Patient Scheduling Representative - Spine Center Therapies

The University of Kansas Health System•Kansas City, KS

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Patient Scheduling Representative is responsible for creating a seamless patient experience by coordinating and scheduling appointments for patients. This is a more experienced scheduler that can function across multiple departments and may be floated to cover areas based on staffing needs. This position may mentor lower level staff in need of additional training. The Patient Scheduling Representative may work out of a call center or one of the health system's outpatient clinics. This position may schedule appointments for imaging, laboratory, clinic, infusion, treatment and procedures while demonstrating teamwork and effective communication throughout the process. Procedures may include surgery, ambulatory surgery center appointments and the GI departments. Monitors and responds to appointment requests within the electronic medical record (EMR) workqueues, while also working as a part of the clinical team to answer incoming calls and messages from both clinicians and patients. Responsible for scheduling all referral appointments to external offices and sending necessary referral and medical records to the referred office/physician. This position may also be required to leverage additional scheduling systems to coordinate schedules for patient care.

Requirements

High School Graduate or GED.
1 or more years of progressively responsible and directly related work experience in a healthcare setting OR some combination of direct customer service in a health care or contact center including 6 months of experience in a UKHS patient scheduling position.
Proven knowledge of EPIC EMR scheduling or other scheduling systems.
Ability to read, write, speak, and understand English.
Basic computer skills including Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, and Teams.
High level of customer service skills focusing on problem resolution.

Nice To Haves

College coursework completed towards an Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree.
3 or more years of records keeping (preferably in medical or radiology field).
Bilingual skills (documented proof of competencies via language proficiency assessments).

Responsibilities

Respond to a high volume of incoming telephone calls.
Accurately schedule/reschedule/cancel patient visits, including clinic appointments (in person and telehealth), treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgeries, procedures, and ancillary services, using extensive knowledge of appointment types, locations, providers, and specialties.
Register patients (prior to visit and/or upon arrival), including entering/updating demographics, insurance verification, document scanning, and processing referrals.
Educate patients on providing medical records and other medical documentation needed for TUKHS appointments.
Schedule referral appointments for external offices, and fax/send necessary referral and medical records to the referred physician office utilizing specialty software modules such as Beacon.
Deliver expert knowledge regarding clinic-specific processes and communicate using medical terminology and grammar accurately.
Complete daily reminder calls to patients prior to the day of service.
Assist with daily charge audits as directed.
Assist with maintaining and organizing various logs, records, and miscellaneous data as directed.
Prepare patient charts prior to the day of service to include reports, office notes, etc.
Contact manufacturer representatives to notify them of scheduled procedures when applicable.
Maintain calendar within the scheduling system to reflect accurately.
Prepare and distribute schedules as required and in a timely manner.
Schedule multiple/cyclical events (e.g., laboratory tests, radiologic imaging, and procedures, etc.) at correct intervals to clinic and treatment appointments, verifying accuracy with referring physician orders.
Effectively use the automated scheduling program and keep current with changes, updates, and revisions.
Diligently and efficiently manage scheduling workload from assigned Appointment Request Workqueue (WQ), filter and prioritize appointment requests per specialty standards, maintaining close communication with providers, clinical team members, and support staff on various patient issues, and verify any change requests to ensure continuity of care.
Schedule procedures to maximize utilization of available time and meet the needs of the physician/patient.
Communicate and clarify information or schedule changes to appropriate persons to facilitate minimal scheduling errors.
Learn and build knowledge and understanding of scheduling guidelines, patient registration, pre-certification requirements, and basic levels of health insurance and billing procedures.
Maintain knowledge of order entry and scanning capabilities as needed.
Identify urgent customer needs or operational issues and escalate appropriately.
Accurately document and route calls to the proper department.
Communicate with Financial Advisor when the patient has concerns/questions about financial responsibility for appointments/treatments/procedures scheduled.
Direct patients to call insurance provider for copay or benefits information or transfer callers to Financial Advisor for specific payment inquiries, including self-pay plans.
Check out patients from clinic visits, providing options for receipt of after-visit summary and support for EMR patient portal (EPIC MyChart) sign-up.
May be assigned to work Appointment Request WQ, including proper filtering and prioritization in accordance with specialty standards, or manage department Scheduling Inbasket and voicemails.
Engage with patients in a courteous and timely manner; provide complete and accurate information to patients regarding prep and other exam-related notes.
Respond to scheduling requests via electronic patient communication/interactions including MyChart messages and Artera test messaging platform.
May assist with orienting new employees to the scheduling process in a positive, helpful, and accurate manner.
May train new employees on department, POD, and clinic-specific operational protocols and workflows using approved materials and approaches.
Build and maintain trusting relationships with provider and clinical team to provide holistic and patient-centered scheduling services, while advocating for patient's needs (transportation, financial, logistical) and coordinating care appointments across multiple campuses.
Maintain a customer-friendly relationship with office personnel and accommodate requests in a customer-friendly manner.
Effectively adjust the schedule to provide a workable, smooth schedule on a daily basis.
Float across multiple scheduling teams/specialties based on daily staffing needs.
Attend and actively participate in staff training or educational activities relating to job role.
Follow all regulatory and compliance standards, documented protocols, and guidelines.
Meet the competencies for this role before being eligible for advancement to the next level scheduling role.
Perform the professional, clinical, and/or technical competencies of the assigned unit or department.