Patient Access Specialist III

Career Opportunities with 61st Street Service Corp

Current job opportunities are posted here as they become available.

The 61st Street Service Corporation, provides administrative and clinical support staff for Columbia Doctors
. This position will support Columbia Doctors, one of the largest multi-specialty practices in the Northeast. Columbia Doctors’ 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 Patient Access Specialist III – Radiology supports system-wide radiology scheduling, prior authorization, financial clearance, and revenue cycle coordination within a high-volume call center. This lead-level role manages complex imaging appointment workflows (MRI/CR/PET/CT, Ultrasound, Interventional Radiology, and other diagnostic services) while proactively identifying and resolving authorization, insurance, and financial barriers that may delay patient care.

The Specialist serves as a liaison between Radiology, the Clinical Revenue Office (CRO), billing teams, referring providers, and patients to ensure accurate scheduling, financial transparency, and compliance with payer requirements. This role also provides mentorship to team members, supports quality assurance initiatives, and promotes an exceptional patient experience aligned with organizational standards of Service, Trust, Safety, Inclusion and Communication.

Job Responsibilities:

• Schedule complex radiology appointments ensuring correct modality, exam type, provider, and location selection.
• Review scheduled imaging appointments to identify prior authorization and financial clearance risks.
• Conduct authorization reviews at the time of scheduling and again within 24 hours prior to the scheduled appointment.
• Monitor authorization status and ensure peer-to-peer reviews are completed when required.
• Cancel and reschedule radiology appointments when authorization or financial clearance cannot be secured prior to date of service, in accordance with departmental guidelines.
• Communicate clearly with patients regarding preparation instructions, arrival times, required documentation, and safety precautions.
• Escalate complex authorization or payer-related issues to management or CRO as appropriate and track through resolution.
• Ensure Workers’ Compensation and No-Fault radiology cases are properly documented and authorized prior to service

Leadership & Operational Support

• Serve as liaison between Radiology, CRO, Patient Access, billing teams, and referring providers to resolve complex cases.
• Mentor and train Patient Access Specialists on radiology scheduling, insurance registration, and authorization workflows.
• Assist with quality assurance reviews to ensure scheduling accuracy and financial clearance compliance.
• Identify workflow gaps and recommend process improvements to leadership.
• Support operational coverage needs and assist management with workflow adjustments.
• Support radiology-specific estimate workflows, including:
  • Authorization-related denials impacting imaging services
  • High deductible and coinsurance reviews
  • STAT estimate requests
  • Patient outreach regarding out-of-pocket responsibility and add-on imaging services
  • Work Radiology Estimate Work queues (WQs).
• Clearly explain patient financial responsibility.
• Collaborate with CRO and billing teams to resolve estimate discrepancies and ensure accurate documentation prior to service.
• Assess financial risk for appointments not cleared prior to service; independently resolve low-risk cases and elevate high-risk cases as appropriate.

Client Account Support - SNF & External Accounts

• Support Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) and contracted radiology accounts following payer denials or recoupments.
• Manually bill SNF radiology claims when required and follow up with clients and SHS regarding claim posting and resolution.
• Coordinate with referring offices to resolve billing and authorization discrepancies.
• Reconcile radiology payments and payment transfers in coordination with SHS.
• Identify and reconcile missing consultation, interpretation, or technical charges.
• Assist in…