Patient Access Emergency Department

Albany Medical Center•Albany, NY

3d•$46,215 - $60,080

About The Position

The Emergency Department Access Specialist I (EDAS I) works in a high-pressure emergency department environment in a hybrid role combining patient access representative and health unit coordinator responsibilities. The position rotates among assignments across multiple emergency department disciplines as needed. Assignments include triaging walk-in patients by collecting and entering information in the ADT system, applying patient wristbands, obtaining HIXNY Consent signatures, and completing full registration when a patient is seen by a provider. The role also supports ED zones by answering and routing calls on a multi-line telephone, discharging patients through the medical record, and verifying laboratory specimens are properly bagged for labeling. Bedside registration includes collecting demographic and insurance information, obtaining regulatory signatures, and collecting financial responsibility. At the EMS desk, the specialist answers ambulance radio calls and records a brief description of the patient, age, complaint, vital signs, and ambulance agency. Accurate patient identification is a central patient-safety responsibility, including situations in which patients arrive without identification or EMS information is inaccurate. The specialist supports ED workflow, timely clinical measures, insurance verification and payment collection, communication with external agencies, and system-downtime procedures. The role also requires maintaining EMTALA compliance and protecting sensitive patient and organizational information in accordance with applicable laws and policies.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Ability to maintain composure in a high-stress environment and multitask in a high-volume unit.
Good judgment, resourcefulness, problem-solving ability, and willingness to escalate issues as needed.
Ability to manage contained blood, urine, and other bodily fluids.
Ability to use a multi-line telephone system; paging is required.
Ability to push and pull a 35–50 lb WOW.
Ability to stand for long periods.
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, and excellent communication skills.
Equivalent combinations of relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Accurately identify patients in the ADT system in stressful situations, including when patients have no identification.
Triage walk-in patients by collecting and entering information, applying patient wristbands, and obtaining HIXNY Consent signatures; complete full registration when a patient is seen by a provider.
Register patients at bedside by collecting demographic and insurance information, obtaining regulatory consent signatures electronically, collecting financial responsibility, and collecting required Medicare MSPQ information.
Identify and verify insurance coverage; obtain additional information for No Fault or Worker’s Compensation cases.
Review and assign appropriate health insurance plans and collect applicable copayments at bedside.
Meet Access expectations for key clinical measures and timeframes, such as Door-to-EKG notification for chest pain.
Interact effectively with EMS agencies, law enforcement agencies, and correctional facilities.
Capture patients’ pharmacy information to support timely discharge.
Answer and manage multi-line telephone calls calmly, courteously, and respectfully; transfer calls and page as required.
Answer ambulance radio calls and capture brief patient descriptions, age, chief complaint, vital signs, and ambulance agency information.
Manage the ED Patient Tracker and complete assigned Access Specialist tasks.
Verify laboratory specimens are properly handled and ensure timely delivery to the laboratory.
Manage daily workflow during scheduled and unscheduled system downtimes and follow downtime procedures, including maintaining ED downtime flow.
Maintain EMTALA regulations.
Protect sensitive information in accordance with need-to-know and minimum-necessary standards and applicable policies and laws.
Rotate among trained assignments in multiple emergency department disciplines as needed.