Patient Access Specialist, Ambulatory Float - Full-Time, Days

UChicago Medicine•Chicago, IL

5d•$60,300 - $70,400•Onsite

About The Position

UChicago Medicine is hiring a Patient Access Specialist to work with the Ambulatory Float Pool team at DCAM - Hyde Park. The role is 100% onsite and requires the employee to be based in the greater Chicagoland area. The specialist works under direct supervision and in collaboration with the care team and related departments to guide patients and caregivers through cancer center services. The role coordinates services and appointments for new patients across multiple providers and ancillary departments before and through their first visit, ensuring timely, compassionate, and efficient access to care. The position generally involves approximately 40 hours per week on a Monday–Friday day schedule, approximately 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., with no on-call shifts. Work is anticipated to be 75% at the Hyde Park campus and 25% at various offsite locations. The role is classified as full-time (1.0 FTE) and non-union.

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience working in a high-volume healthcare environment.
Excellent organizational skills and well-developed written, telephone, and personal communication skills.
Ability to exercise diplomacy and tact, with excellent customer service and interpersonal communication skills.
Cultural sensitivity and demonstrated ability to work with diverse groups.
Ability to multitask and prioritize.
Compassionate listening skills when supporting patients and families experiencing distress related to a new diagnosis or the course of disease.
Strong interest in and desire for extensive patient and family interaction.
Experience with and a high commitment to customer service.
Discretion, good judgment, and ability to maintain patient confidentiality.
Ability to interact independently and professionally with clinicians and personnel inside and outside UChicago Medicine.
Ability to recognize when to escalate issues to maximize patient access.
Ability to work under pressure, solve problems, and follow through with effective solutions.
Proficiency in understanding medical terminology through experience or certification.
Proficiency with Microsoft-based Office software.
Knowledge of scheduling templates, insurance verification, hospital billing practices, and HIPAA regulations.

Responsibilities

Oversee scheduling of new cancer patients’ initial appointments with appropriate providers and coordinate complex joint appointments, referrals, lab testing, and imaging before the first visit.
Proactively prepare patients and caregivers for initial visits by addressing anticipated questions, explaining what to expect, providing parking and wayfinding information, and reviewing visit itineraries.
Direct patient and caregiver questions and concerns to appropriate clinicians, administrative staff, and providers.
Obtain patient authorizations for records and work with New Patient Associates to verify that medical records, pathology slides and specimens, faxes, and other materials needed for the initial visit have arrived.
Collaborate with the pre-visit team to obtain prior insurance authorizations and communicate with patients and caregivers throughout the process.
Connect patients experiencing socioeconomic issues with appropriate financial, social work, transportation, and other services.
Build relationships and collaborate with internal physicians, nursing staff, hospital personnel, and members of the referring community and strategic partners.
Attend appropriate multidisciplinary meetings and maintain knowledge of cancer-related terminology, common procedures, current treatment protocols, and available internal and external resources.
Provide information about appropriate clinical trials and disease diagnoses using web or printed materials.
Maintain statistics and generate reports to identify patient needs, trends, referral patterns, access barriers, and outcomes related to the Oncology Support Coordinator role, supporting continuous service and access improvements.
Perform other related duties as assigned.