Ambulatory Office Assistant I - FoxCare Orthopedic Clinic

Ambulatory Office Assistant I

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The Ambulatory Office Assistant I serves as the first point of contact for patients within the Bassett Healthcare Network. This is a key role in the patient centered care team. Demonstrates excellence in all patient and customer encounters including face-to-face and telephone interactions. Assures that a high quality patient experience takes place by providing administrative and/or clinical support to ambulatory patient care teams through excellent customer service, attention to detail, and interpersonal skills. Responsible for providing clear, accurate, timely communication to nurses and providers regarding patients. Responsible for accurate, appropriate scheduling of patients for optimum care and provider efficiency. Responsible for collecting demographic and financial information during the scheduling and/or registration processes to ensure full and timely revenue capture. May have direct revenue responsibility through payment collection, cash handling, processing of insurance eligibility and managed care information. May also have direct patient care responsibilities.

Responsibilities include:

• Receives and greets every patient in a courteous and friendly manner using a welcoming positive tone, words and actions.
• Ensures new patients are provided with Welcome to Bassett Network information.
• Raises up emergent situations or expressed patient problems directly to Supervisor or Supervising Nurse for assistance.
• Answers phones within 3 rings using a 3-part greeting (Name of Dept, your name, "How may I help you?").
• Ends calls by asking patient if there is anything else we can do for them today as observed by Supervisor and as noted in compliance reports.
• Takes clear, complete and accurate phone messages, (and follows up on these messages to make sure the patients needs are met) or prescription requests using the electronic medical record messaging system.
• Offers patients the opportunity to sign up for MyBassett.
• Pro-actively keeps patients informed of any delays in their providers schedules that may impact their time to be seen.
• Ensures patient preferences for communication are up to date. This will ensure appointment reminders are sent via mail, phone, or MyBassett to meet patient satisfactions.
• Obtains all information necessary to complete the outpatient registration process assuring demographic and insurance information is correct and is entered or scanned into the system accurately as monitored by system audit
• Accurate confirmation of attending PCP and Billing PCP, when appropriate.
• Assures correct data capture and data entry (such as MSPQ) necessary for regulatory agencies and compliance requirements is accurate and complete as monitored by systems audits.
• Maintains required level of knowledge and proficiency in all core functions (demographic and financial screening, insurance eligibility and verification, regulatory and compliance monitoring) of front desk services as measured by system audits.
• Supports the collection of Advanced Beneficiary Notice signatures and form processing to meet Medicare regulations.
• Ensures all corrections (demographics, insurance eligibility etc. based on the missing items work-queue) are made in the appropriate Bassett system within 24 hours of system notifications, in accordance with standard operating procedure.
• Answers questions from patients regarding the organization and/or services, and provides directions to the appropriate clinical location as necessary.
• Listens to patient's request for an appointment, then schedules an outpatient appointment to meet the patient's needs while following department scheduling guidelines as reported by providers and observed by supervisor. Offers alternate providers or locations when appropriate to meet the patient's needs. Raises up patient's needs that they cannot meet to the Supervisor or Supervising Nurse.
• Reminds patients that the collection of their co-pay will be expected at the time of the visit.
• When scheduling, utilizes all available functions such as Auto Search, Combine Departments, Schedule Scanner, etc. to ensure that the best possible appointment selection is made for business operations and patient satisfaction.
• Performs edits of daily appointment schedules at the request of their Supervisor. Follows policy and procedure for rescheduling appointments and contacting patient directly to reschedule appointment, in accordance with BMG directive as observed by Supervisor. Directs any requests from providers or other staff to adjust appointment schedules to Supervisor for review and approval before acting, as noted by Supervisor.
• May review the electronic Confirm List daily, to confirm appointments with patients 24-72 hours in advance of appointment.
• May review automated reminder list (Televox, Phytel, or similar lists) as necessary in a timely manner.
• Processes electronic or written requests for urgent referrals same day. Processes electronic or written routine referral requests within 24-72 hours.
• In regards to referrals, ensures complete and accurate information is recorded in accordance with standard operating procedure to support reimbursement and regulatory compliance and patient care. When Appropriate prior authorizations are obtained and documented appropriately within the referral.
• Work the "Incoming" and "Outgoing" queues in your area according to departmental standards.
• Follow up with "referred to" providers to ensure that patients kept their appointments and all results have been received in the "referred by" providers office.
• Displays ownership of the entire patient experience, including but not limited to, scheduling, registration, being aware of the patients' lobby experience, and completion of all referral duties.
• Performs chart review in preparation for providers clinic. Makes best effort to ensure that all necessary reports, lab-work or films related to appointment are available for the physician at the time of the appointment using available resources. Language barriers are assessed and authorizations & equipment obtained if necessary.
• Call and tracks pertinent patient information not received in clinic to ensure arrival prior to patient appointment.
  Prepares medication refill messages by obtaining all required information per provider and departmental guidelines.
• Distributes patient literature as necessary
• Performs all point of care testing (glucometer, urinalysis, anticoagulation etc) as necessary per department
• Runs controls on point of care testing equipment and ensures log books are updated appropriately.
• Performs EKG's per departmental protocol.
• Greet patient as observed by supervisor and/or peer review, and rooms patient as soon as possible and escorts to exam room.
• Patient is identified using 2 identifiers, such as name and date of birth, in accordance with National Patient Safety Goals.
• Documents with accuracy patient work-up information, such as vital signs, intake questions etc.
• Utilizes the EMR clinical documentation system in support of patient care duties, such as telephone calls, patient messages etc.
• Communicates patient issues/concerns to providers.
• Cleans and stocks exam rooms on a daily basis or according to need.
• Checks medications and supplies for out-dates according to standards set forth by clinical area.
• Monitors supply levels to improve inventory control.
• Enters charges for supplies and clinical testing.
• Displays ownership of the entire patient experience, including but not limited to, rooming of patient, collection of vitals, and the abstracting of external records.
• Meets yearly competency requirements as set forth by departmental leadership.
• Conveys to patient what payment is due based on Insurance Card or Insurance Verification system and request how patient will be paying today, via cash, check or credit card.
• Receive and receipt all payments in accordance with finance policy and procedures.
• Maintain and balance cash drawer daily in accordance with finance policy and procedures.
• Date stamps in all incoming patient related information and delivers to appropriate provider or staff person for action on a daily basis as observed by providers, coworkers and Supervisor.
• Completes all basic patient demographic information on forms, such as Disability and Workers Comp before delivering to nurse or provider to complete.
• Mails outgoing patient information such as lab letters and completed forms in accordance with Bassett policy.
• Assists with routing forms to appropriate Bassett department ex. Disability or Workers Compensation offices.
• Prepares correspondence to patients and/or other entities as directed by providers or supervisors.
• Prepares outside patient health information for scanning per Document Imaging procedures.
• May complete indexing and scanning of hard-copy patient health information into electronic health record or packages and sent to HIM for scanning per Document Imaging procedures.
• Sends requests for routine or subpoenaed medical record releases to assigned HIM location for processing (Regional HIM Hub site or Cooperstown HIM Department). Processes same day requests for Medical Records for patient care continuity as needed. Seeks assistance from HIM resources with any questions about how to process a release or what information to release.
• Maintain appropriate inventory of office supplies and required forms for daily operations following established