Patient Scheduling Associate

The University of Kansas Health System•Westwood, KS

About The Position

The Patient Scheduling Associate provides customer service while assisting patients with routine scheduling of new and follow-up appointments requested by patients and providers. The role may include contacting patients with specialty referrals, assisting with insurance registration for outpatient clinics, and working in a high-volume call center. Call center employees may have the opportunity to work remotely from home after demonstrating consistent competency with job duties. In a clinical location, the associate performs front desk operations, including greeting and checking in patients and visitors, collecting copays, completing MyChart and EMR appointment requests, processing external medical records, and helping the physician care team prepare for appointments. The position supports scheduling, registration, referral processing, pre-certification, and patient communications across telephone, MyChart, and in-person workflows. Associates schedule and coordinate appointments, procedures, tests, and follow-up care; verify patient and insurance information; collect point-of-service payments; and maintain accurate records while protecting patient confidentiality. They also support clinic operations, patient experience initiatives, care-team communication, and the department’s daily workflow.

Requirements

High school graduate or GED.
Six months of direct customer service experience in a health care field.
Fluent English, with the ability to read, write, speak, and understand.
Basic computer skills, including Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, and Teams.
Ability to maintain patient confidentiality.
High level of customer service skills, with a focus 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’s or bachelor’s degree.
One or more years of direct customer service experience in a health care, hospital, or contact center environment.

Responsibilities

Respond to high volumes of incoming calls promptly, provide accurate exam preparation information, maintain organized scheduling information, and meet productivity benchmarks.
Coordinate patient itineraries that may involve multiple appointments.
Educate patients about medical records and documentation required for appointments.
Verify patient demographics and insurance information, complete Medicare Secondary Payer Questionnaires, prepare and scan documents, update records, and process referrals, orders, and appointment requests.
Protect patient confidentiality and privacy, obtain signatures on consent and financial forms, identify insurance plans and procedures requiring approval, and complete required pre-certification and preauthorization.
Schedule internal and external referrals, enter orders in the hospital information system or on manual requisitions, and cancel or modify orders when needed.
Review clinic orders for date, time, signature, and pager information, and verify referring physician orders against scheduled appointments.
Support front desk and telephone and MyChart scheduling workflows, including MyChart activation and online check-in support.
Provide front desk coverage through dismissal of the last patient and scheduling of follow-up visits; support outpatient clinic direct rooming.
Schedule, reschedule, and cancel in-person appointments, telehealth visits, surgeries, procedures, ancillary services, and referrals using Epic Cadence decision trees; prioritize exams based on clinical indications and contraindications and confirm appointments.
Collect copays, co-insurance, and deductibles due according to EMR-generated patient estimates.
Complete registration documentation and scanning, navigate medical records, and enter accurate, up-to-date patient information in the appropriate locations.
Communicate health system policies and accurate information about services to patients and patient advocates using reference materials and online knowledge tools.
Follow health system policies, regulatory and compliance standards, documented protocols, PPE and attire guidelines, and environmental cleaning procedures.
Maintain knowledge of scheduling protocols, patient registration, pre-certification, health insurance and billing basics, order entry, and scanning capabilities.
Manage department scheduling inboxes and voicemails when assigned.
Apply patient-specific labels to progress notes, order forms, and other documents as needed.
Build productive working relationships with providers and clinical care teams and communicate about patient issues.
Support patient experience expectations and initiatives, including marketing campaigns and event registration.
Attend clinic huddles, process improvement initiatives, and job-related training and education.
Enter referrals and pre-certifications into the hospital information system, make copies, forward them to appropriate parties, and respond to calls and faxed referrals.
Provide coverage at alternate locations when requested to meet staffing needs.
Assist team members and other shifts as needed and meet role competencies before advancement to the next scheduling level.
Schedule post-visit internal and external diagnostic and therapeutic orders and create patient itineraries based on provider orders.
Work the Appointment Request WQ, filtering and prioritizing requests according to specialty standards.
Contact ancillary and support departments as needed and transport or retrieve items such as blood, patient belongings, charts, and other materials.
Keep supplies stocked, including paper and forms for copy, printer, and fax machines.
Call for consults using the appropriate consult forms.