Patient Registrar, Patient Registration

Heywood Hospital•Gardner, MA

About The Position

The Patient Registrar is responsible for accurately and promptly registering and scheduling patients in a variety of settings, including the Emergency Department, Admitting, and the Scheduling Office. The role also provides coverage for switchboard operators and scheduling office staff. Duties include registering patient accounts, verifying insurance, and ensuring authorizations are valid. The position requires thorough collection and confirmation of patient demographic and insurance details, coordination with clinical staff on bed assignments and patient flow, and communication with insurance companies, physicians’ offices, and patients. The registrar may also cover receptionist, scheduling, and switchboard operations as assigned, assist with training new employees, and help maintain efficient departmental systems and processes.

Requirements

High school graduate or equivalent.
Medical terminology, spelling competence, and computer experience are essential.
Excellent communication skills and the ability to perform multiple tasks with minimal supervision.
Ability to deal effectively and courteously with the public, physicians, and hospital personnel in a high-volume setting.
Accuracy is critical for patient care and financial purposes.

Nice To Haves

Formal training beyond a high school diploma.
Referral and/or third-party billing experience.
Knowledge of Meditech.

Responsibilities

Conduct patient registration interviews to obtain accurate demographic and insurance information.
Complete non-patient registrations accurately.
Obtain required patient or representative signatures for Medical Records.
Verify insurance eligibility, benefits, and mailing addresses for inpatient, observation, SDC, and outpatient accounts within the specified timeframes.
Collaborate with patient care staff on bed assignments, notify the Emergency Department and physicians of bed availability, and ensure charts are delivered to the floor promptly.
Obtain surgery information from surgeons’ offices and generate pre-operation and surgical account numbers.
Facilitate the admitting portion of pre-operative testing to support accurate account information and patient flow to Surgical Day Care.
Prioritize and reprioritize work according to changing customer needs.
Perform assigned scheduling office, receptionist desk, and switchboard duties when providing coverage.
File outpatient orders accurately and understand standing orders and the process for notifying physicians of expiration dates.
Assist the manager with training new employees on patient access processes.
Maintain knowledge of registration policies and procedures, and cover Emergency Department Registration staff breaks and days off.
Assist Emergency Department staff during high-volume periods or trauma situations.
Maintain knowledge of Admitting, Outpatient, and Emergency Department Registration computer downtime procedures.
Contribute to the design, development, and maintenance of systems that support efficient department operations.
Access electronic and web-based payer systems to obtain eligibility information.
Register MABRs within one hour of receipt.
Contact insurance companies and physician offices to ensure Endo authorizations are complete and accurate.
Notify the supervisor promptly of backlogs or obstacles preventing completion of assigned work.
Attend at least eight department staff meetings per year.
Complete status changes accurately and notify insurance companies when needed.
Spell information correctly, particularly diagnoses on documents.
Compile requested daily, weekly, and monthly data and statistics accurately, including the daily duty board.
Enter and scan insurance authorizations accurately when paperwork is provided.
Recognize problems and contact the insurance company or physician’s office as appropriate.
Demonstrate a positive, receptive, cooperative, committed, and optimistic attitude and comply with performance standards for telephone etiquette, directions, first impressions, and patient wait times.