Patient Access Specialist (Part-Time, Evening Shift)

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare•Winfield, IL

19d•$18 - $28

About The Position

The Patient Access Specialist reflects Northwestern Medicine’s mission, vision, and values, follows its Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with applicable policies, procedures, regulatory requirements, and accreditation standards. The role provides patient-centered customer service while supporting accurate patient registration, scheduling, insurance verification, and related access processes. The position works 20 hours per week (0.5 FTE), from 3:30 p.m. to midnight, on the night shift. Cross-training between departments may be required to ensure coverage, and 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.
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 create a positive first impression of Northwestern Medicine.
Respond to patient questions and concerns, resolve service problems using service-recovery skills, and escalate extraordinary issues when appropriate.
Maintain patient confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA and avoid putting patients at financial or safety risk.
Accurately identify patients, collect and verify demographic information, and maintain complete registration records.
Interact with hospital departments, physician offices, and patients to schedule and direct patients through Northwestern Medicine systems.
Contact patients to schedule appointments and perform medical necessity checks as needed; communicate options when an appointment fails medical necessity review.
Communicate issues related to securing financial accounts and provide out-of-pocket estimates when requested.
Communicate information about physician referrals, insurance referrals, and consultations, and collect authorization numbers in applicable systems.
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.
Use computer applications efficiently and send clear, accurate, grammatically correct Epic messages and telephone encounters.
Prevent visit issues by confirming test types, preparation requirements, scheduling conflicts, times, locations, and order documentation, and by checking for duplicate patient records.
Analyze account activity, identify problems, and initiate appropriate actions or resolutions.
Monitor registration, scheduling, and insurance verification to ensure prescribed quality standards are met; adjust processes as needed.
Participate in quality assurance reviews and departmental quality-improvement activities, and suggest process improvements.
Understand and work toward departmental and individual quality metrics while using organizational and departmental resources efficiently.
Train and educate others as needed, support new staff, and share workflow and process information with coworkers.
Collaborate professionally across departments, support staff in departments providing direct patient care, and help coworkers.
Manage work efficiently, complete tasks on time, learn as healthcare policies change, and perform other assigned duties.