Access Associate Senior - North Fork Oncology

Job Description Summary

This experienced patient focused service representative engages patients, families and referring providers throughout the patient care continuum through various forms of communication. Responsible and accountable for complex patient scheduling including record retrieval, follow up communication and any related tasks to ensure the patient is seen by the right provider at the right time with the right records. Serves as the point of contact for patients, referring providers and Health System departments requesting single, multiple, and coordinated appointments to ensure an optimal patient experience.

Actively participates on issues resolution and process improvement.

• Identifies opportunities for improvement and communicates appropriately before problems arise whenever possible.
• Provides input on development, revision and implementation of work area procedures to ensure efficient operations and compliance with regulatory standards.
• Constantly and consistently evaluates processes, identifies opportunities for improvement and offers constructive ideas and solutions; actively participates in solutions and implementation.
• Maintains privacy during all interactions including check‑in.
• Independently answers telephones, schedules, confirms appointments and maintains appointment and procedure schedules.
• Registers patients, takes payments and provides receipts.
• Completes requests for service and associated tasks following established timelines.
• Initiates contact with patient and family to ascertain scheduling preferences prior to finalizing appointment regardless of point of entry of the request.
• Refers callers to appropriate individuals, and provides routine information following established procedures.
• Ensures patient communications are customer oriented, appropriate and professional. Documents should be professional in appearance and current.
• Requests and/or sends records to Health Information Management promptly. Ensures documents are appropriate and correctly labeled.
• Abstracts appropriate health data into EMR.
• Takes ownership of resolving scheduling conflicts for patients and communicates with care team and management.
• Utilizes electronic medical record functionality (e.g., InBasket, telephone encounters, prescription requests, pools, letters, and documentation only) per department process guidelines. Documentation should be complete and accurate.
• Collaborates with appropriate Clinic Triad team (Medical Director, Access and Clinic Managers) to review requested schedule changes to ensure they meet clinic needs.
• Creates patient no‑show and cancellation letters according to office policy. Calls to reschedule as appropriate.
• Accurately completes daily attendance in the scheduling system to ensure high quality and reliable data capture.
• Achieves expected metric targets applicable to scheduling and registration.

• Understands the characteristics and complexity of the patient population and criteria for scheduling plan.
• Advocates for patients while coordinating support services as needed to ensure a smooth patient and family experience.
• Investigates problems with complex scheduling cases, documents findings in complete and understandable manner.
• Coordinates appointments and works with Pre Arrival Unit to ensure authorization in place for in and out of network entities including hospital systems, specialty clinics, equipment suppliers and pharmacies.
• Obtains, loads and verifies required demographic and insurance information for each appointment scheduled.
• Performs verification functions. Obtains two patient identifiers consistently. Verifies patient legal name including spelling before creating a new MRN.
• Maintains and demonstrates effective and accurate scheduling skills including following established processes.
• Ensures referrals are attached to appointments, and the appropriate insurance information is documented. Researches and updates insurance carrier requirements as necessary. Correctly identifies referring provider.
• Serves as liaison with health care team about complex patient scheduling needs.

• Communicates to patients what payments are…