Patient Access Coordinator

South Shore Health • Weymouth, MA

17d • Onsite

About The Position

Under the guidance and direction of Patient Access Supervisors, the Patient Access Coordinator is an initial point of contact for patients entering South Shore Health for care. The role provides professional, culturally sensitive customer service and performs technical tasks to identify, register, and schedule patients in accordance with regulatory and compliance requirements. This position is located in the Emergency Department and is scheduled for 20 hours per week, from 3:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., including every other weekend and a holiday rotation.

The coordinator supports patient access operations across department areas, including scheduling, registration, bed placement, emergency department floor management, and the death process. The role uses the health system’s EHR and other computer programs, works with clinical and administrative teams to coordinate patient flow and placement, and supports manual processes during system downtime. The position also contributes to a culture of safety through adherence to patient identification, universal precautions, respiratory etiquette, and hospital emergency procedures.

Requirements

• At least one year of admitting experience to become proficient.
• Computer experience.
• Strong telephone and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated customer service skills.
• Knowledge of medical insurance.
• Problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
• Ability to meet a 98% accuracy standard for applicable identification, scheduling, registration, and registration-item processes.
• Ability to collect 30% of eligible copayments.
• Ability to work the stated Emergency Department schedule, including every other weekend and a holiday rotation.

Nice To Haves

• High school diploma preferred.
• Two years of college preferred.

Responsibilities

• Function across Patient Access Department areas and meet department standards for patient identification, scheduling, and registration accuracy.
• Collect eligible copayments and monitor and manage workflow in the health system’s EHR.
• Provide service with sensitivity to patients’ cultural needs and independently complete scheduling and registration processes while maintaining regulatory and compliance requirements.
• Coordinate bed placement with Patient Flow Facilitators, Nursing Leadership, physicians, nursing units, the ACC, Case Managers, and Emergency Department Nursing Leadership.
• Monitor bed occupancy and maintain appropriate bed numbers based on nursing staffing.
• Serve as a contact for attending physicians and nursing staff regarding patient information and placement, including specified pediatric, elective pre-operative, and chemotherapy admissions.
• Review elective surgical schedules and coordinate placement on appropriate specialty nursing floors.
• Monitor bed requests, assemble required federal and state paperwork, and enforce the physician suspension list in the Emergency Department floor manager role.
• Support patient arrival and ensure patients are identified, registered, and their regulatory needs are met.
• Support patient flow during system downtimes using manual processes.
• Manage death-related processes, including completing death certificate worksheets, contacting the State Medical Examiner for Emergency Department deaths, and coordinating with New England Organ Bank regarding release or donation.
• Review death records for agreement of date and time of death and medical-legal status, and release to funeral directors in accordance with Massachusetts law.
• Use department computer programs, internal and external websites, insurance eligibility systems, and the computer downtime process; manage own API timecard system.
• Follow patient identification policies, understand responsibilities during hospital codes, adhere to universal precautions and respiratory etiquette, and complete NIMS 100 training.
• Manage scheduling requests and ensure patients are identified in the EHR and scheduled for the appropriate appointment type.
• Schedule, cancel, and reschedule appointments and manage waitlists for designated areas; complete daily assignments independently.
• Complete required registration items accurately, including demographics, patient identification, scanning and photographing required information, insurance eligibility review, and referrals to financial counseling as needed.
• Accurately check patients in for elective, emergent, and urgent care.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Education Level: No Education Listed