Patient Services Specialist II - Access Center

Minimum qualifications: Associate’s degree and one year of clerical or customer-service experience. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree and one year of clerical or customer-service experience (or equivalent combination)
• For departments reporting under Health System Ambulatory Operations, a valid Basic Life Support (BLS) certification must be obtained within 90 days of hire and maintained for the duration of employment

Preferred qualifications: Previous experience in a healthcare setting and/or high-volume call center environment.

About the role

The Patient Services Specialist II has advanced skills and is proficient in independently maintaining a positive patient experience by exceeding expectations in customer service and patient care. Responsibilities include coordinating clerical and medical activities of a healthcare team, patient registration, and facilitating access to UTMB services for new and returning patients.

Responsibilities

Lead Responsibilities

• Function as a team leader
• Provide peer guidance and leadership
• Effectively triage problems
• Understand clinic flow to maximize clinic usage and meet patient needs

Customer Service

• Provide high-level customer service in all interactions with internal and external customers
• Deliver direct, professional, and knowledgeable interactions with patients, physicians, referral sources, and the treatment team
• Answer calls accurately with exceptional customer service
• Ensure caller’s needs are met and accurate information is obtained
• Document and triage calls appropriately to ensure patient satisfaction and safety
• Complete telephone encounter process when appropriate
• Act as patient advocate and liaison with various departments to meet mutual goals
• Maintain patient confidentiality regarding access to patient and clinical information via email, computer, fax, and mail
• Address patient concerns, provide service recovery, and escalate issues as needed

Scheduling

• Apply clinical entity policies to schedule appointments
• Coordinate financial counseling for day surgery
• Complete reminder calls to patients for scheduled appointments
• Educate patients/responsible parties regarding billing process and financial responsibilities, including third-party benefits information
• Provide out-of-pocket cost estimates to patients
• Counsel patients about unpaid bills
• Obtain future appointments at time of service for clinic follow-up, referrals, and ancillary services

Arrival

• Arrive patients and prepare paperwork/chart for visit
• Appropriately receipt all monies collected, tokens distributed, and deferments authorized

Registration

• Verify, ensure eligibility, and pre-register patients by obtaining demographics and third-party coverage(s) at every encounter
• Obtain and document information required for third-party reimbursement
• Ensure compliance with Medicare and third-party coverage
• Communicate with patient, referral source, UTMB physician, and clinical staff regarding any obstacles to access or authorization

Disposition

• Fully disposition each patient within the designated timeline

Marginal or Periodic Functions

• Perform related duties as required
• Adhere to internal controls established for the department
• Read all OSA announcements and relevant communications relating to job duties
• Successfully complete competency-based training and testing on an annual basis
• Prioritize and complete all work accurately, effectively, and efficiently
• Secure files containing money or confidential information when away from workstation
• Properly dispose of printed patient information, log off computer when leaving workstation, and keep passwords confidential
• Participate in team meetings/activities and support the philosophy and goals of the team/department

Skills

• Proficient in PC use with experience in Excel, Word, and database management packages
• Analytical ability to collect and trend data
• Knowledge of patient care and patient problems
• Excellent human relations and written/oral communication skills
• Problem-solving ability

Working Environment

Standard hospital, clinical, and/or office environments with standard office equipment.

Schedule

Onsite position, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Includes holidays. Employees may qualify for hybrid and/or remote scheduling after successful completion of training and performance expectations.