Medical Records Specialist

Job Purpose

The primary responsibilities for this position are to facilitate effective customer service and efficient handling of medical records, data entry, and/or registration of individuals. This position shall respond promptly to all requests for individual services and information and manages the daily flow of customers scheduled for appointments.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• A review of this description has excluded the marginal functions of the position that are incidental to the performance of fundamental job duties. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by the supervisor.

Essential Duties

• Receives, screens, and routes incoming calls.
• Assists staff with customer service/medical records/access questions and concerns.
• Provides information regarding services offered by Northpointe.
• Creates and maintains ELMER appointment schedules for providers and clinicians as requested.
• Collects and receipts service recipient payments.
• Distributes and replenishes petty cash account for clinic office.
• Daily retrieval/printing of crisis reports from after-hours crisis service.
• Monitoring of office machines for faxes.
• Copies correspondence and other printed materials as requested by staff.
• Works with NorthCare Centralized Access Department to ensure smooth screening and registration of new individuals determined eligible for services.
• Coordinates and blocks intake appointment times weekly.
• Monitors appointments in ELMER.
• Completes the insurance eligibility and obtains insurance cards at each appointment.
• Contacts the insurance company to verify benefits for private insurance.
• Mails confirmation of appointment letters and necessary forms for individual to complete prior to appointment.
• Completes face-to-face intake paperwork, data entry, and individual registration of financial and demographic information for state reporting, explains the fee schedule and reviews benefit level from insurance company,
• Scans and E-file current individual data for all programs in ELMER per the Regional Medical Records E-filing Guide.
• Monitors electronic medical records queue to distribute clinical documents as requested, within 48 hours via fax or mail, after verifying consent to share behavioral health information.
• Documents disclosure of information on log when not electronically captured.
• Completes electronic annual paperwork updates.
• Monitors case transfers between sites and case closures.
• Responsible for maintaining medical records/access/customer service departments in an organized fashion.
• Organizes, retains, and disposes of the medical records per Northpointe’s Retention policy.
• If assigned transcription duties:

o Completes word processing and transcription of psychiatric clinical documents from audio dictation and occasionally handwritten form, if indicated.

o Creates computerized folders for each practitioner and downloads digital information.

o Ensures dictation is typed and returned to originator in a timely manner, generally within 48 hours.

o Creates/monitors SALs (Service Activity Log) on psychiatric documents.

Qualifications

• This position will actively support the mission, vision, and values of the agency.
• The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education, Certifications, and/or Experience

• High school graduate with training in business practices to include typing, filing, word processing, computer knowledge, telephone communication and organization skills.
• Medical terminology and previous office experience preferred.
• Experience with the electronic medical record preferred.

Knowledge and Skills

• Must be knowledgeable and committed to maintaining confidentiality.
• Ability to read and interpret technical requirements, regulatory requirements, and policies/procedures applicable to the agency.
• Ability to effectively communicate and provide information to a varied audience which may include staff, providers, community members, and customers.
• Ability to understand transcription and transcribe medical documents with proficiency,
• Ability to write routine correspondence.

Competencies

• Strong team skills and the ability to work effectively as part of different group projects.
• Proficiency in computer software required in performing essential duties including the Microsoft Office applications.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills are essential.
• Requires a high degree of sound judgement and initiative.
• Demonstrated ability to function in a complex environment filled with competing demands.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage one's own time and resources.
• Overall commitment to the quality-of-service recipient care as well as customer service.
• Ability to deal with problems involving standard situations.

Working Conditions

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands

• Regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.
• Occasional required to stand, walk, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, and/or crawl.
• Must occasionally lift and/or move up to twenty-five (25) pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include the ability to adjust focus.
• The employee must be able to sit for lengthy periods of time; use hands and fingers; must have good hearing and speaking skills.

Work Environment

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions
• The noise level in the work environment is quiet to moderate.

Required Training

Training requirements established by licensing agencies, accreditation bodies, MDHHS, and NorthCare Network shall be followed upon hire, annually, and as necessary.

• See Training Requirement Guide