Patient Registrar

Mercyhealth Wisconsin and Illinois•Rockford, IL

3d•$17 - $26

About The Position

The Patient Registrar greets and assists patients, visitors, and customers; completes patient arrivals, registrations, admissions, and check-ins; and supports accurate, timely processing of patient information and billing. The role includes identifying patients who may need immediate care, monitoring waiting areas, and alerting triage nursing staff when patient conditions change. The registrar also supports patients and hospital teams during admissions, service disruptions, and changing operational needs. The position requires strong customer service, communication, judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to work calmly in emotional or demanding situations. Registrars collaborate with patients, families, clinical partners, financial counselors, nursing staff, outside EMS/EMT agencies, and other departments. They may work alternate shifts, weekends, and overtime during peak periods, and may assist at various hospital locations.

Requirements

One to two years of customer service experience required.
High school graduate or equivalent preferred.
Knowledge of computer systems, including navigation, typing, and data entry.
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Detail-oriented, with excellent problem-solving, conflict-management, time-management, and stress-management skills in emotional or demanding situations.
Ability to use good judgment and independent decision-making within established practices and procedures.
Interpersonal skills to obtain needed information from patients and communicate it to partners and providers.
Ability to work independently and collaborate in a team environment.
Self-starter with willingness to try new ideas and a positive, can-do attitude coupled with a sense of urgency.

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

Greet patients, visitors, and customers in a friendly and professional manner, anticipate their needs, and provide assistance or direct them to appropriate resources.
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 registration based on complaint severity, monitor waiting areas for changing conditions, and alert the triage RN when re-evaluation may be needed.
Select the correct electronic medical record using required patient identifiers and enter complaints, symptoms, arrival information, demographic, guarantor, and billing information in EPIC.
Generate patient armbands, face sheets, and labels; verify information before applying armbands, including during traumas or other chaotic situations.
Obtain required signatures and documents for inpatient and outpatient registrations, including Medicare forms within required timeframes; provide admission information such as the VIP Folder when needed.
Verify and update insurance information, identify out-of-network or uninsured patients, complete related paperwork and account notes, and coordinate with appropriate ED partners and patient financial counselors.
Identify primary and secondary payees, complete Medicare Secondary Payer Questionnaires (MSPQ) as required, and collect applicable copayments, self-pay payments, and, in some cases, service prepayments.
Coordinate patients into the appropriate unit and notify other departments when patients arrive; assist outside EMS/EMT agencies with patient arrivals and billing paperwork.
Perform pre-admission and pre-registration functions and properly secure and return patient valuables in accordance with Mercyhealth policy.
Assist hospital staff during EPIC downtime or disaster mode and help nursing staff arrange transportation vouchers and payment for transportation services.
Maintain an accurate cash drawer and close and balance it at the end of each shift in accordance with cash-handling policy.
Manage work queues to resolve registration errors and support timely patient billing.
Determine when interpreter services are needed and use them effectively.
Log in, answer, return, and transfer 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, use service-recovery skills, and provide accurate information and timely updates.
Remain flexible and reliable as duties and workload change; manage schedules and assignments to complete work on time.
Complete travel-screening questionnaires for patients, visitors, and customers entering the facility; track visitors as appropriate under current hospital guidelines; and provide directions or escort people as needed.
Help coworkers across departments and communicate clearly and promptly with leadership, charge nurses, physicians, and partners.
Use sound judgment to notify leadership of unusual occurrences or situations requiring attention, and use organizational and departmental resources efficiently.
Follow local, state, and federal healthcare regulations; perform light cleaning in registration, lobby, or waiting-room areas; and complete required educational courses.
Work alternate shifts, weekends, and overtime during peak periods when required, and perform other duties as assigned.