Patient Service Rep

Reports to the Practice Manager under the supervision of the Manager or Director of Cancer Services. Responsible for scheduling, canceling, rescheduling, and registering outpatient visits and procedures for multiple ambulatory clinics by collecting all necessary information. Work is performed in a high-volume call center setting, handling daily calls with patients and referring physician offices. Also responsible for completing messages related to medications and patient requests.

Brown University Health employees are expected to role model the organization's values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence, as well as demonstrate core Success Factors: Instill Trust and Value Differences, Patient and Community Focus, and Collaborate.

Responsibilities

• Answers phones from patients/customers professionally and responds to inquiries and complaints.
• Schedules patients/customers based on guidelines and medical appropriateness.
• Handles a high volume of inbound calls with varying questions or concerns.
• Researches required information using accessible resources.
• Resolves patient/customer complaints and routes calls to appropriate resources.
• Obtains and collects all necessary information to schedule and register patients for appointments.
• Manages communication and coordination between patients/customers and providers/clinics.
• Escalates priority issues and communicates perceived problems to the Practice Manager or Director of Cancer Services.
• Notifies appropriate personnel of scheduling changes due to patient cancellations in a timely fashion.
• Optimizes visit or procedure efficiency by recommending potential alternatives.
• Manages urgent calls to ensure appropriate handling of patient care situations.
• Receives and responds to patient and staff needs and complaints within the patient care environment.
• Participates in ongoing education activities to develop and maintain professional expertise.
• Focuses on care, communication, compassion, and patient/family-centered care to enhance service excellence.
• Supports department efforts to attain top-decile performance in quality outcome measures.
• Maintains quality, safety, environmental, and infection control in accordance with policies and objectives.
• Oversees the patient financial process, ensuring payments (co-payments, deductibles, self-pay) are obtained and processed at the time of service.
• Verifies and updates all necessary patient information (demographics, referrals, authorizations, billing codes, diagnosis information).
• Completes end-of-day batch, including reconciliation of arrived patient schedule and time-of-service payments.
• Orients and serves as a resource to new employees regarding department policies and procedures.

Performance and Standards of Behavior for Communication

• Adheres to established Performance Expectations as outlined in the EPRS tool.
• Strives to answer all telephone calls within five rings; puts callers on hold only with permission, thanks callers for waiting, and introduces callers when transferring.
• Seeks positive solutions to challenges in a high-stress environment through respectful communication and active problem-solving.
• Responds to all patient communications in a timely manner.
• Meets productivity standards set through call center applications, including service levels based on response time, number of calls received, and abandoned calls.

Requirements

• High School graduate or GED with two years of formal secretarial/business education or equivalent.
• Knowledge of medical terminology required.
• Strong EPIC skills, including Cadence and Referrals, preferred.
• Previous call center experience preferred.
• Knowledge of third-party payors and insurance preferred.
• Exceptional critical thinking and analytical skills.
• Ability to work under minimal supervision.
• Strong communication, customer service, interpersonal skills, and telephone etiquette.
• Ability to take appropriate action in a stressful environment.
• Two years’ experience in an outpatient setting.
• Able to react effectively and calmly in emergencies.
• Motivation and drive for continuous self-development.
• Cooperatively interacts with the healthcare team to support department goals.
• Able to maintain patient/customer confidentiality.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Professional Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, Access), Internet Explorer, EPIC, and Cisco.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit for extended periods of time.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to support individuals with disabilities.
• Works collaboratively with all members of the healthcare team.
• Normal office setting with electrical equipment (telephone, personal computer, copier, fax machine, etc.).

Pay

$18.13–$29.90 per hour

Schedule

• Monday–Friday
• Day shift
• 8 hours daily