Senior Patient Access Representative (PRN | As Needed | Shifts Vary | Rotating Holidays & Weekends)

Children's National Hospital

4d•$22 - $44•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Patient Access Representative provides patient services and administrative support in ancillary operations, reporting to the Patient Access Supervisor or Manager. The role serves as a registration knowledge source, supports daily departmental processes, and helps improve registration performance through staff training, mentoring, problem solving, and quality assurance. The representative interacts courteously with parents, patients, physicians, and staff under moderate supervision and may support other departments or float among ancillary patient access areas, including the ED, radiology, inpatient, laboratory, and AMSAC areas. The position requires the ability to complete at least one complex access function, such as complex scheduling, bed management, or complex mentorship. Responsibilities span patient registration and scheduling, demographic and insurance verification, authorization and referral coordination, collections, bed management, billing and chart preparation, daily reconciliation, office support, and performance improvement. The representative may provide required notifications for scheduled or unscheduled services, schedule ancillary appointments, and help ensure accurate and timely access processes.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
At least 3 years of related experience.
Broad knowledge of administrative processes and customer service skills.
Computer knowledge.
Completion of the Patient Access training curriculum and passing all competency assessments.
Ability to type at least 35 words per minute.
Ability to complete at least one complex access function: complex scheduling, bed management, or complex mentorship.

Nice To Haves

Microsoft Office experience, including Word and Excel.

Responsibilities

Schedule routine, add-on, and complex radiological exams; maintain scheduling systems and arrange follow-up or rescheduled appointments.
Register patients in person, by telephone, or at bedside, and greet and arrive patients according to department policy.
Collect and verify demographic, insurance, referral, and pre-authorization information; update systems and document activities according to policy.
Obtain required consents, distribute compliance materials, and ensure insurance cards, identification, and other required records are copied or scanned and routed appropriately.
Collect and record co-payments, deposits, and payments in full; provide receipts and help the department meet its collection target.
Respond to patient portal and other work lists, including appointment requests, fax queues, and email requests.
Verify insurance eligibility and comply with managed care carve-outs; notify insurers or review agencies as required and document notifications.
Identify authorization issues, notify leadership, and coordinate with provider offices or scheduling staff to address them without delaying care.
Discuss payment obligations with parents and direct them to the Financial Information Center when appropriate to establish payment arrangements.
Review and print schedules, check appointment appropriateness, backfill open slots, and ensure required orders, scripts, and referrals are available.
Clear walk-ins, link scheduled appointments to the scheduling system, retrieve existing patient charts, and prepare charts for new patients.
Assign beds based on established criteria and availability; communicate assignments, process admissions and transfers, and notify insurance companies of admissions.
Discharge active recurring accounts when patients are admitted and follow procedures for specialty discharges.
Reconcile charge capture against schedules and daily cash receipts and collections; maintain cash-control requirements and submit reconciliations to the manager.
Address quality registration work queues within required timeframes.
Monitor registration errors and quality assurance reports, provide training input to managers, and help reduce registration and authorization denials and resolve missing charges.
Train and mentor patient access staff and provide workflow guidance to peers across the institution.
Answer telephone calls, address caller needs, manage voicemail within the same business day, and follow applicable call-handling standards.
Distribute mail and handle returned mail as needed; check work email at least three times daily and respond within 24 hours or the next business day.
Maintain office files and supplies, keep the reception and work areas clean, and provide other support as needed.
Float to ancillary patient access areas for coverage when required.