Referral Transcriptionist

Texas Children's Hospital•Bellaire, TX

About The Position

The Referral Transcriptionist transcribes referrals from external providers by retrieving physician referral orders from an electronic system and entering customer data and referral details into the electronic medical record (EMR). The role processes referral documents received through hospital EMR systems, fax, and digital interoperability exchanges, including referrals submitted on forms other than the hospital’s published referral forms. The employee identifies the appropriate specialty and reason for referral, verifies patient and referring-provider information, and creates or updates records as needed to ensure referrals are processed accurately. The position also follows up on pending or unresolved referrals, contacts referring-provider offices to obtain missing information, and provides referral-related instructions and information. The role requires familiarity with Epic, referral intake platforms, departmental procedures, service-level standards, and HIPAA/PHI security requirements. The Referral Transcriptionist works toward defined targets, participates in departmental meetings, and represents the organization professionally.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
Two years of experience in data entry, clerical work, customer service, healthcare coding, healthcare administration, business, or clinical healthcare.
Experience in a medical office or hospital environment.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Transcribe referrals and associated work activities received from external providers for hospital specialties in the EMR.
Determine the appropriate referred-to department specialty and reason for referral for faxed or digitally exchanged referrals submitted on forms other than the hospital’s published referral forms.
Follow patient-identification policies in the EMR, check for existing medical records using approved lookup methods, and register patients and create medical records when needed.
Ensure patient demographic information, including name, date of birth, and contact information, is complete and accurate.
Identify the appropriate referring provider and associated demographic details, then submit and sign orders in the EMR using the correct provider selection.
Determine whether a provider SER record needs to be created or updated for EMR signing privileges and follow departmental processes to resolve the issue.
Document notes on referrals in the applicable receipt mechanism, such as Epic, Rightfax, or Redcap, when referrals cannot be processed immediately.
Follow up promptly on unresolved or pending referral documents in accordance with departmental guidelines.
Make outbound calls to referring-provider offices to query referral information and obtain missing information; when needed, send referrals back to the provider’s office.
Provide referral instructions, information, and advice to referring-provider customers as needed.
Determine when referrals cannot be processed because the submitting provider type lacks signing privileges and communicate this to the sender with instructions for next steps.
Alert the team leader to issues or concerns requiring escalation or suggesting a larger underlying issue.
Maintain and develop organizational and departmental knowledge, including staying current on assigned processes and procedures.
Work toward defined, achievable targets with a dedicated, team-oriented approach.
Provide exemplary customer service, accept feedback, and pursue professional improvement.
Represent the organization positively and professionally and maintain a positive attitude and commitment to the role.
Attend and participate satisfactorily in daily departmental touch-base meetings and processes supporting service-level standards.
Attend performance discussions with department leadership, staff meetings, and other requested department meetings.
Comply with HIPAA/PHI security requirements and Texas Children’s policies.
Review assigned referral orders individually and accurately select and transcribe all order information into the appropriate EMR fields.
Develop and maintain working knowledge of processes for collecting patient referral information submitted through Epic interface error work queues.
Develop working knowledge of existing and new hospital referral intake platforms, including Care Everywhere Referral Messaging, Care Everywhere Referral Management, and other digital interoperability exchanges.
Maintain an understanding of departmental service-level standards and processing guidelines and perform activities in alignment with them and leadership directives.