About the job
The Patient Access Specialist embodies the mission, vision, and values of Northwestern Medicine, strictly adhering to the organization's Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, along with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines, and regulatory and accreditation standards.
Key Responsibilities:
- Demonstrate a commitment to the Patients First philosophy and uphold exceptional customer service standards, fostering a collaborative team environment.
- Address patient inquiries and concerns promptly and effectively.
- Escalate extraordinary issues to the Team Lead or Operations Coordinator as needed.
- Ensure patient confidentiality in compliance with HIPAA regulations.
- Deliver outstanding customer service to patients, creating a positive first impression of Northwestern Medicine.
- Proactively meet consumer requests and inform management of any escalations.
- Accurately collect and verify patient demographic information in line with organizational standards.
- Coordinate with various hospital departments and physician offices to efficiently schedule and guide patients through the NMHC systems in a customer-centric manner.
- Reach out to patients to schedule appointments as designated.
- Conduct medical necessity checks for appointments and communicate options to patients if necessary.
- Inform patients about any issues related to securing financial accounts for their visits.
- Provide out-of-pocket cost estimations as requested.
- Offer training and educational support as required.
- Manage work schedules effectively, ensuring timely completion of tasks and assignments.
- Fulfill additional duties as assigned by the manager.
- Engage in cross-training across departments to ensure adequate coverage.
- Participate in Quality Assurance reviews to maintain the integrity of patient data.
- Utilize effective service recovery strategies to resolve any service breakdowns that may occur.
- Follow departmental and hospital policies and procedures for task completion.
- Adhere to all compliance requirements to avoid placing patients at financial or safety risk.
Communication and Collaboration:
- Communicate relevant information to patients regarding physician referrals, insurance referrals, and consultations.
- Collect authorization numbers in applicable systems as required.
- Foster a professional and constructive environment for communication across units and departments, addressing operational challenges.
- May attend intra/interdepartmental meetings requiring movement within the NM Campus.