Practice Associate IV - Specialty Coordination - Ophthalmology #Full Time

Top Healthcare Provider Network

The 61st Street Service Corporation, provides administrative and clinical support staff for ColumbiaDoctors. This position will support ColumbiaDoctors, one of the largest multi-specialty practices in the Northeast. ColumbiaDoctors’ practices comprise an experienced group of more than 2,800 physicians, surgeons, dentists, and nurses, offering more than 240 specialties and subspecialties.

Job Summary:

The Practice Associate IV – Specialty Coordination (FPO) is an experienced professional with exceptional medical practice support skills & in-depth knowledge of patient care coordination and back office responsibilities including complex scheduling, referrals, and inter-specialty scheduling. The role uses initiative in completing assignments independently and with minimal supervision. The Practice Associate IV serves as the primary administrative support for 1 or more providers and ensures an efficient daily provider workflow and a positive patient experience related to patient arrival, patient interactions relating to registration and appointment scheduling as well as other administrative inquiries. The Practice Associate IV is part of a team that delivers an exceptional patient experience through kindness, inclusion, integrity, accountability, and excellence.

Job Responsibilities:

• Greet patients and visitors, answer patient telephone calls promptly, and respond to patient portal messages and voicemails.
• Review the daily and weekly schedule frequently to ensure accuracy of the visit provider, appointment duration, patient insurance participation status with the visit provider, visit reason, and visit type.
• Obtain all required registration and intake information from patients necessary for an efficient check-in process; verify and/or update any new insurance eligibility, benefits, or other information prior to the start of the patient appointment in the electronic health record (EHR); accurately indicate arrivals, cancellations, and no-shows in the EHR.
• Schedule follow-up appointments, referrals, and other related tests as requested by the provider. Obtain prior authorizations and referrals for follow up care as needed by insurance plan.
• Collect all time-of-service and past due payments prior to the start of the appointment. Settle cash drawer in the EHR on a daily basis.
• Educate patients on benefits on using patient portal and assist patient to sign up for patient portal.
• May rotate to other sites and serve as Team Lead and/or Preceptor. May supervise tasks and determine resolution and/or escalate as appropriate.
• May assist Supervisor/Manager with special projects as needed.
• Ensures "warm transfer" of calls/inquires are routed to the correct party for resolution. Escalates cases as appropriate. Monitors identified trends and ensures resolutions are developed and implemented.
• Communicates insurance participation, financial responsibility (if applicable) and time of service policy to patient population.
• Establishes a positive engagement with patients and their families based on trust, patient-centered service, and addressing needs. Supports patients and families through entire treatment plan.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.
• Coordinate and schedule surgeries, procedures and other specialty services.
• Schedule post-operative and other follow-up appointments and other related tests as requested by the physician.
• Act as the primary contact for patients and responding to telephone inquiries. Assist with obtaining medical clearance, EKG’s, and HNP when necessary.
• Function as a liaison between attending physician, patient, and the OR, and patient with all aspects of the surgical scheduling.
• Ensure that patients have appropriate instructions related to the surgery, including pre-and post-operative directions.
• Verify patient insurance eligibility, benefits, and coordination of benefits prior to the procedure date. Inform the patient on fees and ensures collection of pre-surgical and pre-procedure payment.
• Serves as a first point of escalation for complex cases or scheduling issues.
• Assists with educational sessions to train new staff in front-end process. Mentors Level I and Level II staff. Assists with onboarding.
• Resolves escalated insurance related cases. Escalates issue for resolution if and when appropriate. Tracks and follows through for complete resolution. Makes recommendation to update/revise procedure or workflow as needed.
• Leads a collaborative team oriented environment. Facilitates team discussions about complex patient scheduling needs. Helps identify solutions and takes ownership for resolving scheduling conflicts. Communicates with management team and care providers to resolve scheduling issues. Collaborates with all co-workers and follows up as appropriate regarding reported complaints, problems and concerns.

Job Qualifications:

• Associate’s degree is required. May be substituted by 2 years of relevant experience.
• A minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience or a combination of certifications, coursework, and experience is required.
• Advanced knowledge/proficiency of Medical Terminology.
• Strong organizational and problem solving skills, and the ability to set priorities among multiple competing objectives, tasks and initiatives is required.
• Candidate must demonstrate strong customer service orientation and the ability to deliver consistent exceptional service while demonstrating tact, respect and sensitivity.
• Excellent relationship management skills including, but not limited to, emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills, empathy, and ability to handle situations with respect, tact and sensitivity.
• Candidate must be organized and be able to manage a demanding workload and moderately complex cases in an accurate and timely.
• Ability to mentor teammates and demonstrate professional and compassionate manner while conveying a positive image of the practice. Encourages positivity and adaptability to new and changing situations.
• Ability to work independently and multi-task with constant follow-through.
• Candidate must demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills. Must be able to communicate to multiple stakeholder audiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a culturally diverse staff and patient/family population demonstrating tact and sensitivity in stressful situations.
• Strong proficiency of Microsoft Office (Word & Excel) or similar software is required and an ability and willingness to learn new systems and programs.
• rior experience in EPIC is preferred.
• Prior experience in EHR is preferred.
• Prior experience in Training is preferred.
• Prior experience in medical office setting or a customer service environment is preferred.
• Bilingual English/Spanish a plus, but not required.

Hourly Rate Ranges: $29.58 - $39.72

Note: Our salary offers will fall within these ranges based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to experience, skill set, training and education.

61st Street Service Corporation

At 61st Street Service Corporation we are committed to providing our client with excellent customer service while maintaining a productive environment for all employees. The Service Corporation offers a competitive comprehensive Benefit package to eligible employees; including Healthcare and various other benefits including Paid Time off to promote a healthy lifestyle.

We are an equal employment opportunity employer and we adhere to all requirements of all applicable federal, state, and local civil rights laws.