Access Specialist I - ED

Albany Medical Center • Glens Falls, NY

1d • $46,215 - $60,080 • Onsite

About The Position

The Emergency Department Access Specialist I is a hybrid position combining the Access Representative and Health Unit Coordinator roles, requiring the ability to work in a high-pressure environment. This role involves rotating assignments across multiple disciplines within the Emergency Department, including Triage, ED Zone Support, Bedside Registration, and the EMS Desk. The position demands accurate patient identification, efficient data collection, and adherence to regulatory and safety protocols, often under challenging circumstances.

Requirements

• High School Diploma/G.E.D.
• Ability to keep composure in a high-stress environment.
• Ability to multi-task in stressful and high patient volume unit; must be able to manage pressure of high intensity situations.
• Good judgement and ability to be resourceful to problem solve; escalate issues as needed.
• Ability to manage contained blood, urine and other bodily fluids.
• Ability to handle a multi-line telephone system; paging required.
• Ability to push 35- 50 lb WOW.
• Must be able to stand for long periods of time.
• Equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Nice To Haves

• Associate's Degree
• 1-3 years in customer service experience, or a hospital or clinic setting.

Responsibilities

• Triage of walk-in patients, including quick data collection, ADT system entry, patient wristband placement, and acquiring regulatory signatures.
• Complete full patient registration, including General Consent and collection of financial responsibility, if seen by a provider.
• Accurately identify patients in the ADT system, even when identification is missing.
• Answer a multi-line telephone (10 lines) and manage all inquiries.
• Transfer telephone calls and discharge patients via the patient medical record.
• Verify laboratory specimens are placed in a hazardous bag for accurate labeling by a nurse or provider.
• Perform bedside registration, collecting demographic information, insurance details, regulatory consent forms, and financial responsibility.
• Shadow and answer EMS Radio calls, providing a brief description of patient age, complaint, vital signs, and ambulance agency capture.
• Manage the EMS Desk, accurately identifying patients with no identification, handling EMS inaccuracies, and following UNKNOWN Patient policy.
• Ensure accurate patient identification in a highly stressful situation as a patient safety measure.
• Work from a WOW (Workstation on Wheels) for bedside registration, collecting demographic and insurance information, and obtaining signatures for regulatory forms.
• Collect Medicare patients' regulatory mandate of MSPQ information.
• Identify and verify insurance at the bedside, obtaining additional information for No Fault or Worker’s Compensation cases.
• Ensure Access expectations of key clinical measures and timeframes are met (e.g., Chest pain – Door to EKG notification).
• Review, assess, and assign the appropriate health insurance plan and collect copayment, if applicable, at bedside.
• Interact effectively with external agency personnel, including EMS Agencies, Law Enforcement Agencies, and Correction Facilities.
• Capture patient’s pharmacy information to support expedited discharge.
• Manage all telephone calls in a calm, courteous, and respectful manner.
• Capture brief information via Ambulance Radio, including patient description, age, chief complaint, and Vital Signs.
• Manage the ED Patient Tracker and complete Access Specialist tasks.
• Verify laboratory specimens and ensure timely send to the laboratory.
• Manage daily workflow during scheduled and unscheduled system downtimes, following downtime procedures.
• Ensure EMTALA Regulations are maintained.

Benefits

• Excellent health care coverage with no copay at Albany Medical Center providers
• A wide array of services and programs to support emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED