Medical Office Assistant - GI Laboratory

Bassett Healthcare Network•Village of Cooperstown, NY

10d•Onsite

About The Position

The Medical Office Assistant I serves as the first point of contact for patients within the Bassett Healthcare Network. This is a key role in the patient centered care team. Demonstrates excellence in all patient and customer encounters including face-to-face and telephone interactions. Assures that a high-quality patient experience takes place by providing administrative support to ambulatory patient care teams through excellent customer service, attention to detail, and interpersonal skills. Responsible for providing clear, accurate, timely communication to nurses and providers regarding patients. Responsible for accurate, appropriate scheduling of patients for optimum care and provider efficiency. Responsible for collecting demographic and financial information during the scheduling and/or registration processes to ensure full and timely revenue capture. May have direct revenue responsibility through payment collection, cash handling, processing of insurance eligibility and managed care information.

Requirements

Minimum one year of relevant work experience, required
Computer Skills
Customer Service
Time Management
Maintain Confidentiality
Interacting with People

Nice To Haves

High School Diploma or GED, preferred
2 year / Associate Degree, preferred
Minimum one year of customer service experience, preferred
An associate degree may be considered towards one year of relevant work experience

Responsibilities

Receives and greets every patient in a courteous and friendly manner using a welcoming positive tone, words and actions.
Ensures new patients are provided with a Welcome to Bassett Network Packet which includes Advance Directive information. Health Information Privacy documents, plus Health Center and Bassett Network brochures. Also established patients over the age of 18 who do not have documentation of receiving Advanced Directives are provided this information as reviewed through random audits of system documentation.
Raises up emergent situations or expressed patient problems directly to Supervisor or Supervising Nurse for assistance.
Answers phones within 3 rings using a 3-part greeting (Name of Dept., your name, “How may I help you?”).
Ends calls by asking patient if there is anything else we can do for them today.
Takes clear, complete and accurate phone messages, (and follows up on these messages to make sure the patients' needs are met) or prescription requests using the electronic medical record messaging system.
Available for incoming calls, maintains operator statistics at or above institution standards.
Offers patients the opportunity to sign up for MyBassett on the phone.
Proactively keeps patients informed of any delays in their providers schedules that may impact their time to be seen.
Obtains all information necessary to complete the outpatient registration process assuring demographic and insurance information is correct and is entered or scanned into the system accurately.
Accurate confirmation of attending PCP and Billing PCP, when appropriate.
Assures correct data capture and data entry (such as MSPQ) necessary for regulatory agencies and compliance requirements is accurate and complete.
Maintains required level of knowledge and proficiency in all core functions (demographic and financial screening, insurance eligibility and verification, regulatory and compliance monitoring) of front desk services.
Supports the collection of Advanced Beneficiary Notice signatures and form processing to meet Medicare regulations.
Ensures all corrections (demographics, insurance eligibility etc.) based on the missing items work-queue are made in the appropriate Bassett system within 24 hours of system notifications, in accordance with standard operating procedure.
Answers questions from patients regarding the organization and/or services and provides directions to the appropriate clinical location as necessary.
Offers patients the opportunity to sign up for MyBassett in person.
Listens to patient’s request for an appointment, then schedules an outpatient appointment to meet the patient’s needs while following department scheduling guidelines. Offers alternate providers or locations when appropriate to meet the patient’s needs. Raises up patient’s needs that they cannot meet to the Supervisor or Supervising Nurse.
Accurately fills out the Interactive Face Sheet and confirms the demographic and insurance information of the patient, and updates as necessary.
Ensures patient preferences for communication are up to date. This will ensure appointment reminders are sent via mail, phone, or MyBassett to meet patient satisfactions.
Reminds patients that the collection of their co-pay will be expected at the time of the visit.
When scheduling, utilizes all available functions such as, Auto Search, Combine Departments, Schedule Scanner, etc. to ensure that the best possible appointment selection is made, for business operations and patient satisfaction.
Performs edits of daily appointment schedules at the request of their supervisor. Follows policy and procedure for rescheduling appointments and contacting patient directly to reschedule appointments, in accordance with BMG Directive. Directs any requests from providers or other staff to adjust appointment schedules to Supervisor for review and approval before acting.
Reviews the electronic Confirm List daily, to confirm appointments with patients 24-72 hours in advance of appointment.
Reviews automated reminder list (Televox, Phytel, or similar lists) as necessary in a timely manner.
Processes electronic or written requests for urgent referrals same day. Processes electronic or written routine referral requests within 24-72 hours.
In regard to referrals, ensures complete and accurate information is recorded in accordance with standard operating procedure to support reimbursement and regulatory compliance and patient care. When appropriate prior authorizations are obtained and documented appropriately within the referral.
Work the “Incoming” and “Outgoing” queues in your area according to departmental standards.
Follow up with “referred to” providers to ensure that patients kept their appointments, and all results have been received in the “referred by” providers office.
Displays ownership of the entire patient experience, including but not limited to, scheduling, registration, being aware of the patients' lobby experience, and completion of all referral duties.
Conveys to patient what payment is due based on Insurance Card or Insurance Verification system and request how patient will be paying today, via cash, check or credit card.
Receive and receipt all payments with no more than 2 minor errors per quarter as determined by daily cash up verification, and in accordance with finance policy and procedures.
Maintain and balance cash drawer daily with no more than 2 minor errors per quarter as determined by daily cash up verification, and in accordance with finance policy and procedures.
Date stamps in all incoming patient related information and delivers to appropriate provider or staff person for action on a daily basis.
Completes all basic patient demographic information on forms, such as Disability and Workers Comp before delivering to nurse or provider to complete.
Mails outgoing patient information such as lab letters and completed forms in accordance with Bassett Policy.
Prepares correspondence to patients and/or other entities as directed by providers or supervisors.
Prepares outside patient health information for scanning per Document Imaging procedures.
Completes indexing and scanning of hard-copy patient health information into electronic health record or packages and sent to HIM for scanning per Document Imaging procedures.
Sends requests for routine or subpoenaed medical record releases to assigned HIM location for processing (Regional HIM Hub site or Cooperstown HIM Department). Processes same day requests for Medical Records for patient care continuity as needed. Seeks assistance from HIM resources with any questions about how to process a release or what information to release.
Maintain appropriate inventory of office supplies and required forms for daily operations following established procedures.
Establishes and maintains departmental record keeping and filing systems. Classifies, sorts, distributes and/or files correspondence, articles, mail, records and other documents.
Opens and/or closes clinic per divisional guidelines. For 24-hour departments, appropriate hand-offs are made.
Covers at other locations or departments as requested, with orientation, performing like office functions.
Per protocol, staff member goes into waiting area to greet patient, and to inform them of any delays or changes in their appointment.
Patient is identified using 2 identifiers, such as name and date of birth, in accordance with National Patient Safety Goals.
Communicates patient issues/concerns to providers.
Ensures appropriate forms are given to all patients depending on appointment type and or specialty.
Assists the patient to navigate through all stages of their visit.
Patient Health Information is accessed to perform job responsibilities and for no other reason. Patient information is kept confidential and discussed on a need-to-know basis only.
Assumes responsibility for continuing education by maintaining competency in programs required for daily responsibilities, including clinical information systems, office automation systems and insurance issues.
Attends required in-services as requested by supervisor.
Identifies need for computer training or refresher courses and attends as necessary.
Attends 85-90% of all staff meetings as appropriate, reviewing minutes of any meetings missed with no more than 1 unexcused absence per year.
Maintains job specific knowledge and proficiency (may include insurance, scheduling, charge coding information and creation of open referrals) by attending meetings, training and reading all pertinent training documentation and memos.
Maintains a thorough knowledge and understanding of insurance and local carrier’s medical coverage policies as they relate to the Appointment.
Required to attend at least 4 educational opportunities per year, such as BIL opportunities, PARS opportunities etc.
Performs similar or related duties as requested or directed.