Access Specialist I- AR

Duke Careers; Durham (NC); Hybrid; USD 25,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

Duke Health is seeking a patient access specialist to manage appointment scheduling and related tasks across DUHS and PDC locations in Durham. The role requires strong communication, accuracy in demographics, insurance checks, and ability to work in a hybrid on-site/remote environment.

You will coordinate tests, guide patients through visit logistics, and resolve scheduling issues using EPIC, Cadence, and telephony tools, while upholding Duke Health Access Services values and quality standards.

Qualifications

• A high school diploma or equivalent is required. College or completion of post-secondary education is preferred.
• Minimum of 2 years of customer service experience or 1 year of relevant healthcare and/or call center experience.

Responsibilities

• Identify caller and patient relationship using scheduling guidelines.
• Register patient with demographic and guarantor information including emergency contacts.
• Gather special needs information and coordinate support services.
• Translate patient requests using clinical terminology and guidelines.
• Use scheduling resources to conduct an advanced appointment search and select provider.
• Coordinate and schedule tests or studies associated with a clinic visit.
• Respond to scheduling warnings to ensure correct provider and time slot.
• Complete appointments with directions and scheduling instructions.
• Verify insurance information and initiate eligibility checks.
• Communicate financial obligations and payment expectations to patients.

Skills

Communication skills

Customer service

Healthcare familiarity

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

Work Arrangement: Hybrid (On-Site and Remote mix)

Requisition Number: 276799

Regular or Temporary: Regular

Location: Durham, NC, US, 27710

Date: Oct 29, 2026

At Duke Health, we're driven by a commitment to compassionate care that changes the lives of patients, their loved ones, and the greater community. No matter where your talents lie, join us and discover how we can advance health together.

General Description of the Job Class

Performs various appointment and access-related duties to include, but not limited to, scheduling, canceling, rescheduling, general appointment information, and directions.

Coordinate services across multiple DUHS and PDC clinical locations, departments, and providers.

Service oriented tasks are transactional, and productivity based.

Professionally and effectively, communicate verbally and in writing with patients, referring providers, colleagues, and Duke Providers.

Actively identify, listen, and understand the needs of the caller.

Own calls through the resolution of requests.

Proactively resolve conflict, utilizing emotional intelligence and positive language based on Duke Health Access Services values.

Understand and effectively utilize appropriate medical terminology.

Proactively offer alternative providers or locations when appropriate.

Utilizes multiple technology applications and systems to perform scheduling tasks to include but not limited to: EPIC, Cadence, Op-time, Template changes, On Base and Telephony Systems such as Finesse, TeleOpti, and ZOOM.

Duties and Responsibilities of this Level

Scheduling an appointment

• Identify the caller and relationship to the patient, using compliance- based scheduling guidelines.
• Identify the patient using 2 identifiers in accordance with compliance guidelines.
• Register the patient by entering, verifying and/or updating demographic and guarantor information including emergency contacts.
• Gather special needs information and coordinate the provision of necessary support services, i.e., disabilities, language services, other special needs.
• Translate a patient's request using clinical terminology and specialty-specific guidelines that are recognized by our information systems and approved by our clinical leadership.
• Use scheduling questionnaires, scheduling guidelines and other scheduling-related resources to conduct an advanced appointment search.
• Determine the appropriate provider, appointment template, and slot while respecting provider, referring provider, and patient preferences.
• Coordinate and, where appropriate, schedule necessary tests and studies associated with a clinic visit.
• Understand and respond appropriately to scheduling-related warning messages to ensure provider template guidelines are adhered to and the patient is scheduled with the right provider in the right time slot.
• Complete the appointment by resolving all registration and scheduling warning messages, confirming referring provider, the location of the visit, directions and additional scheduling instructions as specified by specialty.

Revenue Cycle :

• Collect or verify insurance information.
• Initiate an eligibility check for new insurance entries.
• Communicate sensitive, health care related financial obligations of the patients when a non-contacted insurance, self-pay or Out-of-County Medicaid, Veterans Administration, or Worker's Compensation coverage is realized.
• Follow workflows to include creating a referral for a financial review and trace the progress of the referral until the patient requires an appointment to be scheduled.
• Identify who is responsible for the payment for the bill and enter the information in the guarantor section.
• Notify patient of financial responsibility for the visit to include the payment that will be required at the time of the visit.
• Working from a worklist:
• Analyze work lists and prioritize by Emergent, Urgent, and Routine request.
• Work lists include faxed referral request from strategic partners, medical practices, and programs.
• Referral request submitted by internal Duke Providers for new patient appointments.
• Patients needing an appointment rescheduled due to a change in the provider's schedule.
• Patients needing a future appointment when provider schedules are not yet published.
• Patients needing a sooner appointment.
• Use all available resources to contact the patient, including phone numbers, MyChart account, and email while following compliance guidelines.
• Provide detailed information about the reason for the call. Be prepared for questions, remain attentive, and resolve complex tasks.
• If the patient is ready to schedule, make the appointment and/or coordinate any related tests or labs, following approved scheduling algorithms.

Quality and Performance Measures :

• Achieve call quality standards job results, recognizing calls are recorded and scored.
• Meet quality and performance expectations.
• Adhere to published daily work schedules and percentage of availability scores.
• Achieve service measures such as lower percentage of abandoned calls, call duration and calls lost.
• Support other services and functions within the Duke Health Access Services.

Required Qualifications at this Level

Education

A high school diploma or equivalent is required. College or completion of post-secondary education is preferred.

Experience

A minimum of 2 years of customer service experience or 1 year of relevant healthcare and/or call center experience.

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions:

Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.

Nearest Major Market: Durham
Nearest Secondary Market: Raleigh

Read more about Duke’s commitment to affirmative action and nondiscrimination at hr.duke.edu/eeo.