Patient Access Coordinator - Per Diem

South Shore Health; South Weymouth (MA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

South Shore Health seeks a Patient Access professional who serves as the first contact for patients entering the system, delivering excellent service, professionalism, and culturally sensitive care during registration and scheduling.

Primary duties include bed placement coordination, ED flow support, death processes, and ensuring accurate insurance eligibility checks and regulatory compliance using the EHR, with strong communication and problem-solving skills required.

Qualifications

• Minimum one year admitting experience or relevant hospital registration.
• Experience delivering excellent customer service in healthcare.
• Knowledge of medical insurance concepts and eligibility.
• Ability to work with complex scheduling, registrations, and EHR workflows.

Responsibilities

• Act as the initial point of contact for patient entry, ensuring accurate registration and scheduling with 98% accuracy.
• Coordinate bed placement actividades with nursing leadership and physician teams.
• Support floor operations in the ED and during patient arrivals, ensuring regulatory requirements are met.
• Complete death documentation processes in accordance with state laws and hospital policies.
• Utilize department computer systems and manage downtime procedures to maintain patient access workflows.
• Promote a culture of safety through adherence to patient ID policies and disaster codes.
• Schedule and register patients, manage waitlists, and verify insurance eligibility for care.

Skills

Customer service

Interpersonal communication

Problem solving

Critical thinking

Telephone etiquette

Education

High school diploma

College coursework (2 years)

Tools

EHR navigation

Job description

Job Description Summary

Under the guidance and direction of the Patient Access Supervisors, employees in this position are the initial point of contact for patients entering the Health System for care. This role requires exceptional customer service skills, the ability to maintain the highest level for professionalism with each interaction, and ability to support those with diverse cultural needs. This role supports multiple technical tasks needed to ensure patients are appropriately identified, registered and scheduled for their care needs.

Job Description

1. Can function with ease in all areas of Patient Access Department.

• a. Meets department standard of 98% accuracy rate when identifying, scheduling, and registering patients.
• b. Able to collect 30% of eligible copayments.
• c. Monitors and manages workflow as directed in the health system's EHR.
• d. Displays an understanding /sensitivity to each patient's unique cultural needs. Demonstrates independence, proficiency, and accuracy with all scheduling and registration processes ensuring all regulatory and compliance requirements are maintained.

2. Coordinates Bed Placement Activities.

• a. Collaborates with Patient Flow Facilitators and Nursing Leadership to prioritize appropriate location of care. Has knowledge of patient precautions and infections before a patient can be placed on a nursing unit.
• b. Monitors bed occupancy within the hospital and maintains appropriate bed numbers based on nursing staff.
• c. Acts as a point of contact for attending physicians on all Pedi, Elective Pre-operative and Chemotherapy patients needing admission to the hospital and collaborates placement with appropriate nursing units.
• d. Reviews elective surgical procedure schedule to assure appropriate utilization of patients and placement to specialty Nursing floors.
• e. Coordinates and collaborates with Patient Flow Facilitator, ACC, Case Managers and ED Nursing Leadership to monitor patient flow barriers, patient's level of care and acuity, in order for patient to be placed on appropriate nursing unit.
• f. Acts as a key contact for Physicians and Nursing staff on patient information and placement.

3. Floor Manager/Emergency Department.

• a. Monitors bed request.
• b. Assembles necessary paperwork to include federal and state regulated documents.
• c. Enforces physician suspension list.
• d. Supports patient arrival for care ensuring patient are identified, registered, and regulatory needs are met and maintained.
• e. and support patient flow during system downtimes that require using manual processes.

4. Manage Death Process

• a. Completes accurate Death Certificate Worksheet.
• b. Upon notification of death, places call to State Medical Examiner for Emergency Department deaths.
• c. Monitors and communicates with New England Organ Bank for release or donation following Federal Law and Regulations.
• d. Assures death certificate is completed accurately 100% of the time.
• e. Chart review of all deaths for match of date and time of death and medical legal status Under M.G.L. C 38, 3.
• f. Releases to Funeral Directors per Mass General Laws.

5. Embraces technological solutions to work processes and practices.

• a. Able to function using department computer programs, including Internal/External websites.
• b. Able to function and have a complete understanding of computer downtime process.
• c. Able to review, analyze, and act upon insurance eligibility system responses.
• d. Manage own API (timecard) system.

6. Fosters a "Culture of Safety" through personal ownership and commitment to a safe environment.

• a. Adheres to patient identification policies/procedures.
• b. Understands individual roles/responsibilities during hospital codes (e.g. Code Disaster, Code Red).
• c. Adheres to universal precautions and respiratory etiquette guidelines.
• d. Demonstrates completion of NIMS 100 training.

7. Scheduling and registration role.

• a. Effectively manages scheduling requests. Ensuring patients are properly identified in the health systems EHR and scheduled to appropriate appointment type.
• b. Able to accurately and independently schedule required appointment types
• c. Accurately schedules, cancels, reschedules, and manages waitlist for designated areas
• d. Works independently to complete daily assignments
• e. Completes with 98% accuracy all required registration items included but not limited to, all demographic requirements, patient identification practices, scanning and photographing of required patient information, interpreting and leveraging insurance eligibility systems to ensure appropriate insurance coverage for patient care, leverage financial counseling teams as needed
• f. Able to accurately check patients in for elective, emergent, and urgent care

Minimum Education - Preferred

High school diploma preferred; two (2) years of college preferred.

Minimum Work Experience

Minimum one (1) year admitting experience to become proficient.

Computer experience required. Strong telephone and interpersonal communication skills. Demonstrated skills in customer service. Knowledge of medical insurance. Able to demonstrate problem solving and critical thinking skills.