Support Coordinator III - Buena Park Oncology Treatment Center - Full Time 8 Hour Days (Non-Exempt) (Non-Union)

University of Southern California•Buena Park, CA

8d•$26 - $41

About The Position

Support Coordinator III is a senior-level support coordinator in an ambulatory oncology clinic, supporting smooth outpatient flow, patient satisfaction, and clinic operations. The role covers daily clinic preparation and patient coordination, including customer service, phone coverage, intake, message distribution, obtaining medical records and imaging, procedure scheduling, encounter registration, copay collections, and referral management. The position coordinates clinic schedules, patient appointments, follow-up care, surgeries, diagnostic testing, and consultations. It prepares charts and charge tickets, verifies insurance benefits, obtains authorizations, supports billing documentation, and helps patients understand financial obligations and available funding options. The coordinator also serves as a liaison among patients, caregivers, physicians, referring providers, and other members of the care team. The role works with physicians across the Surgery Department and may help manage patients through intake, evaluation, and listed phases, as well as post-surgical follow-up. Additional senior-level duties include training new employees and physicians, assisting the Clinic Manager with quality assurance and reporting, auditing and correcting rejected charges, and leading department projects or process-improvement efforts. The position requires proficient English communication, computer comfort, and familiarity with medical terminology and insurance coverage.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Demonstrated mastery of customer service, intake, and scheduling.
Proven experience dealing with the public in a customer-service role.
Knowledge of insurance billing, admitting, or registration gained through hospital or medical-office experience.
Knowledge of medical terminology.
Familiarity with word processing, Microsoft Outlook, intranet navigation, and interpreting online queries; familiarity with GE Centricity Business, Cerner, PBAR, and scheduling systems is preferred.
Excellent communication skills, including the ability to speak, read, and write English proficiently.
Flexibility, enthusiasm, a proactive approach, and the ability to work efficiently under pressure and as part of a team.
Comfort using computers and working with medical terminology.
In-depth knowledge of major insurance plans and coverage types, including government health programs.
Mastery of timely new-referral processing.
Demonstrated knowledge and experience in patient scheduling.
Ability to work independently under limited supervision, take initiative, respond effectively to constant change, and accept responsibility.
Fire Life Safety Training (LA City) is required within Los Angeles City; if the card is not held upon hire, it must be obtained within 30 days and renewed before expiration.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
Five to seven years of administrative or customer-service experience in a medical office, preferably in an ambulatory-care environment.
Ability to speak Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese) or Spanish.
Job-relevant billing and coding certificate.
Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) certificate or equivalent.

Responsibilities

Prepare for daily clinic operations, including patient intake, charts, and clinic charge tickets.
Process new referrals, obtain outside medical records, enter patient demographic information, and provide records to physicians or multidisciplinary teams for review.
Verify insurance coverage and obtain authorizations for visits and procedures.
Schedule evaluations, clinic appointments, surgeries, laboratory work, diagnostic testing, and consultations while accommodating patient needs and following department protocols.
Review master schedules and anticipate changes or activity levels to support efficient clinic operations and a positive patient experience.
Coordinate diagnostic testing and send letters of medical necessity and preoperative packets with surgery instructions as needed.
Assist with clerical and scheduling work, filing, and collecting documentation supporting billing.
Provide phone coverage, distribute messages through electronic systems, respond to email, and return voicemail within 24 hours according to department protocol.
Greet and assist patients and caregivers, provide guidance on scheduling, paperwork, and follow-up, and take accountability for the patient experience.
Review financial risk assessments and help patients and families understand insurance benefits, alternative funding sources, and patient liabilities such as copayments, deductibles, coinsurance, deposits, and prior balances.
Refer complex financial or insurance issues to financial counselors or other designated personnel.
Facilitate communication among patients, caregivers, physicians, nurses, laboratory staff, and other care-team members; communicate changes in patient or case information to involved personnel.
Ensure required clinical and administrative documentation is accurate and submitted on time, while protecting patient confidentiality.
Assist Support Coordinator I staff with complex customer-service issues and their resolution.
Provide coverage for colleagues during sick time, vacation, or leave, and maintain professional communication with management and staff.
Serve as a department liaison with hospital personnel and physicians’ staff and keep informed about changes within the USC healthcare system.
Onboard and train new employees and physicians.
Assist the Clinic Manager with quality assurance, patient flow, data collection, projects, and reporting.
Audit, correct, and resubmit rejected charges and follow up on them.
Lead department-specific projects, audits, or quality and process-improvement efforts in partnership with the department leader.
Perform other duties as assigned.