Patient Access Specialist II

Where You'll Work

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health has a rich history of providing exceptional healthcare, dating back to 1891. Building upon a legacy of compassionate care and innovation, our organization has evolved over the years through strategic partnerships and integrations to expand our reach and services across the Puget Sound area.

Today, as Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, we remain deeply committed to healing the whole person - body, mind, and spirit - in the communities we serve. This commitment is strengthened by the diverse expertise and shared values brought together through our growth.

Our dedicated providers offer a full spectrum of health care services, from routine wellness to complex disease management, all grounded in rigorous research and education. Our comprehensive network of 10 hospitals and nearly 300 care sites strategically located across the greater Puget Sound region reflects our ongoing commitment to accessibility and comprehensive care.

We are proud of our pioneering medical advances and numerous awards and accreditations that reflect our dedication to excellence. When you join Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, you become part of a team that delivers top-quality, professional healthcare in modern, well-equipped facilities, and contributes to a legacy of service built on collaboration and shared purpose.

Job Summary and Responsibilities

As a Patient Access Specialist II , you will manage administrative duties for the patient intake process in our clinic, adhering to established guidelines.

Every day you will interact with patients in person and by phone, facilitating check-in/out, collecting data and payments, validating insurance, scheduling appointments, and processing referrals and authorizations.

To be successful, you will demonstrate critical thinking, strong customer service, and knowledge of insurance, billing, and medical terminology, ensuring a seamless, high-quality patient intake experience.

• Answers incoming phone calls from patients who need to schedule an appointment; meets standards for established quantity and quality of calls answered. (50%)
• Schedules (and reschedules as necessary) patient clinic visits (based on authorized referral in the case of specialty clinics) in accordance with established standards and procedures; Utilizes Epic Provider Vista to facilitate timely and accurate appointment scheduling; searches multiple provider schedules concurrently; accesses scheduling guidelines for each individual provider and applies scheduling preferences as appropriate; cross-schedules patients with providers who have the earliest availability.
• Applies understanding of the differences between visit types and when each type of appointment can be scheduled to facilitate accurate scheduling.
• Provides basic information in response to patient questions within scope of position; follows established procedures to assure that all registration guidelines/requirements have been satisfied; identifies deficiencies and resolves non-complex issues or escalates to appropriate staff for further action.
• Makes arrangements for addressing special/ancillary patient requirements, including transportation, interpreters and other needs relating to patient care and satisfaction. Answers incoming phone calls from patients requesting a medication refill; sends messages back to office staff in correct format and including all necessary information. (25%) Applies knowledge of Epic smart phrases for various message types and where to locate medication/pharmacy information in the patient's Epic chart to identify correct medication is being requested.
• Determines, based on established guidelines, if a provider appointment is necessary to discuss the medication and schedules appointment; if appointment is unnecessary, assures, within scope of position, request for correct medication and sends message to back office of call-receiving clinic to initiate the refill as appropriate. Verifies insurance coverage at the time of scheduling to secure patient account reimbursement and decrease eligibility denials. (15%)

Job Requirements

Required

• One year of customer service work experience
• Six months of additional work experience as a Patient Access Specialist I (or related position).

Preferred

• Healthcare experience strongly desired.