Access Specialist I - ED

Albany Medical Center•Saratoga Springs, NY

7d•$46,215 - $60,080

About The Position

The Emergency Department Access Specialist I (EDAS I) is a hybrid role combining Access Representative and Health Unit Coordinator responsibilities in a high-pressure Emergency Department environment. The specialist is trained and expected to rotate among multiple ED assignments as needed, including walk-in patient triage, ED zone support, bedside registration, and the EMS desk. Triage includes collecting and entering initial patient information in the ADT system, accurately identifying patients (including those without identification), applying patient wristbands, obtaining HIXNY consent signatures, and completing full registration when a patient is seen by a provider. ED zone support involves handling a multi-line telephone, managing inquiries and calls, discharging patients through the medical record, and verifying that laboratory specimens are appropriately bagged for labeling. Bedside registration includes collecting demographic and insurance information, obtaining regulatory consent forms and signatures, and collecting financial responsibility. At the EMS desk, the specialist takes ambulance radio calls and captures brief patient information, including age, complaint, and vital signs, while following procedures for unidentified patients. The role supports patient safety, timely clinical workflows, insurance verification and payment collection, patient discharge, and ED operations during scheduled or unscheduled system downtimes. It requires effective interaction with patients and external agencies in a demanding, high-volume setting, while maintaining EMTALA requirements and protecting sensitive patient information.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
Ability to maintain composure in a high-stress environment.
Ability to multitask in a stressful, high-volume unit and manage high-intensity situations.
Good judgment and resourcefulness in problem-solving, with the ability to escalate issues as needed.
Ability to manage contained blood, urine, and other bodily fluids.
Ability to handle a multi-line telephone system; paging is required.
Ability to push a 35–50 lb workstation on wheels.
Ability to stand for long periods of time.
Ability to deal with a diverse population, including critically injured, mentally disturbed, and belligerent individuals.
Patient-centric customer service, conflict management, team-oriented support, adaptability to high-stress situations, and excellent communication skills.
Equivalent combinations of relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s degree preferred.
1–3 years of customer service experience, or experience in a hospital or clinic setting, preferred.

Responsibilities

Accurately identify patients in the ADT system in stressful situations, including patients without identification, as a patient-safety measure.
Perform bedside registration using a workstation on wheels (WOW), collecting demographics and insurance information, obtaining regulatory signatures electronically, and collecting financial responsibility.
Collect Medicare-required MSPQ information.
Identify and verify insurance at bedside and obtain additional information for No Fault or Worker’s Compensation cases, including motor vehicle accident patients and employees injured at work.
Review, assess, and assign the appropriate health insurance plan and collect applicable copayments at bedside.
Meet Access expectations for key clinical measures and timeframes, including chest-pain Door-to-EKG notification.
Interact effectively with EMS agencies, law enforcement agencies, and correctional facilities.
Capture patients’ pharmacy information to support timely discharge by nurses and physicians.
Answer and manage multi-line telephone calls calmly, courteously, and respectfully; transfer calls and provide paging as required.
Capture brief patient information via ambulance radio, including description, age, chief complaint, and vital signs.
Manage the ED Patient Tracker and complete assigned Access Specialist tasks.
Verify laboratory specimens and ensure their timely delivery to the laboratory.
Manage daily workflow during scheduled and unscheduled system downtimes, follow downtime procedures, and oversee ED downtime flow.
Ensure EMTALA regulations are maintained.
Rotate among ED assignments, including walk-in triage, ED zone support, bedside registration, and EMS desk coverage.
Maintain appropriate protection of sensitive information, including HIPAA Protected Health Information, in accordance with applicable laws and organizational policies.