Position Summary:

Patient Access Representatives are crucial team members who perform a variety of functions to help facilitate access to services for our patients & community by providing excellent customer service that supports our Mission, Vision, & Values.  As a Patient Access Representative, you are the first step in ensuring the accuracy of patient information & billing information to support safe patient care and accurate revenue cycle functions.

About the Team:

St. Joseph Regional Medical Center is a 145-bed, acute care hospital located in Lewiston, Idaho, and is the largest full-service medical center between Boise and Spokane.   We provide a full range of inpatient and outpatient services as well as outpatient clinic services, crossing over multiple specialties and primary care.   We want every team member to feel empowered to make the right choices for our patients, themselves, our team, & our community.   Our Patient Access team strives to create an environment where patients & customers feel welcome and get connected to the services they need in a timely manner.  Our team values taking care of our patients and each other. We encourage kindness, critical thinking, fun, collaboration, continuous learning, and a supportive environment to work and serve our community! 

Essential Functions/Primary Duties:

·         Provide intentional and compassionate customer service.  Engage in calming and confident interactions to ease patient/customer anxiety and reassure them we are here to help.  Work collaboratively with patients/visitors, other departments, and team members to optimize the patient experience and support efficient & effective business operations.

·         Perform job functions within applicable state & federal guidelines (e.g. EMTALA, Idaho Patient Act, No Surprises Act, etc.), insurance contractual obligations, and in accordance with organizational policies and procedures.

·         Perform patient registration functions, including but not limited to pre-registration, check-in, and check-out activities.  Obtain and accurately input patient information into the electronic medical record promptly to support timely access to care and accurate billing & revenue cycle operations. Always use a minimum of 2 patient identifiers to ensure accurate identification of patients in accordance with hospital policy and CMS standards.

·         Provide required notifications to patients per hospital policy and have a working knowledge of policy and any regulatory requirements surrounding the notification to be able to answer basic customer questions.  Facilitate connecting patients to the correct department or employee when unable to fully answer a customer?s question.

·         Obtain and verify insurance eligibility and/or other payer information.  Ensure accurate data entry of payer information into the electronic medical record.  Utilize payer websites and registration applications/systems to obtain timely and accurate information.

·         Performs all duties in a manner that protects the confidentiality of patients and does not solicit or disclose any confidential information unless it is necessary in the performance of job duties.

·         Coordinate, communicate, and assist in monitoring workflow in response to fluctuating patient volumes to ensure work tasks and downtime projects are completed.

·         Maintain a clean, professional, and organized workspace, including electronic systems.  Email & Outlook calendars should be used throughout your shift and kept organized and up to date. 

·         Attending required meetings & training. Participate in continuous process improvement efforts for your department, share pertinent information, be open to different perspectives, and share ideas with your team. 

·         Screen patients for financial assistance needs and facilitate referral to a financial counselor when appropriate. 

·         As applicable, follow department guidelines for scheduling appointments, seeing walk-in patients, providing urgent or emergent care, and dealing with a medical emergency in your department.  Ensure you are familiar with applicable policy and procedure differences for the different departments and locations where you work.

·         Collect patient payments per hospital policy for co-pays, co-insurance, deductibles, self-pay, and/or other patient balances. 

·         Complete all mandated training/education promptly and completely upon hire and as required thereafter.

·         Follow department and/or applicable hospital policies related to mandatory personal protective equipment (PPE) usage (e.g. when going into a patient room to obtain registration information or assisting a patient/visitor with a known communicable disease).

·         Maintain a working knowledge of St. Joseph Regional Medical Center emergency codes and your personal & department?s responsibility to support and assist in the event of an emergency or code.  Provide assistance in accordance with hospital policy, your licensure, skills, and training.

·         Maintain a working knowledge of St. Joseph Regional Medical Center incident command activation and be prepared to support and assist efforts in the event of an internal or external disaster situation. Provide assistance in accordance with hospital policy, your licensure, skills, and training.

·         Other assigned duties that support departmental and/or organizational objectives in support of our Mission, Vision, and Values.

Required Education Level:

·         High school diploma or equivalent

Required Experience:

·         None required

Required Licensure and/or Certification(s):

·         None required

Required Skills:

·         Basic proficiency in Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Word. 

·         Basic proficiency in navigating electronic computer systems.

·         Ability to provide excellent customer service.

·         Ability to communicate and work effectively with the public, community partners, and co-workers.

·         Ability to manage job tasks, time, and resources appropriately.

Preferred Education, Licensure, and/or Experience:

·         Prior customer service experience working in a healthcare environment

·         Prior experience, training, or education/certification relevant to essential functions of position.

·         Prior experience working with the general public, assisting people with diverse backgrounds to accommodate customer and business needs. 

Physical Requirements:

·         Constantly operates a computer and other office equipment (phone, scanner, printer, copier, fax, etc.).

·         Frequent work with digital and non-digital data requiring the ability to compare, detect, and assess the accuracy of information in paper format and on the computer screen.

·         Must be able to remain in a stationary position for extended periods of time (estimate at least 80%). 

·         Must be able to move throughout the office, department location, main hospital campus, and off-site locations as needed to accomplish position objectives, and attend meetings and/or training. 

·         Must have adequate hearing to respond appropriately to phone, equipment, alarms, overhead codes, etc...

Environment & Working Conditions:

·         Primarily indoors.  Occasional travel/movement to and from off-site and on-campus locations, with potential exposure to adverse or extreme weather conditions. Must wear appropriate gear, clothing, and/or shoes.

·         Frequent interaction with the public, including patients of all ages and diverse backgrounds, other visitors, EMS personnel, law enforcement officers, other community partners, and vendors.

·         Minimal exposure to biohazardous materials.  Must wear PPE in accordance with hospital policy for the situation and area of the hospital. 

·         Minimal risk of injury from moving parts or exposure to fumes and chemicals from copy machine toner, equipment, office supplies, & cleaning supplies.

·         Frequent exposure to environmental noise created by people, doors, and equipment.

Remote Work Environment:

·         Remote work is not typical for this position and is not anticipated.

·         If remote work is approved for certain tasks, employees must comply with organizational policies, including ensuring a safe and private workspace that complies with all applicable state & federal regulatory guidelines.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

·         St. Joseph Regional Medical Center is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and complies with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination in employment because of color, race, gender, age, religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran?s status and any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

About St. Joseph Regional Medical Center

Connections working at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center