Patient Access Specialist - Part Time Evenings

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare • Mchenry, IL

12d • $18 - $28

About The Position

The Patient Access Specialist supports Northwestern Medicine’s patient-first mission by providing customer service and administrative support throughout patient scheduling and registration. The role collects and verifies patient demographic, insurance, authorization, and order information; helps patients navigate referrals, consultations, appointments, and financial account questions; and documents accurate information and handoffs in Epic and other systems. The specialist follows HIPAA requirements, organizational policies, compliance standards, and quality measures, while working with patients, hospital departments, physicians’ offices, and coworkers to support a positive patient experience and efficient operations. The position is part-time, 20 hours per week (0.5 FTE), with evening hours from 4:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. The schedule alternates: Tuesday and Saturday in week one, and Sunday, Thursday, and Friday in week two. Cross-training between departments may be required, and the schedule may change to reflect 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 efficiently 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 exceptional, patient-first customer service and respond to patient questions and concerns.
• Escalate extraordinary issues and customer satisfaction concerns to the appropriate team lead, operations coordinator, or management.
• Maintain patient confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA regulations.
• Collect and accurately verify patient demographic information and other data required for complete registration.
• Schedule and direct patients through Northwestern Medicine systems in a patient-friendly manner, including contacting patients to schedule appointments as defined.
• Perform medical necessity checks when needed and communicate options when an appointment does not meet requirements.
• Inform patients about issues securing their financial account and complete out-of-pocket estimates when requested.
• Communicate with patients about physician referrals, insurance referrals, consultations, and authorization numbers.
• Verify insurance eligibility and benefits using online tools or by phone, run real-time eligibility checks, and follow applicable out-of-network policies.
• Retrieve or print patient orders using online systems and document accurate handoff instructions and notes in Epic.
• Proactively check visit details, test requirements, preparations, scheduling conflicts, time and location, order retrieval documentation, and duplicate patient records.
• Analyze account activity, identify issues, and initiate appropriate resolutions.
• Participate in quality assurance and quality improvement activities, monitor registration and scheduling quality, and adjust processes as needed to meet standards.
• Use service recovery skills to resolve problems or service breakdowns and avoid putting patients at financial or safety risk.
• Suggest process improvements that enhance customer service and operational efficiency.
• Help train new staff and serve as a resource for coworkers on processes and workflows.
• Collaborate across departments, support staff in departments providing direct patient care, and help coworkers as needed.
• Manage work efficiently, complete assignments on time, attend relevant meetings as needed, and perform other duties assigned by the manager.
• Use department and hospital policies, procedures, and resources appropriately, and adapt as healthcare policies and business needs change.

Benefits

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