Patient Office Assistant

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Harlem United is the parent company for Upper Room AIDs Ministry (URAM). URAM provides the healthcare services from the Federally Qualified Health Center located in the heart of Harlem. We provide Primary Care, Specialty Care, Dental Care and Wellness Care to those seeking diagnosis and treatment. All employees of URAM are responsible to perform their job practicing good risk management, quality assurance, and delivering excellent internal and external customer service. 

The incumbent in this job will perform various customer service duties including responding to inquiries, obtaining information, and providing information on Upper Room AIDS Ministry and its services within legal guidelines and agency policies. The primary responsibility is for the intake and registration of clients to the clinic, including insurance verification, fee assessment, and cashiering, presumptive eligibility for Medicaid, referrals, scheduling appointments and data input.  The incumbents in this job have routine access to individually identifiable health information including the clients’ entire medical records on a need-to-know basis only. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following as well as other duties that may be assigned.  

•    Provide excellent customer service at all times 

•    Engage patient with a warm and friendly greeting 

•    Performs check ins, cancellations and rescheduling of client appointments

•    Check alerts during check in 

•    Perform compete check outs (i.e adding to recall list or scheduling follow-up)  

•    Ensures accuracy of all client and visit data each day, verifying patient demographics, insurance, homeless status, and visit status daily.

•    Inputs demographics and insurance information into EMR

•    Prepare huddle sheets and attend daily huddles 

•    Call to inform patients when wait times exceed one hour 

•    Compete new patient welcome calls 

•    Answers telephones, directs calls and takes accurate messages

•    Determines nature of patients’ visits for appropriate processes

•    Maintains provider daily schedule for accuracy and correct as needed  

•    Schedules appointments 

•    Registers new patients obtaining the required information and documentation (ie: all client insurance, demographics etc.)

•    Provide material and introduction to new patents 

•    Confirm if referrals are needed and are eligible 

•    Verifies insurance coverage for all appointments.

•    Assists patients in understanding their medical coverage; provides assistance with prior authorization for the day’s visit if necessary.

•    Explains Health Center policy including payment of accounts and determines fee for service based on sliding fee schedule

•    Disseminates information to clients, staff and others as appropriate

•    Ensures completion and validation of all clients forms and documents including regular updates of information

•    Creates and maintains electronic patient records including the assignment of chart numbers

•    Scan required documents in the EMR 

•    Compete HIPPA forms 

•    Release fax machine and distribute to team members 

•    Informs patient of wait times and apologizes for any delay in services 

•    Promote use of patient portal and healthix at each visit

•    Enroll patents in the patient portal, healthix and ADAP

•    Refer clients to the referral specialist if necessary for additional information and assistance. 

•    Collects, documents and disburses revenue from patients including credit Cards

•    Maintains and reconciles an accurate cash drawer daily

•    Notify patients of connect balance and set up payment arrangements 

•    Communicate important messages to the patents (i.e monthly companion info flu shot etc) 

•    Offer limited set of resources to patients (Human United services and Prepare resource binder)  

•    Listen to and handle complaints or issues 

•    Appropriately escalate complaints or issues to supervisor 

•    Follow-up on referrals to see if their appointments have been kept 

•    Facilitate competition of waiting room surveys/assessments 

•    Obtain simple pre-authorizations for insurance coverage  

•    Active participation in all departmental CQI activities

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

The following duties are to be performed as assigned by the supervisor:

•     Promoting linkages with other service providers

•     Establish and maintain archive and active case records

•     Preparation of data for reports

•    Referring walk-in sick patients to the nurse for appropriate triage and prioritization

•    Other duties deemed necessary to achieve the mission of the organization

QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

•    Minimum associate degree in health care related program or equivalent health care related college credits

•    Certificate in health care discipline (medical office assistant or medical billing) preferred.  

•    5 years’ experience in medical or dental office a must, with 3 years’ experience with managed care requirements and medical billing

•    Strong customer service acumen including customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards, and evaluation of customer service

•    Ability to communicate and interact with others in a professional and courteous manner.

•    Well organized paying attention to details

•    Ability to write simple correspondence

•    Ability to present information in one-on-one and small group situations

•    Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, proportions and percentages.

•    Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, instructions, and procedure manuals

•    Proficient in input data on a computer terminal in an accurate and efficient manner

•    Knowledge of use of common office equipment

SPECIAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

In addition to the above-listed job responsibilities and educational requirements, the ideal candidate for this position possesses most or all of the following:

•    Basic computer skills (Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.) 

•    Experience with electronic medical record, (eClinicalWorks and Dentrix preferred) 

•    Excellent organization skills

•    Experience working with HIV/AIDS population 

•    Superior written and verbal communication skills

•    Ability to work as an efficient team member

•    Willingness to accommodate provider services outside the normal business hours

•    Bilingual (English/Spanish English/French) a plus 

Special Requirements

The employee must be able to lift and/or move more than 50 pounds. Requires full range of body motion including handling and lifting patients, manual and finger dexterity and eye/hand coordination.  Requires sitting, standing and walking for extensive periods of time.  The employee frequently is required to reach with hands and arms.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The ability to work with a moderate noise level in the work environment is required.

The above information is intended to describe the most important aspects of the job. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required in order to perform the work. The health center reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the business need arises. Additionally, this job description is not intended as an employment contract, implied or otherwise, and the Center continues to maintain its status as an at-will employer. 

If the essential functions of this position cannot be performed in a satisfactory manner by the employee, reasonable accommodations may be made.