Patient Access Specialist I | Admissions

Monument Health•Rapid City, SD

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Access Specialist I is responsible for the integrity of front-end patient access and registration functions, supporting patient care and the revenue cycle. The role serves as a primary point of contact for patients entering the facility or department and provides service to patients, families, physicians, clinicians, and internal departments. No prior experience is necessary to begin a healthcare career in this role. The position collects and verifies patient, guarantor, and coverage information; supports financial clearance and patient account needs; performs registration, scheduling, and business office tasks; and helps patients navigate services. The specialist is expected to follow revenue cycle, regulatory, compliance, safety, and attendance requirements, and may assist clinical teams with patient movement or transportation.

Requirements

Ability to work assigned schedules and hours as determined by the department.
Ability to perform medium work: exert up to 10 pounds of force constantly, up to 25 pounds frequently, and up to 50 pounds occasionally or seldomly to move objects.
Possible exposure to blood, bodily fluids, or tissues.
Compliance with Monument Health policies and procedures, including attendance, compliance, and safety requirements.

Nice To Haves

High school diploma or GED equivalent.
At least 1 year of customer service experience.
At least 1 year of patient relations experience.
At least 1 year of medical patient accounts or financial services experience.

Responsibilities

Accurately collect patient demographics, confirm identity and guarantor assignment, and obtain and verify coverage information and required check-in or admission documents.
Follow Revenue Cycle guidelines and participate in quality assurance and improvement activities.
Demonstrate knowledge of payer information and benefits, including Medicare, Medicaid, commercial payers, and third-party liability payers.
Perform point-of-service collections, reconcile the cash drawer daily, and provide basic account reconciliation.
Provide cost estimates for scheduled services, initiate financial clearance, escalate financial clearance needs, and review authorization and referral records.
Distribute and obtain required forms and signatures, including treatment consents, financial agreements, ABN/waivers, and other regulatory forms.
Perform business office duties, including handling calls and messages, patient and departmental communications, scanning and faxing, taxi vouchers, mail distribution, lost and found, and safe and valuables tasks.
Provide service excellence through reception, way-finding, and friendly, attentive communication that supports patients' emotional and physical needs.
Obtain referrals and order transcription when applicable to the service area.
Schedule patients, complete check-out and pre-arrival management, and manage patient wait lists and recall lists according to protocols.
Maintain registration-related work queues and resolve errors on an ongoing basis.
Use the electronic medical record for tasks involving advanced directives, release of information, and patient portal proxy forms; educate patients on the basic purpose and regulations of these items.
Address patient account inquiries and resolve or escalate them as appropriate.
Work beyond normally scheduled shifts when required and comply with Monument Health's Attendance Policy.
Perform patient movement activities in the electronic medical record and arrange patient transportation or other enabling services when needed.
Assist the clinical care team as needed, including providing transport under clinical team direction.
Attend mandatory education, compliance, and safety sessions; comply with current and future policies and procedures; and report directly to the supervisor.
Perform other duties as assigned.