Lead, Patient Access

Overview

• Patient Access Lead, Days, 80 Hrs / 2 wks
• Location: Harvard Business Center; Harvard, IL
• Hybrid and flexible work schedule opportunities available after probationary period. 

Plans and supervises activities within the Office of Patient Access Management. Develops and updates department workflows and expectations. Assigns work and coordinates activities to maintain efficient workflow. Monitors quantity and quality of work performed. Interviews, trains, supervises and evaluates employees. Maintains equipment and supplies for the department. Participates in process improvement activities and makes recommendations for new/revised policies, procedures and workflows. Considers impacts and anticipates barriers and develops alternatives. Must have knowledge of all software systems. Must understand Mercyhealth policies and procedures pertinent to operations and must understand revenue cycle operations. Assigned Departments include all access areas (hospital registration, patient financial counselors, registration specialists, precertification, referral specialists, etc.) This position will also provide dotted line oversight to other front end operations such as reception and patient service representative in conjunction with clinic and hospital leadership.

Responsibilities

• Organizing work to achieve maximum efficiency. Plans work assignments to meet deadlines and priorities.
• Monitors quality of work by conducting audits of departmental outputs and ensures all associated processes are followed.
• Monitors and ensures that all work queues related to department functions are worked within the established guidelines.
• Responsible for monitoring petty cash, deposit pickups and change requests and ensuring that all cash handling and compliance procedures are being followed.
• Revises, develops and implements policies and procedures to maintain proper workflow for Patient Access teams.
• Assists supervisor or manager in educating staff of any changes pertinent to their roles.
• Completely performs functions of the assigned staff and is a subject matter expert for frontline access operations.
• Provides department orientation and coordinates training for all new or established partners within the Patient Access team.
• Thinks critically about department operations and implements improvements.
• Participates in process improvement activities and makes recommendations for new/revised policies, procedures and workflows. Considers impacts and anticipates barriers and develops alternatives.
• Collaborates and communicates with other departments to solve cross-departmental issues and conflicts.
• Provides daily oversight of activities of partners and provides input to performance evaluations. Conducts employee review with presenting and discussing pertinent review findings and recommendations. When deficiencies are noted, monitors employee performance to assure that corrective action is taken.
• Provides high level service recovery to assist with the follow up on patient billing concerns/complaints.
• Coaches and supports Patient Access team members on analysis and decision making methods and tools.
• Conducts ongoing training sessions for employees related to Patient Access and front end Operations. Evaluates training needs and registers staff as needed
• Approves ordering of supplies
• Provides advice and consultation to employees concerning office objectives and policies
• Reviews and updates educational material to ensure partners have current resources.
• Provide feedback to outside departments related to Patient Access and Revenue Cycle policies and procedures.
• Maintains department schedules, staff time off and attendance, approves payroll

Education and Experience

High school diploma or equivalent required. Associates degree in a business or healthcare field preferred. Two years of patient access, revenue cycle or other healthcare experience required, with emphasis in access services, POS collections, registration, scheduling, insurance verifications/authorization or customer service requiredOne year prior supervisory related experience required.

Certification/Licensure

Certification related to health care revenue cycle (Epic, HFMA, etc.) or an equivalently designated certification approved by management within 1 year.

Special Physicial Demands

The Special Physical Demands are considered Essential Job Functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations.Patient Registration Lead can be required to perform with the same special physical demands of Patient Registrar. This includes medium work exerting 10 to 25 lbs of force frequently and 25 to 60 lbs of force occasionally. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, handle, finger, feel, reach, talk and hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch and crawl. Specific vision abilities required by this job include frequent close vision and ability to adjust focus and occasional distance vision. Prolonged sitting. Manual dexterity needed to operate telephone and keyboard. Must be able to push patient in wheelchair.

Culture of Excellence Behavior Expectations