Patient Access Team Lead

UnityPoint Health•Fort Dodge, IA

About The Position

The Patient Access Team Lead is responsible for supervising patient access operations, including registration, scheduling, and insurance verification, ensuring efficient workflows and compliance with policies. The role provides leadership and training to staff, resolves complex billing and patient concerns, and implements quality assurance initiatives to enhance patient satisfaction. The role manages departmental schedules, supports financial counselling, and collaborates with healthcare providers to ensure seamless patient experiences and maximize operational efficiency. Why UnityPoint Health? At UnityPoint Health, you matter. We’re proud to be recognized as a Top 150 Place to Work in Healthcare by Becker's Healthcare several years in a row for our commitment to our team members. Our competitive Total Rewards program offers benefits options that align with your needs and priorities, no matter what life stage you’re in. Here are just a few: Expect paid time off, parental leave, 401K matching and an employee recognition program . Dental and health insurance, paid holidays, short and long-term disability and more. We even offer pet insurance for your four-legged family members. Early access to earned wages with Daily Pay, tuition reimbursement to help further your career and adoption assistance to help you grow your family . With a collective goal to champion a culture of belonging where everyone feels valued and respected, we honor the ways people are unique and embrace what brings us together. And, we believe equipping you with support and development opportunities is a vital part of delivering an exceptional employment experience. Find a fulfilling career and make a difference with UnityPoint Health.

Requirements

High School Diploma or equivalent required
Two years of customer service OR healthcare related experience required
Patient Registration & Scheduling: Proficiency in assisting patients with check-in, check out, appointment scheduling, and follow-ups while ensuring accuracy and efficiency.
Insurance Verification & Eligibility: Ability to verify insurance benefits, coverage, and pre authorizations through online portals or direct communication with carriers.
Financial Transactions & Payment Collection: Ability to collect co-payments, outstanding balances, and patient financial responsibilities while ensuring compliance with financial policies
Regulatory and Compliance: Knowledge of Healthcare laws and patient rights
EMR System Proficiency: Knowledge of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) software to efficiently manage patient data, appointments, and clinical workflows.
Administrative Support: Ability to provide general administrative support, including scheduling, maintaining departmental records, and coordinating team activities.
Financial Counseling: Ability to provide guidance to patients on their financial responsibilities, including explaining insurance coverage, out-of-pocket costs, payment plans, and helping them navigate billing and financial assistance options.
Customer Service: Ability to interact effectively with internal staff, external partners, and customers, handling inquiries and aiding as needed.
Time Management: Ability to prioritize, organize, and efficiently allocate time to ensure quality patient care and workplace efficiency.
Problem-Solving: Strong problem-solving skills to address and resolve inquiries, issues, or discrepancies quickly and effectively.
Leadership & Team Management: Ability to lead and motivate a team, ensuring effective communication, productivity, and training to enhance team performance.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s degree in Business, Finance, Health Information Management, or related field preferred

Responsibilities

Provides exceptional customer service, greeting patients and visitors with professionalism, addressing concerns and inquiries to enhance the patient experience.
Interviews patients and family members to obtain accurate demographic and financial data during the registration process, ensuring a smooth patient experience.
Oversees patient flow processes across all areas, ensuring efficient transitions between departments and facilitating patient movement to nursing units.
Ensures compliance with hospital policies and regulatory requirements, including Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guidelines to maintain patient confidentiality and operational efficiency.
Ensures accurate registration and verification of patient information in the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system, including precertification requirements, and collaborates with the Central Billing Office to correct patient accounts.
Receives and records payments on patient accounts to maintain financial accuracy and supports managing department supplies, ensuring timely orders and organized storage for efficient operations.
Resolves complex billing discrepancies, ensuring precise charge allocation, reducing patient denials, and contributing to the optimization of the revenue cycle for maximum reimbursement and efficient billing operations.
Implements quality assurance initiatives, conducting audits and generating reports to analyse trends, drive process improvements, and ensure exceptional patient satisfaction and operational performance.
Provides leadership, communication, and planning to oversee Patient Access staff, ensuring quality work, compliance, and effective collaboration across departments.
Develops and maintains department policies and procedures, coordinates schedules, and monitors productivity to ensure adequate coverage and efficiency.
Supports the Epic Patient Access system, training new staff on registration, scheduling, and other related tasks to ensure smooth workflow.
Assists with the hiring, screening, and orientation of new staff, including providing competency evaluations and ongoing training to support staff development.
Leads departmental meetings, including preparing agendas, taking minutes, and distributing key information to staff to ensure alignment with organizational goals.
Keeps up to date with industry changes, such as insurance policies, pre-certification requirements, and government regulations, ensuring that all procedures align with current best practices.