Patient Service Representative (PSR) - Orthopedics

Advocate Health and Hospitals Corporation•West Allis, WI

20h

About The Position

The Patient Service Representative (PSR) supports patient registration and front-office operations in an orthopedics clinic. The role creates accurate initial electronic health records, prevents duplicate records, verifies patient identity, and gathers demographic, guarantor, and insurance information. The PSR discusses and collects co-pays and other patient financial responsibilities while maintaining confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA. The position requires knowledge of insurance basics, contracted plans, financial responsibility requirements, and referral processes for Financial Advocates. The PSR follows applicable organizational and government rules, forms, and notices, and obtains required patient or guarantor signatures. Depending on department needs, duties may also include scheduling and coordinating appointments, communicating visit-preparation instructions, checking patients out, scheduling follow-ups, providing after-visit summaries, and assisting patients with the patient portal or app. The PSR creates a welcoming, professional environment by providing customer service to patients and visitors, answering calls, responding to routine requests, and collaborating with patients, families, clinical staff, and physicians. Additional duties may include arranging transportation or interpreter services, scanning documents, handling faxes and electronic health record messages, monitoring assigned work queues, supporting urgent clinical-team needs, and assisting with orientation and training. The position is full time, 40 hours per week, with Monday-through-Friday schedules that may vary according to clinic needs. No weekends or holidays are required. The work is performed in a normal office environment with significant patient and public contact; exposure to ill or contagious patients is possible. Travel may be required, with exposure to weather and road conditions.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
No prior experience required.
Demonstrate Advocate Health’s purpose, values, and behaviors.
Ability to work independently, set and meet deadlines, multitask, and prioritize in a high-volume, fast-paced, high-stress environment with interruptions and without direct supervision.
Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
Excellent customer-service and service-recovery skills.
Independent thinking, problem-solving, and judgment to triage issues and concerns.
Excellent written and verbal communication, interpersonal skills, and a pleasant, professional demeanor when interacting with patients, visitors, staff, and physicians.
Ability to explain insurance coverage and discuss services that may not be paid by a patient’s health plan.
Ability to interact with physicians and their staff to resolve patient-care-related issues.
Comfort and proficiency with computer systems, typing, email, Microsoft Office, internet browsers, and phone technology.
Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information according to internal policies.
Excellent organizational skills and ability to serve as a resource to teammates.
Ability to operate equipment necessary to perform the job.
Ability to transition frequently between sitting and standing, remain seated or standing for extended periods, and move throughout the workday.
Ability to frequently lift up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift 20 pounds or more; ability to push or pull up to 50 pounds with assistance.
Vision, hearing, touch, clear speech, and fine motor skills for keyboard data entry.
Ability to travel when required.

Responsibilities

Create accurate initial electronic health records and help prevent duplicate medical records.
Verify patient identity before care and follow organizational patient-safety procedures.
Check in and register patients; obtain and verify demographic, guarantor, and insurance information.
Discuss and collect co-pays and other out-of-pocket patient responsibilities, and maintain confidentiality of patient information and records.
Apply insurance knowledge, explain financial obligations, and refer patients to Financial Advocates when appropriate.
Follow required rules, forms, and regulatory procedures, and obtain patient or guarantor signatures.
May schedule appointments, including virtual and procedural appointments, and coordinate cancellations, rescheduling, wait lists, and recall requests.
May provide appointment and test-preparation instructions, including arrival times, preparation guidelines, check-in procedures, and directions.
May check out patients, schedule follow-up appointments, and provide after-visit summaries.
May educate and support patients with the patient portal or app.
Greet patients and visitors, answer telephone calls, screen calls, take messages, and respond to routine information requests.
Provide customer service and collaborate with patients, families, clinical staff, and physicians to support timely information flow and resolve issues.
Arrange or coordinate assistance such as transportation, directions, wheelchairs, and interpreter services.
May scan documents to Health Information Management, handle incoming and outgoing faxes, and address electronic health record inbox messages.
Follow clinical-team direction for emergent needs and communicate customer-service issues and process-improvement opportunities to management.
Monitor and work assigned electronic health record work queues according to approved departmental processes.
May assist department leadership with orientation and training.
Collect and manage payments, including cash when applicable, and follow cash-handling security procedures.
May be cross-trained across specialties and provide staffing support as needed.

Benefits

Paid Time Off programs
Medical, dental, vision, life, and short- and long-term disability benefits
Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
Adoption assistance
Paid parental leave
Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match
Financial wellness programs
Educational Assistance Program
Career development programs
Potential premium pay, incentive pay for select positions, and annual performance-based increases