Sr Patient Access Center Rep

Overview

At Houston Methodist, the Senior Patient Access Center Representative position is responsible for assuring that patients referred between employed and aligned physicians are scheduled for services in their assigned location and are financially cleared prior to their scheduled appointment through accurate and timely scheduling, registration and verification of eligibility and benefits. This position will be responsible for executing complex processes related to scheduling or other department related protocols. The Senior Patient Access Center Representative position assists management with ongoing observations and notifications of opportunities while providing innovative suggestions for process improvement. This position also assists management with auditing/quality review to ensure accurate and appropriate scheduling and registration. Additional responsibilities for the Senior Patient Access Center Representative position include providing excellent customer service when communicating with patients who visit our clinics and providing notification to patients, physicians and management of issues that may result in potential service delays or reimbursement denials.

Houston Methodist Standard

PATIENT AGE GROUP(S) AND POPULATION(S) SERVEDRefer to departmental "Scope of Service" and "Provision of Care" plans, as applicable, for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

HOUSTON METHODIST EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
  • INTEGRITY: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
  • COMPASSION: We embrace the whole person including emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual needs.
  • ACCOUNTABILITY: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
  • RESPECT: We treat every individual as a person of worth, dignity, and value.
  • EXCELLENCE: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.

• Practices the Caring and Serving Model

• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards

• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET, Managing Up, Key Words)

• Intentionally collaborates with other healthcare professionals involved in patients/customers or employees' experiential journeys to ensure strong communication, ease of access to information, and a seamless experience.

• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job

• Displays cultural humility, diversity, equity and inclusion principles

• Actively supports the organization's vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

Responsibilities

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Uses independent judgment and healthcare knowledge to adjust clinic and physicians' schedules and accommodate special requests from internal and external customers as indicated.

• Works with the physician templates and clinical protocols directly as indicated by management and physicians on an as needed basis. Leverages supervisor level access to Provider Match and Epic Gatekeeper access.

• Serves as a liaison for agents, clinic staff and leadership and interacts with all levels of staff and management, physicians, patients and families to obtain information and properly schedule and register services.

• Serves as a role model and mentor to less experienced staff. Provides feedback to peers to effectively change behavior. Motivates and inspires peers to impact a change in culture.

• Triages calls for the Patient Access Center as appropriate to other areas as received on a daily basis while working under the guidelines and scripts as set forth by management. Provides patients with information needed to prepare for appointment per Center/Service protocol. Enrolls patients on the Patient Portal and provides PIN numbers, complying with HIPAA regulations.

• Discusses department performance metrics and recommendations for performance improvement. Keeps open channels of communication with all parties involved, including physician, patient and service areas, regarding action taken and resolution. Promotes a friendly and professional customer service environment.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Handles first level escalations with patients leveraging override access and DAR management. Leverages subject matter expertise for Epic with ability to override appointment templates when necessary. Develops departmental scripting and holds others accountable to following appointment schedulin