Patient Access Services, Associate - Communications / Switchboard, Evenings

Stony Brook University•Southampton, NY

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Access Communications/Switchboard Associate works in Patient Access Services at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. The position supports patient registration and related administrative functions, ensuring registrations comply with departmental policies and procedures. It also handles switchboard operations and assists patients, staff, visitors, and vendors with inquiries and communications. The associate collaborates with nursing, non-clinical, and other professional staff to support efficient process flow and compliance with regulatory and contractual requirements. Responsibilities include gathering and verifying patient, insurance, and financial information; explaining forms and obtaining signatures; reviewing registrations for accuracy; collecting applicable patient payments; and referring self-pay patients to financial assistance representatives. The role also requires maintaining knowledge of insurance and managed care guidelines, using insurance eligibility systems, resolving registration account errors, and following confidentiality, privacy, and documentation requirements. This role may require commuting to the hospital and offsite facilities, occasional travel to other locations to support operational needs, and work schedule or pass-day changes as necessary. The position may be designated essential during institutional emergencies and may require respiratory protection. The hospital is a smoke-free environment.

Requirements

Associate’s degree, or a high school diploma/GED plus two years of combined experience in Revenue Cycle, a medical office, or a business office.
Strong communication, interpersonal, and multitasking skills.
Computer literacy and customer service skills.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of health insurance to help patients understand their medical insurance benefits.
Experience with CPT, ICD-10, and medical terminology.

Responsibilities

Support patient registration and general office duties, including word processing, copying, filing, faxing, answering phones, and data entry.
Conduct patient interviews during scheduling and registration to gather and confirm demographic details, insurance information, and financial obligations.
Verify prescriptions, diagnoses, referring providers, and services based on facility and patient availability.
Explain required forms and obtain signatures as appropriate.
Review and evaluate patient registrations for accuracy of demographic and financial information.
Collect co-payments, deductibles, and co-insurance amounts according to the patient’s insurance plan and contractual agreement.
Refer self-pay patients to a financial aid or self-pay representative.
Operate telephone switchboards and consoles to connect, hold, transfer, and disconnect calls.
Determine the nature of inquiries and provide general information.
Connect callers to the appropriate extension, redirect calls, or place callers in a waiting queue when a number is busy.
Provide external connections for staff and answer internal inquiries directed to the switchboard.
Maintain positive customer service with patients, colleagues, visitors, and vendors, using diplomacy and tact.
Maintain current knowledge of insurance information, managed care guidelines, and designated networks based on managed care contracts.
Use data-retrieval insurance eligibility systems.
Manage RQA reports by resolving errors and producing corrected accounts.
Collaborate with other departments to meet patient and departmental needs.
Follow documentation guidelines and company and department policies, including confidentiality, regulatory, contractual, and HR requirements.
Follow hospital confidentiality and privacy protocols, including HIPAA requirements.
Comply with the departmental dress code and maintain a neat appearance.
Perform other department-specific duties as assigned by Patient Access leadership.