Lead Patient Access Services

Full Time, Day Shift, Emergency Department

At Houston Methodist, the Lead Patient Access Services position is responsible for providing administrative support to the department while executing daily operations and performing duties of other staff such as registration, scheduling, insurance verification, etc. In addition to providing operational support, this position performs all or many of the following: under the direction of leadership, assists in organizing work schedules and assignments, conducts quality assurance audits, trains and mentors staff, provides feedback to manager on developmental needs, participates in the development of staff, leads and regularly performs special projects, collects/analyzes/reports on data, and other responsibilities of a similar nature and level. The Lead Patient Access Services position serves as the liaison between management, staff, physicians/physician offices, insurance providers, and others for routine matters as the primary point of contact for resolving questions and issues. This position requires considerable experience, skill and knowledge of the organization's policies and practices, operating a personal computer, and utilizing software applications for word processing and databases. The Lead Patient Access Services position may work in an on-call rotation, serving as point of contact after hours.

FLSA STATUS

Non-exempt

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• High School diploma or equivalent education (examples include: GED, verification of homeschool equivalency, partial or full completion of post-secondary education, etc.)

• Some college preferred

EXPERIENCE

• Four years of experience in patient access services relevant jobs such as registration, scheduling, insurance verification, etc.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations

• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security

• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles

• Ability to work independently and with peers in a team situation

• Capable of handling challenging/difficult procedures and situations

• Demonstrates sound judgment and executes above average patient access functional skills

• Possesses basic computer knowledge; operates multiple computer systems to include, Hospital Information Systems and Office software

• Exhibits strong interpersonal, teamwork and leadership skills with all levels of the healthcare team and assures delivery of excellent customer service to all patients, visitors, physicians, and co-workers

• Adapts to multiple ongoing priorities with minimal supervision, including organizing workflow and actively participating in problem-solving

• Conducts self in a professional manner at all times

• Strong analytical skills

• Demonstrates a learning attitude toward solving problems, using good reasoning and judgment in a high stress environment

• Demonstrates a positive demeanor, good verbal and written communication skills, and strong multi-tasking abilities

• Demonstrates professional handling of exposure to confidential/sensitive information

• Ability to work under pressure and balance many competing priorities

• Comprehensive knowledge of patient access protocols and hospital policies and procedures

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Promotes a positive work environment and leads the team to be dynamic and a focused work unit that actively helps one another to achieve optimal department results. Collaborates with all members of the team by actively communicating and reporting pertinent information and data in a comprehensive manner.

• Serves as preceptor, mentor, and resource to less experienced staff. Orients, guides, and mentors team members to help build confidence and competency in skills, knowledge, and abilities for various department tasks. Role models to team members effective communication skills, assisting in their development of such skills. Coordinates staff schedules, as appropriate, to provide daily staff coverage to promote/maintain smooth department operations.

• Role models healthy work relationships such as mitigation of conflict, leading problem-solving and resolution efforts. Recommends initiatives to improve department scores for employee engagement.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Coordinates and performs routine duties associated with department functions and services. Maintains timelines for follow up and prioritization of department projects and tasks. Prepares and shares regular reports on the changes, as appropriate.

• Performs the various patient access duties specific to the workgroup, i.e., registration, insurance verification, scheduling, etc., as assigned.

• Identifies/anticipates potential customer problems and resolves visitor and/or patient issues with highest level of customer service, professionalism, and compassion. Troubleshoots and resolves, as appropriate, patient/team member/system issues or errors. Serves as liaison between team members, management, physicians and their offices, insurance providers, and others, resolving routine matters for the assigned area/shift, escalating to management as needed.

• Monitors and adjusts activities/assignments to ensure optimum patient throughput and patient experience. Contributes towards improvement of patient and physician satisfaction.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Conducts quality audits on processes, outcomes, and team member performance. Documents, develops, and evaluates processes and procedures. Identifies opportunities for corrective action and process improvement, collecting data and performing analyses. Follows up on action items to ensure completion of assignments, ensuring all deadlines are met.

• Protects patient and family privacy rights and maintains confidentiality of patient records and computer security codes, as well as protects the integrity of privileged information.

• Assists with implementation and education of department-based initiatives, standards of practice and protocols. Participates in department quality improvement processes. Develops skills of team members and continually assists with improving skills, performance and outcomes. Contributes towards improving department/practice quality and safety scores.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Ensures reconciling/auditing of patient data through the various reporting tools is accurately documented and completed. Coordinates, using sound judgment and fiscal responsibility, the processing and resolution of issues, as appropriate.

• Monitors staffing and recommends adjustment in staff work assignments and schedules to support fluctuations in work volumes and ensure efficient labor cost utilization; minimizes team incidental overtime. Reviews team member's timecards for accuracy and management approval as directed. Utilizes own time efficiently and helps other team members.

• Monitors supplies/resources and orders, as necessary.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Identifies innovative solutions for process improvement to make processes work better for patients, visitors, and department. Fosters a positive and constructive teaching environment by engaging co-workers in learning opportunities that are valuable and in alignment with business objectives.

• Seeks continuous professional development opportunities to expand learning beyond baseline competencies with a focus on continual development. Completes and updates the My Development Plan on an on-going basis. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management.

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform: No

• Scrubs: No

• Business professional: Yes

• Other (department approved): Yes

ON-CALL *

*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. Disaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* Yes

TRAVEL **

Travel specifications may vary by department

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes

• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• High School diploma or equivalent education (examples include: GED, verification of homeschool equivalency, partial or full completion of post-secondary education, etc.)

• Some college preferred

EXPERIENCE

• Four years of experience in patient access services relevant jobs such as registration, scheduling, insurance verification, etc.

Company Profile:

Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital opened in June 2017. This 725,000-square-foot, full-service, acute-care hospital offers many of the same services as our flagship hospital in the Texas Medical Center. Also, on the beautiful hospital campus, located at the intersection of Interstate 45 and Texas State Highway 242, are two medical office buildings, which include a Breast Care Center; Cancer Center; infusion center; heart and vascular services; neurology; orthopedics and sports medicine; rehabilitation services; wellness services; an outpatient laboratory; and several other multispecialty physician practices. In January 2022, Houston Methodist The Woodlands opened Healing Tower - a $250 million expansion project that added 106 beds, focused on medical-surgical and women's services, and provided nine operating rooms. The project also included the expansion of the endoscopy center, emergency department and diagnostic imaging department with an enhanced neurodiagnostic and interventional center.

Houston Methodist is an Equal Opportunity Employer.