Access Specialist I - ED

Albany Medical Center; City of Glens Falls (NY); On-site; USD 46,000 - 60,000; Part time

Job summary

Albany Medical Center is seeking an Emergency Department Access Specialist II in the Admitting Operations unit. This per diem role covers triage, bedside registration, EMS desk, and ED patient tracking within a high-pressure environment.

The position expands the EDAS I responsibilities and includes onboarding and precepting new hires, with rotating assignments across ED disciplines. Strong communication and multi-tasking are essential.

Qualifications

• Must be able to work in a high-pressure environment and handle rapid patient flow.
• Strong interpersonal skills for patient interactions and teamwork.
• Capable of training peers and onboarding new hires in a busy ED.

Responsibilities

• Triage walk-in patients and collect initial data in the ADT system.
• Register patients at bedside and obtain insurance information and signatures.
• Answer multi-line telephone lines and manage inquiries with professionalism.
• Verify insurance and assist with regulatory forms at point of care.
• Support EMS desk with ambulance communications and patient details.

Skills

Social and Emotional Intelligence

Excellent communication

Team-oriented

Adaptable to high-stress

Conflict Management

On the job training

Education

High School Diploma

Associate's Degree

Job description

Department/Unit: Admitting Operations

Work Shift: Per Diem (United States of America)

Salary Range: $46,215.00 - $60,080.00

The Emergency Department Access Specialist II includes all aspects of the EDAS I with the additional responsibility of onboarding/precepting all new hires or colleagues needing additional at-the-elbow support on a frequent basis. May require adjusting hours.

EDAS I is a position that must be able to deal in a 'pressure cooker' environment. The EDAS I, is a hybrid position combining the Access Representative position and the Health Unit Coordinator position. The position includes but is not limited to rotating positions as needed ~ being trained and expected to rotate assignments in multiple disciplines within the Emergency Departments. The disciplines include:

• Triage of walk-in patients - encompasses a quick data collection and entering in ADT System; placing of patient wristband for patient safety; acquiring a regulatory signature on the HIXNY Consent. Additionally, if patient is seen by a provider complete a full registration including General Consent and collection of financial responsibility

The Triage role is required to accurately identify patient in the ADT system to ensure correct patient is selected. This is many times problematic; patient does not have identification.

• ED Zone Support - includes answering of multi-line (10) telephone and managing all inquiries, transferring of telephone calls; discharging of patients via the patient medical record; verifying all laboratory specimens placed in a hazardous bag for accurate labeling by nurse or provider
• Bedside Registration - Collection of demographic information, insurance, regulatory consent forms and collection of financial responsibility at patient's bedside
• EMS Desk - shadow answer EMS Radio (Ambulance Agency calls from the field) and provides a brief description of patient age, complaint, Vital Signs, ambulance agency capture

The EMS Desk role is responsible for the accurate identification of the patient with quite often no identification, EMS inaccuracy of capture of information and management of UNKNOWN Patient policy and procedure.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Ability to train job specific responsibilities post successful completion of The Academy. This includes all respective disciplines within the Emergency Department and providing constructive feedback to the new hire or colleague based on performance per the Training Manual.
• Responsible for the accurate patient identification in a highly stressful situation; this responsibility is a Patient Safety measure.
• Bedside registration including the need to work from a WOW; collecting patient demographic information; insurance information and obtain signatures for regulatory forms via Document Management/electronic signature; the collection includes Medicare patients collecting the regulatory mandate of the MSPQ information
• Ensure Access' expectations of key clinical measures are executed and timeframes met ie: Chest pain - Door to EKG notification
• Responsible for identifying and verifying insurance at bedside; obtaining additional information if No Fault or Worker's Compensation for MVA patients and employee's hurt at work.
• Ability to review, assess and assign the appropriate health insurance plan and collect copayment, if applicable at bedside.
• Ability to interact effectively with external agency personnel: EMS Agencies, Law Enforcement Agencies and Correction Facilities.
• Capture of patient's pharmacy in support of expediate discharge by nurse and physician
• Answering multi-line telephone and managing all calls in calm, courteous, respectful manner
• Capture brief information via Ambulance Radio including patient description, age, chief complaint and Vital Signs
• Managing the ED Patient Tracker and completing the Access Specialists tasks as identified
• Laboratory specimen verification and assurance of timely send to laboratory
• Responsible to manage daily workflow during scheduled and unscheduled SYSTEM downtimes - following downtime procedures. Responsible for downtime flow in the ED during system downtimes.
• Ensure EMTALA Regulations are maintained.

Functional Competencies

• Social and Emotional Intelligence
• Ability to deal with a diverse population including critically injured, mentally disturbed and belligerent
• Patient centric - customer service
• Conflict Management
• Team-oriented support
• Adaptable to high-stress situation
• Excellent communication skill
• On the job training of job specific responsibility

Qualifications

• High School Diploma/G.E.D. - required
• Associate's Degree - preferred
• 3- 5 years' experience in hospital or clinic registration, Emergency Department setting - preferred
• Ability to keep composure in a high-stress environment
• Ability to train peers and new hires
• Ability to multi-task in stressful and high patient volume unit; must be able to manage