Patient Access Specialist, Overnights, Full Time

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare • Palos Heights, IL

1d

About The Position

The Patient Access Specialist supports Northwestern Medicine’s patient-first mission by providing customer service and assisting patients with scheduling, registration, insurance verification, and related administrative processes. The role follows organizational policies, procedures, compliance requirements, and applicable regulatory and accreditation standards, while protecting patient confidentiality and avoiding financial or safety risks to patients.

The specialist collects and verifies patient information, helps patients navigate referrals and appointments, checks medical necessity and insurance eligibility, communicates financial account issues and out-of-pocket estimates, and records accurate notes and handoff instructions in Epic. The position works with patients, physicians’ offices, hospital departments, and scheduling staff; supports colleagues and new staff through training and shared workflow knowledge; and contributes to quality assurance and process improvement. Cross-training across departments may be required to provide coverage, and schedules may change in response to business needs.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• 2–3 years of customer service or medical office experience.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in English.
• Proficiency in computer data entry and typing; ability to type 40 words per minute.
• Basic computer skills and ability to use computer applications required for the position.
• Ability to multitask.
• Customer-service orientation.
• Excellent organizational, time-management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

• Additional education.
• Additional language skills.
• Healthcare finance and/or healthcare insurance experience.
• Knowledge and experience in a healthcare setting, especially patient scheduling and/or registration.

Responsibilities

• Provide courteous, patient-first customer service and respond to patient questions and concerns, escalating extraordinary issues when appropriate.
• Maintain patient confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA regulations.
• Collect, identify, and verify patient demographic and registration information according to organizational standards.
• Interact with hospital departments and physicians’ offices to schedule and direct patients through Northwestern Medicine systems.
• Contact patients to schedule appointments as defined.
• Perform medical necessity checks for scheduled services when needed and explain options if an appointment does not meet requirements.
• Inform patients about issues securing the financial account for an encounter and complete out-of-pocket estimates when requested.
• Communicate information about physician referrals, insurance referrals, and consultations; collect authorization numbers in applicable systems.
• Use online order retrieval systems to verify or print patient orders and verify insurance eligibility and benefits using online tools or by phone.
• Run real-time eligibility checks, follow applicable out-of-network policies, and document accurate scheduling handoffs and notes in Epic.
• Prevent visit issues by checking test type, preparation requirements, conflicts with other tests, time and location, order retrieval documentation, and duplicate patient records.
• Collect and verify the minimum required data set and update information in the registration system.
• Analyze account activity, identify problems, and initiate appropriate resolutions; monitor registration, scheduling, and insurance verification for quality standards.
• Participate in quality assurance and departmental quality improvement activities, and suggest process improvements.
• Use effective service-recovery skills and department policies to resolve service breakdowns and operational issues.
• Collaborate across units and departments, support internal customers and direct-care staff, and help coworkers as needed.
• Provide training and education as needed and act as a resource for new staff and coworkers.
• Manage work efficiently, complete assignments on time, use resources effectively, and adapt to changing schedules and healthcare policies.
• Complete other duties assigned by the manager.

Benefits

• 401(k) matching
• Tuition reimbursement
• Loan forgiveness
• A wide range of benefits intended to support physical, emotional, and financial well-being and provide protection for unexpected life events

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: High school or GED