Patient Services Specialist II - Clear Lake Adult Surgical Specialties

University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB)•Webster, TX

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Services Specialist II uses advanced patient services skills to independently maintain a positive patient experience and coordinate clerical and medical activities for a healthcare team. The role supports patient registration and helps new and returning patients access UTMB services while providing high-quality customer service and patient care. The position provides team leadership and peer guidance, triages problems, and understands clinic flow to help meet patient needs. It interacts professionally with patients, physicians, referral sources, and treatment teams; manages and documents calls; advocates for patients; protects confidential information; addresses concerns and escalates issues as appropriate. Duties include scheduling appointments according to clinical-entity policies, coordinating financial counseling for day surgery, making appointment reminder calls, explaining billing and financial responsibilities, providing cost estimates, counseling patients about unpaid bills, and arranging follow-up appointments and referrals. The specialist also arrives patients, prepares paperwork and charts, handles receipts and authorized deferments, verifies eligibility and coverage, pre-registers patients, documents information for third-party reimbursement, and communicates access or authorization obstacles. Each patient must be dispositioned within the designated timeline. The role requires accurate and efficient completion of work, adherence to departmental controls and procedures, annual competency training, participation in team activities, and secure handling of office files, patient information, and passwords. The position is onsite Monday through Friday, with rotating early and late shifts scheduled between 7:15 AM and 5:45 PM. Floating to other clinics within the building is required as needed; floating to offsite locations is not anticipated.

Requirements

Associate’s degree and one year of clerical or customer service experience, or an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
For departments reporting under Health System Ambulatory Operations, obtain a valid Basic Life Support (BLS) certification within 90 days of hire and maintain it throughout employment in the position.
Proficiency with PCs and experience using Excel, Word, and database management packages.
Analytical ability, including collecting and trending data.
Knowledge of patient care and patient problems.
Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
Ability to problem-solve.
Ability to work onsite Monday through Friday with rotating early and late shifts scheduled between 7:15 AM and 5:45 PM.
Ability to float to other clinics within the building as needed.

Responsibilities

Function as a team leader, provide peer guidance, and triage problems effectively.
Understand clinic flow and help maximize clinic usage to meet patient needs.
Provide high-level customer service and professional interactions with patients, physicians, referral sources, and treatment team members.
Answer calls accurately, obtain needed information, document and triage calls, and complete telephone encounter processes when appropriate.
Advocate for patients and liaise with departments to meet shared goals.
Maintain patient confidentiality and address concerns, provide service recovery, and escalate issues as needed.
Schedule appointments according to clinical-entity policies and coordinate financial counseling for day surgery.
Make appointment reminder calls and educate patients or responsible parties about billing, financial responsibilities, and third-party benefits.
Provide out-of-pocket cost estimates and counsel patients about unpaid bills.
Obtain future appointments for clinic follow-up, referrals, and ancillary services at the time of service.
Arrive patients and prepare paperwork and charts for visits.
Receipt monies collected, distribute tokens, and authorize deferments appropriately.
Verify eligibility, obtain patient demographics and third-party coverage, and pre-register patients at every encounter.
Obtain and document information required for third-party reimbursement and ensure compliance with Medicare and third-party coverage.
Communicate access or authorization obstacles to patients, referral sources, UTMB physicians, and clinical staff.
Disposition each patient within the designated timeline.
Perform related duties, follow departmental internal controls, read relevant announcements, and complete annual competency-based training and testing.
Prioritize and complete work accurately, effectively, and efficiently.
Secure files containing money or confidential information, properly dispose of printed patient information, log off computers when leaving the workstation, and keep passwords confidential.
Participate in team meetings and activities and support the team or department’s philosophy and goals.