Facial Plastics/Head & Neck Liaison

University of Iowa; Iowa City (IA); Hybrid; USD 45,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Iowa Otolaryngology Department seeks a Clinic Services Specialist to coordinate facial plastics and head and neck cancer patient access, scheduling, and support, ensuring a smooth, patient-centered experience across Epic Optime and Cadence systems.

You will manage appointment scheduling, financial guidance, prior authorizations for cochlear implant care, and collaborate with internal and external teams; hybrid work within Iowa with a full-time schedule.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent education/experience required.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills required.
• 6 months related experience required.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint required.
• Experience with Epic Optime is highly desirable.
• Experience in an outpatient clinic setting is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide coordination of patient appointment scheduling and education on billing.
• Support clinic operations and scheduling in Cadence and Optime Epic programs.
• Handle prior authorizations and predeterminations for cochlear implant care.
• Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure access and scheduling.
• Provide resources for interpretation and navigate care delivery systems.
• Assist with provider schedules and clinic operations.
• Participate in staff meetings and training as needed.

Skills

Excellent written and verbal comms

Customer service oriented

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

EPIC Optime

Cadence

Epic

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

PowerPoint

Job description

Basic Function

The Department of Otolaryngology is seeking a Clinic Services Specialist to provide services for facial plastics reconstruction surgery and head and neck cancer related to access, scheduling, and support to assure effective and efficient delivery of health care services striving toward excellent patient experience. Positions in this job family are engaged in one or more activities related to scheduling patient appointments, serving as a patient advocate, handling patient access requests, handling service recovery incidents, ensuring appointments are scheduled appropriately, and using independent judgement to best ensure the patient has an excellent experience.

Key areas of responsibility include providing facial plastics patient’s with access services to UI Health Care, communicate/collaborate with internal and external constituents, operations, and performance standards, and financial management. Perform Optime surgery scheduling and scheduling patient appointments in the EPIC system for Otolaryngology adult and pediatric patients. Assist with problem solving of surgery/procedure scheduling issues. Assist with EPIC messages and schedulable order work queues, outside provider referrals, and email as it pertains to various cochlear implant processes. Coordinate appointments and ensure prior authorizations and predeterminations for cochlear implant evaluations, surgeries, and follow-up appointments. Ability to work varying hours between 7:30 AM and 5 PM as needed.

This position is eligible for hybrid work within Iowa and will require a work arrangement form to be completed upon the start of your employment. Per policy, work arrangements will be reviewed annually, and must comply with the remote work program and related policies and employee travel policy when working at a remote location.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Provide Patient Access Services To Clinical And Non-Clinical Departments

• Provide coordination of patient appointment scheduling, procedure scheduling in Cadence and Optime Epic programs. Provide education of patients regarding billing process and additional financial responsibilities. Follows the scheduling policies to facilitate all patient appointments related to cochlear implant processes. Provides letters of medical necessity associated with cochlear implant surgeries.
• Provides back up frontline clinic operation support as deemed necessary.
• Assists with provider schedules (Master schedules, daily templates, and clinic closures) for clinics as assigned.
• Ability to work varying hours between 7:30 AM and 5 PM as needed.
• Attends staff meetings as needed.
• May perform other duties as assigned.
• Provides resources for patients that require interpretation for support in obtaining care, navigating the delivery system, or addressing care/service issues.
• Supervise the delivery of services such as health information, clinic scheduling and operations, etc. Perform tasks/inspections to meet compliance goals, patient/customer satisfaction expectations.

Patient Satisfaction/ Service Excellence

• Provide high level customer service with internal and external customers, including patients, visitors, physicians, and other clinical staff.
• Ensure patient satisfaction and safety by ensuring calls and inquiries are documented and triaged appropriately.
• Address concerns of patients, provide service recovery, and elevate issues as needed.

Communicate/Collaborate With Internal And External Constituents

• Serves as an intermediary between patients and nursing personnel concerning scheduling and medical needs.
• Negotiates appointments with patients and other departments.
• Negotiates schedule changes with providers and communicates changes with staff/supervisors.
• Collaborate with peers and co-workers to enhance the delivery of health care.
• Provide feedback to management on means to achieve goals and resolve service issues.

Operations And Quality Standards/ Improvement

• Recommend processes to enhance patient and customer satisfaction.
• Review scheduling templates and make recommendations for improvement opportunities related to patient access and clinical operations.

Human Resources Management

• May provide training or other aspects of the onboarding process for students and other staff.

Financial Management

• Collaborate with others regarding the management of Pre-Access and Financial Counseling.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required.
• 6 months related experience is required.
• Proficiency in computer applications including Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint is required.
• Experience with in person patient interactions is desirable.
• Experience with self-pay collection is desirable.
• Experience in an outpatient clinic setting is highly desirable.
• Previous customer service experience is highly desirable.
• Otolaryngology terminology is highly desirable.
• Experience with Epic Optime is highly desirable.
• Experience with hospital operations and/or Ambulatory Clinic operations is desirable.
• Experience with EPIC is desirable.
• Experience with scheduling is desirable.
• Knowledge of University of Iowa Health Care policies, procedures and regulations is desirable.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of 7 calendar days and may be removed from posting and filled any time after the original posting period has ended.

Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any conviction history and will be subject to a criminal background check and credential/education verification. Up to 5 professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process.

For additional questions, please contact [e-mail].

Additional Information

• Classification Title: Clinic Services Specialist
• Appointment Type: Professional and Scientific
• Schedule: Full-time
• Work Modality Options: Hybrid within Iowa

Compensation

• Pay Level: 3A

Contact Information

• Organization: Healthcare
• Contact Name: Ashley Nelson
• Contact Email: [e-mail]