Patient Registrar

Mercyhealth Wisconsin and Illinois•Rockford, IL

6d•$17 - $26

About The Position

The Patient Registrar greets and assists patients, visitors, and customers; performs patient arrivals, registrations, admissions, and pre-registration functions; and supports accurate, timely processing of patient information. The role identifies patients who may need immediate care, prioritizes registration by complaint severity, monitors waiting areas, and alerts nursing staff when patient conditions may require reassessment. It also gathers and enters demographic, guarantor, billing, and insurance information in EPIC; obtains required signatures and documents; handles payments and cash drawers; and resolves registration errors through work queues. The Patient Registrar coordinates with patients, families, clinical staff, financial counselors, EMS/EMT agencies, and other departments. Additional duties include answering and routing calls, assisting during EPIC downtime or disaster mode, monitoring security systems, providing directions or escorts, tracking visitors as appropriate, and maintaining a professional, helpful presence. The position may require alternate shifts, weekends, and overtime during peak periods, as well as work at various hospital locations. The role has no supervisory responsibilities and requires some independent judgment within standard practices and procedures.

Requirements

One to two years of customer service experience required.
High school graduation or equivalent preferred.
Knowledge of computer systems, including navigation, typing, and data entry.
Detail oriented, with strong oral and written communication skills.
Strong problem-solving, conflict-management, time-management, and stress-management skills in highly emotional and demanding situations.
Ability to use good judgment and independent decision-making within standard practices and procedures.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
Interpersonal skills to obtain needed information from patients and communicate it to partners and providers.
Willingness to adapt to frequent changes in duties and workload and to work alternate shifts, weekends, and overtime during peak periods as required.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of third-party payors.
Knowledge of medical terminology.
EPIC knowledge.

Responsibilities

Greet and assist patients, visitors, and customers with a friendly, professional demeanor; respond to their needs and handle difficult interactions calmly.
Participate in team-building, continuous quality improvement, and educational activities; provide shadowing and training to new partners.
Arrive patients to the ER and Urgent Care; sign in or check in hospital outpatient visits; admit surgical and direct-admit patients; and schedule and check in hospital outpatient lab patients.
Visually assess patients at registration, prioritize registrations by severity of complaint, monitor waiting areas, and alert the triage RN when reassessment may be needed.
Use required patient identifiers to select the correct electronic medical record and enter complaints, symptoms, arrival information, demographics, guarantor details, and billing information in EPIC.
Generate patient armbands, face sheets, and labels; verify information and apply armbands during traumas or other chaotic situations.
Obtain required signatures and documents for inpatient and outpatient registrations, including Medicare forms within the required timeframe; provide admission information such as VIP folders when needed.
Verify and update insurance information; identify out-of-network and uninsured patients; complete required paperwork and account notes; coordinate with appropriate ED partners and patient financial counselors; identify primary and secondary payees; and complete MSPQs for Medicare patients as required.
Collect applicable copayments, self-pay payments, and, in some cases, prepayments for services.
Coordinate patients into appropriate units, notify departments when patients arrive, and assist EMS/EMT agencies with patient arrivals and billing paperwork.
Perform pre-admission and pre-registration functions; properly secure and return patient valuables in accordance with policy.
Assist hospital staff during EPIC downtime or disaster mode and assist nursing staff with transportation vouchers and transportation-service payments.
Maintain an accurate cash drawer and close and balance it at the end of each shift according to cash-handling policy.
Manage work queues to resolve registration errors so patient bills can be processed promptly.
Determine when interpreter services are needed and use them effectively.
Log, answer, return, and transfer incoming telephone inquiries and make outbound calls as needed.
Monitor security cameras and door-entry systems and communicate relevant information to appropriate staff, patients, or visitors.
Address questions and concerns promptly, identify appropriate resources, and use service-recovery skills to resolve problems or service breakdowns.
Adapt to changes in duties and workload, manage work schedules efficiently, and complete assignments on time.
Complete travel-screening questionnaires for people entering the facility; track visitors as needed under current guidelines; and provide directions or escort patients and visitors to the correct area.
Demonstrate teamwork across departments and communicate clearly and promptly with leadership, charge nurses, physicians, and partners.
Use good judgment to notify leadership of unusual occurrences or situations requiring attention; use organizational and departmental resources efficiently; and follow local, state, and federal healthcare regulations.
Perform light-duty cleaning of registration, lobby, and waiting-room areas; complete required educational courses; and perform other assigned duties.
Work alternate shifts, weekends, and overtime during peak periods when required.