Patient Services Coordinator - Behavioral Health

Hartford Healthcare•Hartford, CT

About The Position

The Patient Services Coordinator ensures patients are cleared for specialty services office visits and serves as the point of contact for hospitals, departments, and other healthcare facilities regarding questions and concerns about provider orders and referrals. The role supports clinical staff with the administrative components of referrals, acts as a liaison among hospitals, physicians, health plans, vendors, patients, and referral services, and manages outgoing referrals to appropriate agencies to support goals identified in patients’ Care Plans. The coordinator gathers information related to patients’ financial obligations, processes new-patient paperwork, verifies insurance coverage, obtains required authorizations, and resolves pre-certification, registration, and case-related concerns before appointments. The position also supports care coordination, preventive care, high-risk patient care management, and tracking of specified screening orders.

Requirements

Associate’s degree or equivalent knowledge in an ambulatory environment.
Five years of experience working with referral processes.
Familiarity with the EPC EHR system.
Strong verbal and written communication skills in English and Spanish.
Continuous-improvement mindset, ingenuity, innovative thinking, and organizational skills.
Excellent attention to detail.
Ability to approach problems constructively, move projects forward, explore and analyze alternatives, and understand the impact of change.
Proven ability to work successfully in a team environment.
Ability to influence others within one’s sub-team and broader teams to promote continuous improvement.
Strong Microsoft Office skills and ability to use multimedia curriculum development systems.
Ability to work effectively with system vendors, IG consultants, team members, and HHC affiliates.

Responsibilities

Gather information from insurance carriers, financial counselors, and ancillary staff to clarify patients’ financial obligations for services.
Process paperwork for new patients efficiently and according to protocols.
Verify insurance coverage and obtain authorizations from insurance carriers when needed.
Resolve pre-certification, registration, and case-related concerns before patient appointments.
Track and support patients receiving services outside the practice, including at emergency departments, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities.
Monitor and meet PCMH referral processes.
Enter referrals and document communications, actions, and other data in an information system.
Ensure referral requests are properly signed and filed.
Assist with specialty appointments and obtain tests recommended by specialists.
Communicate constructively with team members and referral teams to reduce conflicts and resolve issues.
Serve as a system navigator and point of contact for patients and families with questions or concerns about orders and referrals.
Work collaboratively with team members to provide care management services for high-risk patients.
Obtain insurance referrals and prior authorizations for diagnostic imaging, and send referrals to specialist offices for cardiac and preventive screenings.
Assist with and promote preventive care appointments.
Track breast cancer screening orders.
Act as a liaison among hospitals, physicians, health plans, vendors, patients, and referral services.
Manage outgoing referrals to appropriate agencies to support objectives identified in patients’ Care Plans.