Patient Services Specialist I - Victory Lake Orthopedic Clinic (Up to 19.99 hours/week)

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s Degree and no experience or High School or equivalent and 2 years customer service and/or clerical experience.

Job Summary:

The Patient Services Specialist I create a positive patient experience by consistently exceeding expectations in customer service and patient care, by coordinating clerical and medical activities of a healthcare team, patient registration activities, and facilitating access to UTMB services for new and returning patients.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Customer Service:

• Provides high level customer service in all interactions with internal and external customers.
• Provides direct, professional, and knowledgeable interactions with patients, physicians, referral sources, and the treatment team.
• Answers always calls accurately and with exceptional customer service.
• Ensures caller’s needs are met and accurate information is obtained.
• Ensures calls are documented and triaged appropriately ensuring patient satisfaction and patient safety. Completes telephone encounter process if appropriate.
• Acts as patient advocate and liaisons with various departments to meet mutual goals.
• Maintains patient confidentiality regarding access to patient and other clinical information via email, computer, fax, and mail.
• Addresses concerns of patients, provides service recovery, and escalates issues as needed.

Scheduling:

• Applies the policies of the clinical entity to schedule appointments.
• Coordinates financial counseling for day surgery.
• Completes reminder calls to patients for scheduled appointments.
• Educates patient/responsible parties regarding billing process and any additional financial responsibilities including third party benefits information.
• Provides out of pocket cost estimates to patients.
• Counsels patients about unpaid bills.
• Obtains future appointments at time of service for clinic follow-up, referrals, and ancillary services.

Arrival:

• Arrives patients and prepares paperwork/chart for visit.
• Appropriately receipts all monies collected, tokens distributed, and deferments authorized.

Registration:

• Verifies, ensures eligibility, and pre-registers patients by obtaining patient demographics and third-party coverage(s) at every encounter.
• Obtains and documents information required for third party reimbursement.
• Ensures compliance with Medicare and third-party coverage.
• Communicates with patient, referral source, UTMB physician and clinical staff regarding any obstacle to access or authorization

Disposition:

• Fully dispositions each patient within the designated timeline.
• Adheres to internal controls established for department.

Marginal or Periodic Job Functions:

• Performs related duties as required.
• Reads all OSA Announcements and relevant communications relating to job duties.
• Successfully completes competency-based training and testing on an annual basis.
• Prioritizes and completes all work in an accurate, effective, and efficient manner.
• Locks office and secures files containing money or confidential information when away from workstation. Properly disposes of printed patient information, logs off computer when leaving workstation and keeps passwords confidential.
• Participates in team meetings/activities and supports the philosophy and goals of the team/department.
• Reads all OSA Announcements and relevant communications relating to job duties.
• Successfully completes competency-based training and testing on an annual basis.
• Prioritizes and completes all work in an accurate, effective, and efficient manner.

Salary Range:

Actual salary commensurate with experience.

Equal Employment Opportunity

UTMB Health strives to provide equal opportunity employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. As a Federal Contractor, UTMB Health takes affirmative action to hire and advance protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.