Patient Access Specialist

Responsible for supporting seamless patient transition into agency’s services by interfacing with hospitals, facilities, physicians, and families to coordinate and process patient referrals.

Job Responsibilities

• Acts as the primary in-office customer service contact in the Patient Access
• Center via telephone with referrals for patient care from hospitals, facilities, physicians, families, and other sources in the community.
• Responds immediately to communication regarding potential referrals for services with an extremely customer friendly and professional service orientation at all times.
• Develops and maintains good working relationships with physician offices, hospital staff, facility staff, and other referring agencies.
• Contacts patient and family as soon as possible after referral is received.
• Schedules all appointments for the Admissions Care Coordinators same day if appropriate or as soon as possible.
• Performs all follow up calls and schedules these potential clients for visits.
• Gathers pertinent patient information for referrals and admissions to include financial, brief medical history, contact information, physician order if needed and demographic information necessary to facilitate the admission process.
• Under the guidance of the Patient Access Manager, serves as a liaison between referral sources and agency regarding referral of patients who need direct admission or who need home care services upon discharge from the hospital.
• Maintains continuing communication with Admissions Care Coordinators to ensure completion of referral and admission requirements.
• Maintains E-Board to ensure all incoming calls are recorded and appointments scheduled.
• Enters all demographic and billing information into the Electronic Medical
• Record (EMR) for every inquiry, referral, and admission.
• Tracks and reports all inquiries, cancelled referrals, pending referrals, and non admits (NTUCs), indicating specific reason code for not being admitted.
• Assembles all pertinent legal documents and medical records and scans into EMR.
• Provides timely and accurate information on Avow hospice services and hospice benefits.
• Performs workflow tasks and checks continuously, assigning visits and processing workflow.
• Checks billing coordination notes and processes.
• Informs referring and consulting physicians of hospice admission.
• Informs Admission Nurses daily of scheduled appointments and throughout the day.
• Enters patient information into EMR.
• Orders medical equipment through Hospice Link when necessary.
• Works closely with management, marketing, and peers to support the day-to-day operations of the team, working with Patient Access Manager to facilitate discussion about referrals during the referral-to-admission process.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Core Values:

Innovation:

We embrace change and are always looking at creative ways to solve problems and serve new populations.

Integrity:

We are honest, hardworking, fiscally responsible professionals driven solely by the well-being of our patients, their loved ones, and the communities we serve.

Collaboration:

We know we cannot achieve everything we want without working hand-in-hand with each other, with our healthcare partners, and with the community.

Celebration:

We believe in the importance of celebrating life and relationships.

Education:

We believe it is important not only to serve the community but to educate community members about our services and the role we can play at the end of life.

Avow is a Tobacco Free Organization which includes but is not limited to cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, vaping, cigars, cigarillos, pipes, chewing tobacco, snuff, dip, and loose tobacco smoked via pipe or hookah. And due to the above, Avow will only hire Nicotine Free individuals.

Computer Skills:

• Knowledge of basic typing skills, data entry and word processing software. Database, excel software and general knowledge of e-mail is required. Proficiency with EMR software desired. Ability to use standard office equipment (phone, fax, copier, and scanner) and Microsoft Office products including email, word and Excel documents.

Skills and Competencies:
Supervisory Responsibilities: This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

Education and/or Experience: Associates Degree; or one to two years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience working in a customer-facing role in a healthcare environment preferred, with knowledge of basic medical terminology.

Language Skills: Must have exceptional interpersonal and customer service skills via telephonic communications. Able to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups, clients, customers, and the general public. Bi-lingual Spanish language skills preferred.

Mathematical Skills: Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

Reasoning Ability: Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations Valid Florida Driver’s License

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; talk or hear; and taste or smell. The employee frequently is required to sit. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. Must be able to endure exposure to common household allergens (i.e., pets, plants, dust). The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.