Secretary/Scheduler, Physical Therapy - Outpatient

Cape Cod Healthcare•Hyannis, MA

About The Position

The Secretary/Scheduler supports outpatient physical therapy services by managing front-office operations, patient registration and scheduling, telephone inquiries, referrals, medical records, insurance authorization, and related administrative tasks. The role maintains an efficient daily patient schedule and provides courteous, confidential service to patients, families, visitors, volunteers, and coworkers in keeping with Cape Cod Hospital’s CARES values.

Requirements

Ability to read, write, and communicate in English.
High school graduate or GED.
Two years of recent experience, within the past three years, in a medical or rehabilitation office, clinic, or comparable hospital setting.
One year of recent experience, within the past three years, working with third-party payors, including referrals.
Successful completion of a basic medical terminology course or successful passage of the CCH Medical Terminology exam.
Demonstrated computer keyboarding skills.

Responsibilities

Answer the phone promptly and professionally, respond to inquiries about information or appointments, and take messages.
Receive telephone and in-person therapy referrals and record demographic information.
Greet and acknowledge patients in the waiting room; check in new patients and provide required paperwork.
Verify physician orders and insurance authorizations, explain financial responsibility, and obtain signed financial liability waivers when authorization is unconfirmed.
Obtain prior approvals and pre-certifications from third-party payors and document approval numbers in the medical record.
Schedule initial and ongoing therapy appointments, pre-register patients, and enter data into the database.
Print forms and labels, assemble medical charts, and label chart pages.
Sort and distribute mail, including delivering correspondence and recertification forms to physicians.
Copy and process medical-record requests from insurance companies and attorneys’ offices.
Collect patient co-payments and prepare deposits for courier pickup.
Maintain and file medical records and reports, and make records and materials available for treatment, audits, study, or billing.
Keep knowledge of third-party payor regulations current and register patient accounts daily.
Process cancellations and no-shows, notify therapists of schedule changes, reschedule appointments, and extend patient schedules as needed.
Confirm out-of-area provider details, enter them into the database, and file the medical record.
Re-register ongoing patients on the first of the month following their end-of-month auto-discharge and discharge patients from registration when services are complete.
Edit therapists’ schedules for time off, sick time, vacation, in-service, and meeting time; contact patients to reschedule when therapists are unavailable and update the computerized schedule.
Maintain efficient patient flow and front-office operations, and maintain office and break-room supplies.
Assist with processing purchase orders.
Communicate clearly and tactfully with patients and families while maintaining confidentiality.
Attend departmental meetings as required and perform other related duties as assigned or requested.
Consistently provide service excellence in keeping with Cape Cod Hospital’s CARES values: compassion, accountability, respect, excellence, and service.