
• Arranged Care:
  • Coordinate high-volume, complex patient appointments, procedures, and infusion treatments.
  • Use EMR and other systems for scheduling and creating medical records.
  • Provide appointment reminders and serve as a liaison for physicians and nursing staff.
  • Return patient messages (phone/electronic) and prepare information packets.
  • Direct patients to appropriate providers and complete referrals.
  • Enter patient information accurately into the electronic medical record.
  • Maintain service-based knowledge of oncology practice.
  • Obtain prior medical records and arrange assistive devices (e.g., wheelchairs, interpreters).
• Customer Service / Point of Service Operations:
  • Provide high-level customer service to external (patients, families, providers, insurers) and internal (OHSU staff) customers.
  • Demonstrate prompt, professional communication, phone etiquette, and emotional intelligence in stressful situations.
  • Greet and check in patients, verify demographics, insurance, and financial status.
  • Ensure accurate appointment comments and database entries.
  • Inspect insurance cards/authorizations and explain signature requirements.
  • Collect co-payments, provide receipts, and complete accounting procedures.
  • Notify clinical staff of patient arrivals, monitor wait times, and intervene as needed.
  • Distribute medication lists, validate parking, and perform other clinic duties.
• Integrated Care:
  • Schedule clinical, diagnostic, or laboratory services and obtain authorizations.
  • Contact primary care physicians for care authorizations.
  • Direct patients to appropriate providers and complete referrals.
  • Route billing/insurance questions to appropriate staff.
• Telecommunications:
  • Handle inbound/outbound calls from patients, providers, and stakeholders.
  • Connect callers to appropriate individuals and document requests in EMR (e.g., refills, complaints, inquiries).
  • Direct calls/messages to staff for patient care or needs assessment.
  • Process calls professionally (answering, screening, routing, paging).
  • Deliver information promptly to providers or their designees.
  • Provide directions, addresses, and hours of operation to callers.
  • Locate on-call personnel using schedules and departmental procedures.
• Professional Development:
  • Participate in educational activities to enhance job knowledge.
  • Attend staff meetings, huddles, and informational sessions.
  • Read vendor documentation, trade publications, and interact with peers.
  • Train/orient new staff and cross-train in assigned areas.
  • Identify process improvements and communicate opportunities to supervisors.
  • Engage in professional development and competency assessment.
  • Communicate training needs to supervisors.
  • Adhere to ethical standards, compliance policies, and OHSU procedures.
  • Share workload equitably and demonstrate multitasking abilities.
• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor/manager.

Requirements

• One year of experience in a medical office setting with high-volume direct patient contact, appointment scheduling, and managed care authorizations or 1.5 years of high-volume public contact experience plus 6 months in a medical office.
• Thorough knowledge of PAS policies and procedures.
• Advanced PAS user skills and extensive knowledge of integrated care at OHSU.
• Basic computer skills (word processing, Windows applications, online scheduling).
• Excellent verbal/written communication and customer service skills.
• Effectiveness in confrontational customer interactions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Appointment scheduling experience.
• Computer keyboarding skills (40-50 wpm).
• Proficient in word processing and high attention to detail.
• Problem-solving and negotiation skills for patient concerns and scheduling challenges.
• Active listening skills and ability to remain calm under pressure.
• Professionalism in dealing with diverse stakeholders.
• Collaborative teamwork and timely support.
• High integrity and tolerance for ambiguity in a fast-paced environment.
• Dependability, punctuality, and willingness to work overtime as needed.
• HS diploma or advanced degree preferred.
• Experience in a medical and/or oncology office setting.
• Knowledge of Epic systems, OHSU network systems (Outlook, Microsoft Office), and iQueue.

Schedule

• Clinic operating hours with occasional extended hours (evenings, weekends, holidays).
• Must have a vehicle to travel between Community Hematology Oncology Unit sites.

Physical Requirements

• Stooping, crouching, reaching, listening, and sitting.
• Keyboarding and ability to lift up to 50 lbs.