Overview

Be inspired. Be valued. Belong. 

 

At Emory Healthcare we fuel your professional journey with better benefits, valuable resources, ongoing mentorship and leadership programs for all types of jobs, and a supportive environment that enables you to reach new heights in your career and be what you want to be.  We provide:

• Comprehensive health benefits that start day 1
• Student Loan Repayment Assistance & Reimbursement Programs
• Family-focused benefits
• Wellness incentives
• Ongoing mentorship, development, leadership programs...and more

Description

The Patient Access Priority Engagement Specialist, Lead is responsible for supporting the coordination, communication, and training of Patient Access teams across Emory Healthcare hospitals. This role partners with leadership and training teams to ensure consistency in onboarding, workflow execution, and service excellence.

The Lead provides day-to-day operational support, serves as a subject matter expert, and ensures team performance aligns with organizational standards. This position plays a key role in staff development, workflow coordination, and maintaining high-quality patient access operations in a fast-paced environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Team Leadership & Operational Support

• Assist supervisors and managers in defining staff responsibilities, assigning work, and monitoring progress.

• Ensure timely completion of tasks and adherence to departmental workflows.

• Serve as a primary point of contact for employee questions and operational guidance.

• Coordinate and lead team huddles, meetings, and daily workflow activities.

• Foster a positive and engaging team environment through communication and team-building initiatives.

Training & Development

• Support onboarding and ongoing training for Patient Access staff in partnership with the training team.

• Provide continuous performance feedback to both new and existing employees.

• Cross-train staff across Patient Access departments and facilities to ensure operational flexibility.

• Promote skill development and employee engagement to improve retention and performance.

Patient Access Operations

• Maintain expertise in registration, scheduling, referrals, authorizations, insurance verification, and account follow-up.

• Obtain and verify patient demographic and insurance information for pre-registration and registration.

• Schedule procedures and follow-up appointments using EPIC.

• Provide patients with exam and appointment information.

• Ensure accuracy and completeness of patient records and documentation.

Call Center & Escalation Management

• Lead, mentor, and support call center agents to ensure adherence to policies and procedures.

• Handle complex patient inquiries and escalated calls with professionalism, empathy, and efficiency.

• Monitor call center performance metrics, including call volume, average handle time, and quality.

Reporting & Performance Monitoring

• Review reports and identify trends to support operational improvements.

• Assist in maintaining and improving key performance indicators (KPIs).

• Partner with leadership to implement process improvements and address operational challenges.

Collaboration & Communication

• Communicate effectively with physician offices, clinical staff, and other departments.

• Work collaboratively with Patient Access leadership and cross-functional teams.

• Maintain knowledge of departmental systems and applications used within Patient Access.

Additional Responsibilities

• Perform additional duties as assigned to support departmental and organizational goals.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred.

Experience

• Minimum of two (2) years of experience in healthcare, customer service, or a related field required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Working knowledge of medical terminology, ICD-9/10, and CPT-4 basics.

• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and customer service skills.

• Demonstrated leadership and problem-solving abilities.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Proficiency in scheduling systems and call center software.

Preferred Qualifications