Patient Services Specialist II - PCP Family Medicine (Galveston)

UTMB Health•Galveston, TX

12d•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Services Specialist II uses advanced patient services skills to independently maintain a positive patient experience by exceeding expectations in customer service and patient care. The role coordinates clerical and medical activities for a healthcare team, performs patient registration, and facilitates access to UTMB services for new and returning patients. The position also provides team leadership and peer guidance, triages problems, and supports clinic flow to meet patient needs. The specialist interacts with patients, physicians, referral sources, and treatment teams; handles and documents calls; advocates for patients; addresses concerns and escalates issues; and maintains confidentiality. Duties include scheduling, financial counseling coordination, appointment reminders, patient arrival and paperwork preparation, payment receipting, eligibility verification, preregistration, collection of coverage and reimbursement information, resolving access or authorization obstacles, and completing patient disposition within the designated timeline. The role is performed onsite in a standard hospital, clinical, and/or office environment using standard office equipment. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Actual salary is commensurate with experience.

Requirements

Associate’s degree and one year of clerical or customer service experience; an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be considered.
For departments reporting under Health System Ambulatory Operations, obtain a valid Basic Life Support (BLS) certification within 90 days of hire and maintain it for the duration of employment in the position.
Proficiency using a PC, including experience with Excel, Word, and database management packages.
Analytical ability and ability to collect and trend data.
Knowledge of patient care and patient problems.
Excellent human relations and written and oral communication skills.
Ability to problem-solve.

Nice To Haves

Epic experience.

Responsibilities

Function as a team leader, provide peer guidance, triage problems, and understand clinic flow to maximize clinic usage and meet patient needs.
Provide professional, knowledgeable, and high-quality customer service to internal and external customers, including patients, physicians, referral sources, and the treatment team.
Answer calls accurately, meet callers’ needs, obtain accurate information, document and triage calls appropriately, and complete the telephone encounter process when appropriate.
Act as a patient advocate and liaison with other departments; address patient concerns, provide service recovery, and escalate issues as needed.
Maintain patient confidentiality when accessing or handling clinical information via email, computer, fax, or mail.
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, third-party benefits, and out-of-pocket costs; 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 collected monies, distribute tokens, and authorize deferments appropriately.
Verify eligibility and preregister patients by obtaining demographics and third-party coverage 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.
Complete patient disposition within the designated timeline.
Perform related duties, follow departmental internal controls, review relevant announcements and communications, and complete annual competency-based training and testing.
Prioritize and complete work accurately, effectively, and efficiently; secure files and money, properly dispose of printed patient information, log off computers, and keep passwords confidential.
Participate in team meetings and activities and support the philosophy and goals of the team or department.