Patient Access Specialist

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare • Winfield, IL

10d • $18 - $28

About The Position

The Patient Access Specialist supports Northwestern Medicine’s patient-first mission by providing customer service and helping patients navigate scheduling, registration, insurance verification, and related financial-account processes. The role follows NMHC’s policies, procedures, Code of Ethics, Corporate Compliance Program, and applicable regulatory and accreditation standards. The position works 3:30 p.m. to 12:00 a.m., with a stated schedule of 40 hours per week (1.0 FTE).

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, including the ability to type 40 words per minute.
• Basic computer skills and ability to use computer applications efficiently.
• 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, exceptional customer service and foster a positive, team-oriented atmosphere for patients and coworkers.
• Respond to questions and concerns, resolve service breakdowns, and escalate extraordinary issues or concerns to management or the appropriate team lead.
• Protect patient confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA and avoid putting patients at financial or safety risk.
• Collect, identify, and verify patient demographic and registration information according to organizational standards; maintain accurate patient data and participate in quality assurance reviews.
• Coordinate patient scheduling and direction through NMHC systems, including contacting patients to schedule appointments and communicating information about referrals, consultations, and insurance referrals.
• Perform medical necessity checks, explain options when an appointment does not meet requirements, communicate financial-account issues, and provide out-of-pocket estimates when requested.
• Collect authorization numbers and complete accurate handoff instructions and notes for scheduling staff in Epic.
• Use online order-retrieval systems to verify or print patient orders and online tools or telephone calls to verify insurance eligibility and benefit levels; run real-time eligibility checks and follow applicable out-of-network policies.
• Check appointment details, including test type, preparation requirements, conflicts, time, location, order documentation, and duplicate patient records, to help prevent issues with patient visits.
• Monitor registration and scheduling, including insurance verification, to meet quality standards; understand and work toward departmental quality metrics.
• Analyze account activity, identify problems, and initiate appropriate resolutions; suggest and participate in process improvements and quality-improvement activities.
• Communicate constructively across units and departments, support internal customers, accommodate differing communication abilities, and help coworkers.
• Provide training and education as needed and serve as a workflow resource for new staff and coworkers.
• Manage work efficiently, complete assignments on time, use resources effectively, and adapt to changing business needs and healthcare policies.
• Attend relevant interdepartmental meetings, which may involve walking within the NM Campus, and complete other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Tuition reimbursement
• Loan forgiveness
• 401(k) matching
• A 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
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED