Patient Scheduling Associate

The University of Kansas Health System•Westwood, KS

About The Position

The Patient Scheduling Associate provides customer service while scheduling routine new and follow-up appointments requested by patients and providers, contacting patients about specialty referrals, and assisting with insurance registration for outpatient clinics. The position may work away from a clinical front desk, including in a high-volume call center. Call center employees may have the opportunity to work remotely from home after demonstrating consistent competency in their duties. In a clinical location, the associate supports front desk operations, including greeting and checking in patients and visitors, collecting copays, processing appointment requests in MyChart and the EMR, handling external medical records, and helping the physician care team prepare for appointments. The associate manages incoming and outgoing calls, appointment requests, referrals, order entry, registration documentation, insurance verification, pre-certification and preauthorization tasks, and patient follow-up scheduling. The role supports patients with MyChart and self-check-in, maintains accurate and confidential records, communicates relevant policies and service information, and works with providers and clinical and ancillary teams to support patient care. Duties may vary by department or unit, and other duties may be assigned as required.

Requirements

High school graduate or GED.
At least six months of direct customer service experience in a health care field.
Fluent English, including the ability to read, write, speak, and understand English.
Basic computer skills, including Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, and Teams.
Ability to maintain patient confidentiality.
Strong customer service skills focused on problem resolution.
Ability to perform the professional, clinical, or technical competencies of the assigned unit or department.

Nice To Haves

College coursework completed toward an associate or bachelor's degree.
At least one year of direct customer service experience in a health care, hospital, or contact center environment.

Responsibilities

Respond to high volumes of incoming telephone calls promptly, provide accurate exam preparation information, and maintain scheduling productivity.
Coordinate patient itineraries that may include multiple appointments, and educate patients about medical records and documentation needed for appointments.
Verify patient demographics and insurance information; complete the Medicare Secondary Payer Questionnaire, prepare and scan documents, update records, and process referrals, orders, and appointment requests.
Protect patient confidentiality, obtain signatures on consent and financial forms, identify insurance plans and procedures requiring approval, and complete required pre-certifications and preauthorizations.
Schedule internal and external referrals and enter, cancel, or modify orders in the hospital information system or on manual requisition forms; review orders for accuracy and verify referring physician orders against appointments.
Support front desk, telephone, and MyChart workflows, including MyChart activation and online check-in assistance and patient self-check-in through MyChart and the EMR.
Maintain front desk coverage until the last patient is dismissed and follow-up visits are scheduled; support direct rooming in outpatient clinics.
Schedule, reschedule, and cancel in-person and telehealth appointments, surgeries, procedures, ancillary services, and referrals using Epic Cadence decision trees; prioritize exams based on clinical indications and contraindications and confirm appointments.
Collect point-of-service amounts due, including copays, coinsurance, and deductibles, and complete registration documentation and scanning in the EMR.
Navigate medical records efficiently and ensure patient information is entered accurately and kept up to date; communicate health system policies and service information to patients and advocates.
Follow scheduling, registration, pre-certification, insurance, billing, order-entry, scanning, regulatory, compliance, PPE, workspace maintenance, and environmental cleaning procedures and guidelines.
Manage department scheduling inboxes and voicemails where assigned; prepare patient-specific labels and forward referrals and pre-certifications to appropriate parties.
Establish productive relationships with providers and clinical care teams, communicate about patient issues, and support patient experience initiatives, department huddles, process improvement, and relevant training.
Respond to outgoing calls and faxed referrals; provide coverage at alternate locations or other shifts when assigned to meet staffing needs, and assist team members as needed.
Schedule follow-up internal and external diagnostic and therapeutic orders and create patient itineraries based on provider orders.
Work Appointment Request work queues, filtering and prioritizing requests according to specialty standards.
Contact or support ancillary departments as needed and transport items such as blood, patient belongings, or charts when required.
Keep supplies stocked, including paper and forms for copy, printer, and fax machines; call for consultations using appropriate consult forms.
Meet the competencies for the role before becoming eligible for advancement to the next scheduling level.