Practice Coordinator

UCSF•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

The Practice Coordinator 3 serves as the face of the Practice and collaborates with administrative, clinical, and management teams to support seamless operations and exceptional customer service. The role handles patient scheduling, referrals, revenue cycle management, and patient care coordination. This is a temporary assignment for three months, with potential to extend. Responsibilities include managing referral work queues; scheduling and registering patients; explaining first-appointment procedures; coordinating complex and surgical care; obtaining medical records and insurance authorizations; collecting payments; monitoring provider open charts and denials; triaging calls; and using APeX for referrals, appointments, and patient coordination. The position also supports workplace safety, patient confidentiality, team building, customer service inquiries, and process improvements. As a lead resource, the coordinator resolves escalated operational issues and provides guidance on improving processes.

Requirements

High school graduate or equivalent with four years of related experience; or a college degree and six months of related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience providing in-person client service.
Experience scheduling patients.
Strong computer and basic keyboarding skills, including experience with at least two Office-type programs such as Outlook, Word, or Excel.
Proven ability to navigate multiple patient record systems.
Ability to sit at a computer terminal with telephone headphones for extended periods.
Ability to analyze situations, prioritize workload, develop solutions, and make recommendations.
Ability to work with minimal supervision and use good judgment independently, including under deadline pressure.
Excellent customer service and communication/interpersonal skills, both by telephone and in person.
Basic math skills.
Ability to interact with a wide variety of individuals and deal sensitively and effectively with patients.
Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills.
Strong writing skills, including composing, editing, and proofreading a wide variety of documents.
Demonstrated administrative or office coordination skills.

Nice To Haves

EPIC/APeX experience is strongly preferred.
Healthcare experience, including patient scheduling, insurance verification, and medical record data abstraction.
Experience in ambulatory settings.
Prior experience with appointment, ancillary service, or surgical scheduling.

Responsibilities

Manage referral work queues and serve as the primary contact for referring physicians and new patients.
Schedule and register patients accurately, follow applicable guidelines, and collect necessary information.
Explain first-appointment procedures in understandable terms and manage patient expectations.
Obtain outside medical records, prioritize scheduling for complex patients, and inform patients about treatment options.
Coordinate care with clinical disciplines and external providers to optimize schedules and expedite services.
Coordinate outpatient and inpatient surgeries and communicate with patients, physicians, and hospital staff.
Manage complex surgery scheduling, obtain authorizations, and coordinate post-surgical appointments and paperwork.
Collect payments, explain financial policies, obtain insurance authorizations, monitor provider open charts, and address denials.
Schedule patient appointments, triage telephone calls, and collaborate with clinical staff to resolve patient needs.
Perform APeX-specific tasks, manage referrals and appointments, and use system functions for patient care coordination.
Maintain workplace safety and patient confidentiality, participate in team building, and handle customer service inquiries and complaints.
Resolve escalated operational issues, provide guidance on process improvements, and act as a primary departmental resource.