PAS Coordinator

Department Overview

OHSU Casey Eye Institute is a premier academic medical center providing eye care for adults and children in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. We treat eye conditions from the most straightforward to the most complex and offer expert care in all ophthalmology specialties.

Since 1945, OHSU Casey Eye Institute doctors and vision scientists have worked side by side to discover the causes of eye disease and find new treatments. Bringing research and patient care together helps us turn possibilities into realities. OHSU Casey Eye Institute is a "High Performing" eye hospital, which means we are ranked in the top 10 percent nationally by U.S. News & World Report.

This position is responsible for providing administrative support to the Comprehensive Eye Clinic at CHH. Works with clinical faculty members, management and PAS staff to maintain and/or enhance the quality of operations and customer service. This position primarily provides guidance for the front and back-office staff; trains and assists with onboarding PAS, coordinates weekly schedules, helps to maintain healthy billing workqueues, works at a high level in EPIC with template maintenance and scheduling, and ensures a high degree of patient satisfaction occurs with daily phone interactions. This is a full-time, non-remote position.


Function/Duties of Position

The PAS Coordinator will have the responsibility of evaluating and adjusting staff assignments. The clinic Coordinator provides daily guidance the Patient Access Specialists and assists in implementing unit changes with the Pracitce Manager. Coordinates staff training on operational procedures, scheduling, check-in, check-out, and other special projects as assigned. Provides dedicated support for research coordination activities.

Confirm or obtain pre-authorization from 3rd party payers. Gather and/or verify patient information including demographics, insurance coverage, and financial status. Confirm patient eligibility for medical and/or vision coverage (eg. vision exam, contact lens exam, hardware) and clarify any managed care arrangements. Enter all information accurately into OHSU databases or into the medical record when necessary. Follow up on pending authorization/referral requests. Responsibly manage and work WQ's as assigned.

Appointment Scheduling: Schedule new and return patient appointments, including for residents and faculty, ancillaries, and procedures. Create a medical record, if needed. Arrange interpreters, stretchers, and wheelchairs when necessary, and accommodate other special needs whenever possible. Scheduling may occur face-to-face or over the telephone.


Information Gathering: Gathers and/or verifies patient demographics, insurance, and financial information; transfers patient to appropriate financial specialist for screening as appropriate; informs patients of OHSU billing mechanisms; gathers information regarding insurance plan from the caller and relays contracting and managed care arrangements to caller per clinic process. Information gathering may occur face-to-face or over the telephone.

Requests and receives patient information to ensure patient charts are compiled according to requirements. Faxes record requests to referring provider offices and collects medical information pertinent to appointments. Documents record request actions in EPIC per CEI process.

Mail new patient information packets. Assist staff with supporting administrative clinic functions including filing and pulling patient charts, sending and faxing medical records when indicated, and assisting staff with mail distribution and other duties as assigned by supervisor or manager.

Successful completion of assigned tasks require the use of OHSU software programs including but not limited to EPIC (Cadence, work queues, In-Basket, Resolute), Right Fax, Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel), and Smart Web.

Provide high-quality customer service to both external customers (such as but not limited to patients, caregivers, referring providers, and insurance carriers) and internal customers (OHSU health care providers and staff) that meets or exceeds the service standards of the health care industry. This duty includes prompt and professional communication efforts, face-to-face and telephone customer contact skills, crisis management skills, responsiveness to internal/external customers' needs, prompt communication with the appropriate providers or their designees, and continuous process improvement skills.

Template Maintenance: Primary template maintenance for the department. Conducts template maintenance, changes, etc. for comprehensive ophthalmology physicians.


Perform cash handling and billing duties in a timely and thorough manner. Duties include: educating patients on related billing issues as appropriate; collecting co-payments and past due balances when indicated; providing patients with appropriate receipts per CEI procedures; performing end of day duties following CEI protocol and guidelines (reconciling cash/credit card/HPM receipts, checking encounters for missing information, and giving appropriate documentation to the designated area for posting/ordering); reconciling/closing EPIC cash drawer per CEI and OHSU policy and maintaining front office cash drawer, as appropriate. Successful completion of these tasks requires access to and a competent understanding of EPIC.

Greet patients and check-in/check-out appointments per clinic process. Verify insurance coverage is current and has been reviewed for eligibility, benefit, and authorization needs. Identify and collect deductible payments, co-payments, and deposits on services; provide receipts and complete necessary accounting procedures. Verify and update the common data set in EPIC including patient demographics (such as but limited to name, address, telephone numbers, PCP, and email). Explain and satisfy any necessary patient signature requirements including presentation, collection, documentation, and scanning.


Required Qualifications

Two years of front-line clerical experience in a clinical setting with direct patient contact. Experience must include scheduling of appointments and may require experience obtaining managed care authorizations (dependent on position description). Preference given to candidates with knowledge of OHSU's PAS policies and procedures, with completed PAS training and core competencies, and with previous PAS experience.


Basic computer skills including word processing. Windows applications, on-line scheduling, and a preference for data-base skills. Strong customer service orientation. Demonstrated

effectiveness in confrontational customer interactions. Strong relationship building skills with patients, health plans, providers, staff, management. Exceptional customer service skills - both in person and on the phone. Exceptional interpersonal skills - able to resolve conflicts and to problem solve between parties. Patient advocacy skills - evaluate patient concerns for timely resolution. Sensitivity to patient needs. Demonstrated evidence of strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to manage competing priorities. Ability to meet deadlines and urgent patient and system needs. Ability to work independently; willingness to serve as a positive and professional role model. Must have demonstrated record of reliable attendance, punctuality and proven successful performance in past and present.

Preferred Qualifications

High school diploma or GED preferred. Ophthalmology/Optometry experience preferred. Excellent computer and keyboarding skills, trained in Resolute ideal, in addition to being trained in Cadence and EPIC


Why apply to OHSU?

We are Oregon's only public academic health center.

In addition to caring for patients, we lead groundbreaking research. We also train the next generation of health care professionals. As Portland's largest employer, we give you opportunities to learn and advance in a system of hospitals and clinics across Oregon and Southwest Washington.

All are welcome.

OHSU welcomes people of all ages, ethnicities, genders, national origins, religions and sexual orientations. We are striving to build an anti-racist, multicultural institution and encourage people with diverse backgrounds to apply.

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