PAS Resource Specialist

Department Overview

This position is responsible for providing administrative support to the Department of Radiation Medicine, including ensuring an outstanding patient experience through the development and maintenance of quality and timely patient access.  Involvement in continuous improvements in process, productivity, and the success of the Department is a key responsibility of this position. 

 

The Department Support Specialist provides high-quality customer service to patients, providers, staff, and insurance carriers that meets or exceeds the service standards of the health care industry.  This duty includes prompt and professional communication, face-to-face customer contact, crisis management, complaint processing, flexible coverage of internal service needs, and the continuous application of process improvement methods and skills.  Interacts with internal or external services to coordinate patient and provider services and activities.

 

This position performs in a manner which maintains the confidentiality and privacy of each patient and promotes professional habits through personal appearance, work ethic, attitude and ability to work as a team member.  Able to be flexible with hours/schedule/location to provide cross coverage as needed.

Function/Duties of Position

Scheduling:

• Schedules patient appointments. Obtains medical records. Creates a medical record if needed.  Arranges transport stretchers, wheelchairs, and interpreters, and accommodates other special needs.  Provide personal reminders to patients about upcoming appointments. 
• Coordinates and schedules associated clinical, diagnostic, or laboratory services; may obtain or support authorization process.
• Triage incoming patient referrals in the referral work queue, correspond with providers to discuss referral details, and schedule accordingly. May direct some referrals to other clinics and clinical services. Initiates authorization requests for subsequent care.
• Checks out patients and schedules any requested follow up diagnostic, laboratory, and clinic appointments.
• Provider template maintenance and appointment rescheduling when needed.
• Manage and coordinate appointments, events, and schedules.
• Prepare, edit, and collate correspondences, agendas, materials, and documents.
• Assists in scheduling surgeries, maintaining information regarding surgery schedules, and correspond with the surgery office to maintain an avenue of communication and serve as a liaison and information resource for the nursing team, radiation therapists, and physicians.

Clinic Support: 

• Greets patients and confirms admission details and/or purpose for visit. Inspects insurance and identification cards and ensures accuracy of demographics, registration and billing information for the visit, updating as needed.  Determines urgent/emergent medical situations and activates the rapid response team or engages the assistance of nursing staff to assist.
• Answer department phone lines:  Triage calls; provide information about OHSU services, procedures, and policies accurately and appropriately.  Effectively and independently evaluates the urgency of incoming matters and escalates appropriately.
• Verifies insurance coverage is currently active.  Identifies and collects deductible payments, co-payments, and deposits on services; provides receipts and completes necessary accounting procedures.  Explains and satisfies any necessary patient signature requirements.  Manage patient valuables process. Validates parking.
• Opens and closes clinic.   Overtime may be required if needed to support safe environment for patients.
• Determines appropriate billing for type of service patient will receive. Knowledgeable about and provides patient education regarding OHSU financial assistance and pre-service or co-pay payment policy, Patient Rights, Advance Directive, CMS and Medicare rules, and use of patient information and/or specimens in OHSU research. 
• Triage incoming faxes; scan and/or distribute accordingly
• Gathers and/or verifies patient information including demographics, insurance coverage, and financial status.  Confirms patient eligibility for health care coverage and clarifies any managed care arrangements.  Obtains authorizations for clinical care, procedures, and laboratory studies.  Enters all information accurately into the medical record.  Follows up on pending authorizations until they are obtained.  Contacts patients in advance of future services to pre-register, validate billing information, discuss payment requirements, and collect pre-service deposits via telephone. 
• Collect and accurately documents inquiries from patients including complaints, general information, preparation for upcoming admissions, financia