About the job
Join our team as a Patient Access Specialist at Northwestern Medicine, where our mission, vision, and values guide our daily interactions and patient care. As a key member of our team, you will embody our commitment to excellence while adhering to the organization's Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, as well as all relevant policies, procedures, and regulatory standards.
Key Responsibilities:
- Embrace the Patients First philosophy, delivering exceptional customer service and fostering a collaborative team environment.
- Address patient inquiries and concerns with professionalism.
- Escalate extraordinary issues to the Team Lead or Operations Coordinator as needed.
- Ensure patient confidentiality in compliance with HIPAA regulations.
- Create a positive first impression by providing outstanding service to patients.
- Proactively identify and meet consumer needs, escalating issues to management when necessary.
- Accurately gather and verify patient demographic information according to organizational standards.
- Coordinate with hospital departments and physician offices to schedule and guide patients through our systems efficiently.
- Contact patients to arrange appointments as required.
- Conduct medical necessity checks for scheduled services and communicate options to patients if appointments cannot be secured.
- Inform patients about any financial account issues related to their encounters.
- Provide out-of-pocket estimates upon request.
- Offer training and educational support as needed.
- Manage work schedules effectively, ensuring timely completion of tasks.
- Engage in cross-training across departments to ensure comprehensive coverage.
- Participate in Quality Assurance reviews to maintain data integrity.
- Employ effective service recovery skills to resolve service breakdowns.
- Follow department policies and procedures in all tasks.
- Mitigate risks to patient safety and finances.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Communication and Collaboration:
- Provide patients with information regarding physician referrals, insurance referrals, and consultations.
- Collect authorization numbers in relevant systems as applicable.
- Foster a constructive communication environment across units and resolve operational challenges.
- Attend departmental meetings as needed within the Northwestern Medicine campus.
- Report customer satisfaction issues to appropriate stakeholders.

