Current Department Employees: Oncology Scheduling Specialist III

Bargaining Unit: EA

Rate of Pay: $29.17/hour DOE

Summary

This position is responsible for appointment scheduling for Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Care patients by coordinating all aspects of scheduling including, but not limited to, diagnostic tests, minor procedures, labs, pain management and other specialized tests and treatment as directed by physicians to ensure an exceptional customer experience at each point of service. Works at Gene Upshaw Memorial Cancer Center in Truckee, California.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Schedules appointments for multiple service lines through coordination of patients, providers, facility resources, ancillary staff, records, referrals, authorizations and payers.
• Receives physician’s orders and effectively schedules and reschedules appointments, tests and/or procedures utilizing Electronic Medical Record (EMR) scheduling system according to established protocols and guidelines.
• Works closely with other members of Cancer Center care team, including physicians and nursing staff in order to prioritize and coordinate complex appointments for Oncology patients.
• Provides patients with appointment information, pre and post-test instruction, provides location of appointment and directions.
• Answers patient questions as necessary and within guidelines and protocols; refers questions to clinical staff as appropriate.
• Effectively communicates and builds impactful relationships through written, digital and verbal channels with patients, providers and clinical colleagues to ensure an easy, empathetic, solution oriented patient experience.
• Anticipates patient and provider needs and responds accordingly.
• Determines timely resolutions for complaints based on existing guidelines and policy and resolves issues in the moment when able.
• Works to de-escalate situations involving patient grievances while maintaining a professional and calm demeanor.
• Monitors department production for quality and to assure accurate and timely outcomes to meet patient needs.
• Provides feedback and training for scheduling team members and communicates clear instructions and expectations for process outcomes.
• Serves as a point of expertise and escalation for scheduling questions or issues.
• Works closely with other departments to ensure appropriate and timely authorizations for scheduled procedures; ability to expedite urgent requests and resolve issues to avoid delays in patient care.
• Attends weekly meeting with diagnostic imaging leadership to review scheduling protocols and provide feedback and training to cancer center staff.
• Assists with resolution of complex authorizations related to procedure scheduling as necessary.
• Manages and oversees staff follow up of external orders and referrals to ensure timely and appropriate scheduling.
• Provides patient estimates for out of pocket liability for scheduled procedures; refers to Oncology Financial Navigator as necessary.
• Works directly with patient care team to serve as primary internal support for complex patient care coordination related to scheduling.
• Works together with other departments to transcribe external provider radiology/diagnostic imaging orders and create referrals as necessary to facilitate new patient consults.
• Works closely with Operations Manager and Diagnostic Imaging department to provide feedback and to identify areas for improvement.
• Participates in analyzing existing workflows and assists in finding solutions to continually improve the patient experience.
• Key contributor to patient satisfaction initiatives by participating in process improvement activities as well as providing a high-quality contact experience for patients.
• Maintains and updates knowledge regarding all types of insurance and healthcare coverage.
• Trains EPIC Cadence classes for the district as necessary.
• Provide cross-coverage for other support staff job duties as requested by manager.
• Provide training as support staff Epic Super-User.
• Demonstrates System Values in performance and behavior.
• Complies with System policies and procedures.
• Other duties may be assigned.
  
  

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. 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.

Supervisory Responsibilities

No supervisory responsibilities.

Minimum Education/Experience

No educational requirement and 3 or more years relevant experience

Required Licenses/Certifications

National Association of Healthcare Access (NAHAM): Certified Healthcare Access Associate (CHAA)

• Upon hire
  
  

BLS: Employee will be enrolled in the Resuscitation Quality Improvement (RQI) Basic Life Support (BLS) Entry or Prep Curriculum (depending on their previous BLS certification).

• Within 3 months of hire into job
  
  

Other Experience/Qualifications

Required:

• High level of experience in registration, billing, insurance, financial counseling, customer service and complaint resolution
• Twelve months’ minimum experience in patient registration and scheduling
• Communicates expectations, assignments and responsibilities clearly and professionally
• Self-motivated and goal oriented with the ability to multi-task.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Positive, open-minded and focused on continuous improvement.
• Ability to learn new processes and procedures quickly while demonstrating attention to detail and accuracy
• High level of emotional maturity to handle difficult and sensitive nature of Oncology care
  
  

Preferred:

• Bachelor's degree in Health Sciences
• Cadence credentialed within 6-12 months of hire