Patient Scheduling Associate

The University of Kansas Health System•Westwood, KS

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Patient Scheduling Associate provides the highest level of customer service as they assist patients with routine scheduling of new and follow-up appointments requested by patients and providers and may also contact patients who have received a specialty referral. The Patient Scheduling Associate also assists patients with insurance registration with The University of Kansas Health System's outpatient clinics. This work may be done away from the front desk of a clinical area and could include work in a call center setting taking large volumes of patient phone calls. In the clinical location, this role is responsible for front desk operations including greeting and checking in customers and visitors, copay collection, completing MyChart and EMR (Electronic Medical Record) appointment requests, processing external medical records and helping the physician care team prepare for daily patient appointments.

Requirements

High School Graduate or GED.
Six months direct customer service in a health care field.
Fluent English - 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 services skills focusing on problem resolution.

Nice To Haves

College coursework completed towards an Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree.
1 or more years direct customer service in a health care, hospital or contact center environment.

Responsibilities

Respond to a high-volume of incoming telephone calls.
Answer phone calls in a timely manner; provide complete and accurate exam related information to the patient regarding prep and other exam related notes.
Keep work area organized and scheduling information readily available; maintain productivity within benchmark levels.
Work to achieve a coordinated patient itinerary sometimes consisting of multiple appointments.
Educate patients on providing medical records and other medical documentation needed for TUKHS appointments.
Verify patient demographics and insurance information and verification, completing the Medicare Secondary Payer Questionnaire (MSPQ), scanning document preparation, updating documentation and processing of referrals/order/appointment requests.
Maintain discretion and protect patient confidentiality and privacy.
Secure patient signatures for consent and financial forms.
Identify insurance plans and specific procedures which need to be pre-approved.
Pre-certify required tests and procedures.
Preauthorize clinic specific visits and procedures as needed.
Schedule internal and external incoming department referrals.
Complete order entry using hospital information system or manual order forms (test requisitions) including cancellation or modification of orders as required.
Review all clinic orders for date, time, signature, and pagers.
Verify referring physician orders against scheduled appointments for accuracy.
Support both front desk and scheduling (telephone and MyChart) workflows.
Assist patient with MyChart activation and support, including how to complete check-in online prior to the appointment.
Support patient through self-check-in utilizing MyChart and the EMR.
Ensure proper front desk coverage until last patient is dismissed from the clinic and any follow-up visits are scheduled.
Schedule/reschedule/cancel in person appointments, telehealth visits, surgeries, procedures and/or ancillary services and all incoming department referrals using Epic Cadence decision trees in a courteous, professional and timely manner; accommodate all scheduling requests; prioritize exams based on clinical indications and contraindications; confirm patient appointments.
Collect all point of service collections due per the EMR generated patient estimate including copay, co-insurance, and deductibles.
Follow and complete all standard registration documentation and scanning process in the Health System EMR.
Navigate medical records efficiently and ensure patient information is up-to-date and accurately entered in the correct location.
Effectively communicate Health System Policies to patients and patient advocates.
Use reference documents and online knowledge base tools to clearly articulate accurate information regarding SHC services.
Follow all health system policies and procedures: personal protective equipment (PPE) guidelines, attire, etc.
Follow all regulatory and compliance standards, documented protocols and guidelines, daily maintenance of workspace and following environmental health cleaning guidelines.
Maintain knowledge and understanding of scheduling protocols and guidelines, patient registration, pre-certification requirements and basic levels of health insurance and billing procedures.
Manage departments Scheduling Inbasket and voicemails.
Apply patient specific labels to progress notes, order forms, and other patient specific forms as needed.
Establish and maintain productive working relationships with providers and the clinical care team.
Communicate with the care team and support staff on various patient issues.
Support and participate in patient experience initiatives including marking campaigns and event registration.
Attend and participate in department clinic daily huddles and process improvement initiatives and any staff training or education activities relating to job position.
Enter referrals and pre-certifications in hospital information system, make copies and forward to appropriate parties.
Respond to outgoing telephone calls and faxed referrals.
Provide coverage at alternate locations to meet critical staffing level needs, as delegated by management.
Demonstrate the initiative to assist others and other shifts as needed.
Assist Team members as assigned/needed.
Schedule follow up internal and external diagnostic and therapeutic orders creating a patient itinerary based on provider orders.
Work Appointment Request WQ – including proper filtering and prioritization in accordance with specialty standards.
Call support and ancillary departments as needed (EVS, transport, lab, pharmacy, radiology, volunteer, etc).
Transport items to ancillary departments as needed (blood to laboratory, retrieve/deliver patient belongings, charts to medical records, etc) and pick up any items if required.
Ensure that supplies are stocked, including copy, printer, and fax machines with paper and all forms.
Call for consults using appropriate consult forms as a guide.
Meet the competencies for this role before being eligible for advancement to next level scheduling role.
Be able to perform the professional, clinical and or technical competencies of the assigned unit or department.