Patient Service Specialist

Patient Services Specialist

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center: Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt's mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Organization: Vanderbilt Integrated Pediatric

Job Summary: Patient Services Specialist (PSS) provides customer service, including telephone etiquette, cash management, scheduling of appointments, processes insurance updates and conducts patient check in/out. The PSS is responsible for maintaining a smooth patient flow. They are the first contact with our patients, therefore, must be extremely courteous, patient, and have a neat appearance. The PSS must be able to always maintain composure and politeness while dealing with patients, and they must also be able to work and interact as part of a team, with the skills to perform multiple tasks simultaneously.

Key Responsibilities:

• Greet patients and guests upon arrival. Scan the reception area periodically to ensure that each patient is checked in. If uncertain, verify patient's status. Proactively communicate wait times or delays to patients at the time of check-in. Provide updates to patients regarding revised wait times. Maintain an organized work area and professional appearance.
• Respond to each call with the standard greeting: Clinic name or other identifier; Your name; answer call within 3 rings. Place caller on hold with permission from caller and for appropriate time frames. Provide complete transfer assistance to all incoming calls when needed. Demonstrate phone service etiquette.
• Listen to patient and direct call to the appropriate person
• Schedule patient appointments with providers
• Follow appropriate steps to forward calls to the answering service at the end of each day
• Take accurate messages with appropriate detail
• Confirm patient appointments
• Pull and prepare patient charts for next-day visits
• Demonstrate on-stage behavior in all setting viewed by patients or visitors
• Demonstrate off-stage behavior expected in all settings when representing VPA
• Initiates message by correctly including the following information: Name; At least 2 of the correct identifiers (MR#, DOB, SS#); Reason for call or inquiry; Forwards messages to the appropriate recipient in a timely manner following clinical protocol. Respond to all messages using correct spelling, grammar, and commentary appropriate for medical record documentation.
• Demonstrate ability to identify and proactively assist a patient or visitor. Provide accurate and complete directional assistance independently or using appropriate resources. Schedule, pull, and prepare patient charts for same-day visit.
• Organize and prepare patient records daily (pull patient charts and organize chart for visit); Ensure privacy by adhering to sign-in standard format; Ensure accurate patient identification by comparing sign-in data to 2 separate identifiers; Review "display notes" for Referral and Central Registration needs; Accurately determine which account to use for the visit. See Financial Screening Policy regarding payment responsibilities. Collect co-payments. Document in EPIC. Provide receipt. Determine if referral is needed from insurance and is in place for the visit.
• Verify demographic & insurance information via open-ended questions: Name-Accuracy and Spelling SSN Address Phone-Work and Home Employer Insurance Information Emergency Contact Information. If insurance has changed, update the registration.
• Scan insurance cards; Obtain card(s) from patient or guarantor and scan (if new or not in the chart), using designated device; Rank each card as primary, secondary, or tertiary.
• Maintain orderly appearance of reception area; Ensure method for accountability of each patient check-in; Proactively communicate with patients about delays; Manage reception area disruptions
• File lab slips, X-Ray reports, consult letters, and all other correspondence in patient charts; Respond accurately to Frequently Asked Questions
• Collect encounter forms and verify accuracy and completeness- Date of service; Encounter # and billing #; Attending Physician's name and number; Clinic location code; CPT codes and modifiers; ICD-10 codes; Referring provider for new patients when consultation charge is marked.
• Collect self-pay balances per clinic policy; verify whether patient's account shows a credit balance prior to collecting any co-pays; post professional charges. Work with Office Manager to reconcile charge batches, balance cash collections to Use Batch Report daily, reconcile cash discrepancies, prepare deposit and take to central depository or bank (daily), and reconcile petty cash and submit to central depository (daily).
• Complete Medical Records processes; prepare Outside Medical Records for access during patient visit, either by creating a visit folder for the hard copies or scanning in advance of the visit. Prepare paper patient charts for storage or consolidation with the main medical record.
• Respond to patient or other requests for medical record copies.
• Incoming Patient & Referring MD Appointment Requests are scheduled according to clinic standards.
• Tests, Procedures & Outgoing Referral MD Appointment Requests are scheduled according to clinic standards.

Technical Capabilities:

Physical Requirements: Medium Work category requiring exertion up to 50lbs of force occasionally and/or up to 20 of force frequently and/or up to 10 of force continually to move objects. Physical Demands Sitting: Remaining in seated position - Occasional Standing: Remaining on one's feet without moving. - Occasional Walking: Moving about on foot. - Occasional Lifting under 35 lbs: Raising and lowering objects under 35 lbs from one level to another - Not Applicable Lifting over 35 lbs: Raising and lowering objects from one level to another, includes upward pulling over 35 lbs, with help of coworkers or assistive device - Not Applicable Carrying under 35 lbs: Transporting an object holding in hands, arms or shoulders, with help of coworkers or assistive device. - Not Applicable Push/Pull: Exerting force to move objects away from or toward. - Not Applicable Carrying over 35 lbs: Transporting an object holding in hands, arms or shoulders, with help of coworkers or assistive device. - Not Applicable Bending/Stooping: Trunk bending downward and forward by bending spine at waist requiring full use of lower extremities and back muscles - Occasional Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing, crouching or maneuvering self, patient and equipment simultaneously while working in large and small spaces - Occasional Climbing: Ascending or descending stairs/ramps using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. - Occasional Crawling: Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet. - Occasional Kneeling: Bending legs at knees to come to rest on knee or knees. - Occasional Crouching/Squatting: Bending body downward and forward by bending legs and spine.Reaching above shoulders: Extending arms in any direction above shoulders. - Occasional Reaching below shoulders: Extending arms in any direction below shoulders. - Occasional Fingering: Picking, pinching, gripping, working primarily with fingers requiring fine manipulation. - Occasional Handling: Seizing, holding, grasping, turning or otherwise working with hand or hands. - Occasional Communication: Expressing or exchanging written/verbal/electronic information. - Occasional Auditory: Perceiving the variances of sounds, tones and pitches and able to focus on single source of auditory information - Occasional Vision: Clarity of near vision at 20 inches or less and far vision at 20 feet or more with depth perception, peripheral vision, color vision. - Occasional Smell: Ability to detect and identify odors. - Occasional Feeling: Ability to perceive size, shape, temperature, texture by touch with fingertips. - Not Applicable Taste: Ability to detect quality, texture, consistency and taste of prepared foods/quality control. - Occasional Chemicals and Gasses: Medications, cleaning chemicals, oxygen, other medical gases used in work area. - Not Applicable Noise: May include exposure to occupational noise levels which equal or exceed an 8-hr time-weighted average of 85 decibels, requiring enrollment in VUMC's Hearing Conservation Program which includes training, use of hearing protection, and periodic audiometry. - Frequent Bimanual Dexterity: Requiring the use of both hands. - Occasional Dust - Not Applicable Vibration: Subject to oscillating movement. - Not Applicable Climate: Ability to withstand exposure to atmospheric extremes including heat, cold, humidity, and barometric pressure changes. - Not Applicable Radiation: May be exposed to occupational radiation, requiring enrollment in VUMC's Radiation Safety Program which includes training, use of personal protective equipment with lead shielding, and personal dose monitoring. - Not Applicable Pathogens: Risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens and other contagious illnesses.