Patient Access Specialist, ED 2nd shift

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare • Lake Forest, IL

5d

About The Position

The Patient Access Specialist reflects Northwestern Medicine’s mission, vision, and values and follows its Code of Ethics, Corporate Compliance Program, policies, procedures, and applicable regulatory and accreditation standards. The role provides patient-focused service while collecting and verifying patient information, supporting scheduling and registration, and helping patients navigate relevant hospital systems. The position requires cross-training across departments to support coverage and may involve attending meetings that require walking within the Northwestern Medicine campus. The schedule is 1:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., with rotating weekends; schedules may change to meet 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 foster a positive team atmosphere.
• Respond to patient questions and concerns, resolve service issues when possible, and escalate extraordinary matters or issues requiring management attention.
• Maintain patient confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA and follow department and hospital policies and compliance requirements.
• Collect, identify, verify, and update patient demographic and registration information, including the minimum data set required for a complete registration.
• Coordinate with hospital departments and physician offices to schedule and direct patients through Northwestern Medicine systems.
• Contact patients to schedule appointments and communicate information about physician referrals, insurance referrals, consultations, and appointment issues.
• Perform medical necessity checks as needed and communicate options when an appointment does not meet requirements.
• Inform patients of issues securing a financial account and provide out-of-pocket estimates when requested.
• Collect authorization numbers in applicable systems and verify insurance eligibility and benefits using online tools or by phone.
• Run real-time eligibility checks, apply out-of-network policies as applicable, and monitor registration, scheduling, and insurance verification for quality standards.
• Use online order retrieval systems to verify or print patient orders; document order retrieval and provide accurate handoff instructions and notes in Epic.
• Proactively double-check tests, preparation requirements, possible conflicts, appointment time and location, relevant information, and duplicate patient records to help prevent visit issues.
• Analyze account activity, identify problems, and initiate appropriate actions or resolutions while avoiding patient financial or safety risks.
• Participate in quality assurance reviews and departmental quality-improvement activities; suggest process improvements and adjust processes to meet standards.
• Use department and organizational resources efficiently and complete tasks and assignments on time.
• Provide training and education as needed, serve as a resource for new staff and coworkers, and share workflow information.
• Communicate effectively and constructively across units and departments, support internal customers, accommodate different communication abilities, and demonstrate teamwork.
• Attend intra- or interdepartmental meetings as needed and communicate customer satisfaction issues to appropriate individuals.
• Learn and adapt as healthcare policies and business needs change, and perform other duties assigned by the manager.

Benefits

• Tuition reimbursement
• Loan forgiveness
• 401(k) matching
• A wide range of benefits intended to support employees’ 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