Patient Access Liaison II - Access Center - Full Time 8 Hour Days (Non-Exempt) (Union)

University of Southern California; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 30,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Southern California is seeking a Patient Access Liaison II to manage multi-channel communications, schedule appointments, verify insurance, and maintain accurate patient data. You will work with physicians, nurses, and coordinators to ensure timely access to care from USC Health Sciences Campus.

The role emphasizes high-quality customer service, first-call resolution, and adherence to USC/Keck communications standards.

Qualifications

• Requires high school or equivalent
• 2+ years in a call center, customer service and/or healthcare setting
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills
• Ability to multi-task
• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Bilingual abilities preferred (Spanish, Chinese, etc.)
• Associates or Bachelors in healthcare, business or operations preferred
• Specialized training in appointment scheduling, registration, insurance verification preferred

Responsibilities

• Answer, screen, and direct incoming and outgoing calls and messages using the call management system.
• Schedule and confirm initial and follow-up medical appointments.
• Register patients and verify insurance coverage and financial responsibility.
• Perform data entry and maintain data integrity in scheduling systems.
• Coordinate care with patient coordinators, nurses, and physicians to secure appointments.
• Process messages following departmental procedures and HIPAA compliance.

Skills

Customer service

Communication skills

Multitasking

HIPAA knowledge

Bilingual: Spanish/Chinese

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Practice management scheduling systems

Job description

Serves as primary point of contact for access to USC academic medical centers and USC Health Sciences Campus. Answers, screens and directs incoming and outgoing telephone calls, electronic messages and other web-based communications using a call management system. Responds to basic inquires and refers other inquiries to appropriate medical personnel. Contacts and distributes messages to medical personnel using a variety of electronic methods including text, voice and email systems. The Patient Access Liaison II will also be responsible to schedule and confirm initial and follow-up medical appointments, registers patients, including verifying insurance coverage to advise patient of any estimated financial responsibility. The Patient Access Liaison II will also perform data entry, ensure data integrity, and reconcile as needed.

Essential Duties

1. Demonstrates competency in the quality of work and knowledge of a Patient Access Representative.
2. Strives for first call resolution and demonstrates high level of customer service.
3. Maintains warm, courteous and professional behavior in accordance with the USC/Keck customer service standards while interacting with contacts, both internal and external.
4. Maintains consistent accuracy in all tasks associated with job role and tasks and responsibilities daily.
5. Exhibits collegial and professional demeanor in all interactions.
6. Contributes effectively as a productive team member to the Patient Access Center and USC/Keck.
7. Follows USC/Keck Communications standard and policy.
8. Accepts alternate assignments to any area within the organization as assigned by Management.
9. Expected to work from home as/when organizationally deployed, following the departmentally established guidelines and expectations for remote work.
10. Other duties as assigned.
11. May page physicians as dictated by internal procedures, correctly, professionally and in a timely manner.
12. May perform follow up checks with all open pages while on shift and before leaving shift
13. Demonstrates proficiency in ensuring that all information housed within the Call Management system and Qgenda is sent for updates to management and readily accessed when needed.
14. Answers, screens and directs incoming and outgoing telephone calls, electronic messages, omnichannel contacts and other web-based communications using the organizational communications management system.
15. Transfers telephone calls to the appropriate department or medical personnel.
16. Processes messages following departmental procedure and ensuring compliance with HIPAA regulations.
17. Utilizes organizationally defined systems to perform patient communication.
18. Performs scheduling functions, to include scheduling, rescheduling cancelations and confirmations of appointments using organizational scheduling system.
19. Creates and maintains medical data and reconciles to patient appointment records.
20. Coordinates care with patient coordinators, nurses and physicians to secure appointments for patients and referring physicians.
21. Performs data entry and maintains data bases for bumps and cancellations.
22. Verifies insurance coverage using organizationally defined process. May determine if patient’s insurance is contracted with USC and advise patient of any estimated financial responsibility.
23. Using USC/Keck defined guidelines, and at their discretion, carries out Service Recovery activity, and/or escalates to any Level 3/Lead or Supervisor within the Patient Access Center.

Required Qualifications:

1. Req High school or equivalent
2. Req 2 years Minimum two (2) years of experience working in a call center, customer service and/or healthcare department/ environment (or combination of that equals two or more years)
3. Req Demonstrated interpersonal skills.
4. Req Ability to multi-task.
5. Req Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
6. Pref Knowledge of HIPPA compliance and various health insurance types preferred.
7. Pref Knowledge of medical terminology strongly preferred.
8. Pref Demonstrated knowledge of high-level computer literacy with practice management scheduling systems preferred.
9. Pref Bilingual: Spanish, Chinese and other languages preferred.
10. Preferred Qualifications: Pref Associate's degree Associates’ or Bachelors’ degree in healthcare, business or operations field strongly preferred.
11. Pref Specialized/technical training Vocational certificates in healthcare preferred: appoint scheduling, registration, insurance verification, medical assistant.
12. Pref Knowledge of HIPPA compliance and various health insurance types preferred.
13. Pref Knowledge of medical terminology strongly preferred.
14. Pref Demonstrated knowledge of high-level computer literacy with practice management scheduling systems preferred.
15. Pref Bilingual: Spanish, Chinese and other languages preferred.

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Pref Associate's degree Associates’ or Bachelors’ degree in healthcare, business or operations field strongly preferred.
2. Pref Specialized/technical training Vocational certificates in healthcare preferred: appoint scheduling, registration, insurance verification, medical assistant.
3. Pref Knowledge of HIPPA compliance and various health insurance types preferred.
4. Pref Knowledge of medical terminology strongly preferred.
5. Pref Demonstrated knowledge of high-level computer literacy with practice management scheduling systems preferred.
6. Pref Bilingual: Spanish, Chinese and other languages preferred.

Required Licenses/Certifications:

1. Req Fire Life Safety Training (LA City) If no card upon hire, one must be obtained within 30 days of hire and maintained by renewal before expiration date. (Required within LA City only)

USC Care Medical Group serves as the sole physician entity reporting to the USC Health System, uniting faculty clinical practice under Keck Medicine of USC. This entity oversees clinical governance, physician and ambulatory services, and core enterprise functions including billing, contracting, and financial operations. The organization encompasses 17 clinical departments, with approximately 1,500 physicians and 2,000 staff delivering care across more than 80 locations from Kern County to Orange County and into Las Vegas. USC Care Medical Group is the engine for patient-centered growth—advancing quality, safety, access, and financial strength through integrated, system-level thinking that transcends silos and traditional models. By building bridges across the enterprise, embracing innovation, and leveraging technology, we deliver seamless, 5-Star access and service while expanding clinical reach and diversified models of care. Our work fuels a sustainable cycle of good health—organizationally, financially, and within the communities we serve—driving continued growth from within and beyond the system’s boundaries.

Keck Medicine of USC is the University of Southern California’s medical enterprise, one of only two university-based medical systems in the Los Angeles area. Keck Medicine combines academic excellence, world-class research and state-of-the-art facilities to provide highly specialized care for some of the most acute patients in the country. Our internationally renowned physicians and scientists provide world-class patient care at Keck Hospital of USC, USC Norris Cancer Hospital, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, USC Arcadia Hospital and more than 100 unique clinics in Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Tulare and Ventura counties.

Keck Medical Center of USC, which includes Keck Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital, is among the top 50 hospitals in the country in 8 specialties, as well as the top three hospitals in metro Los Angeles and top 10 hospitals in California, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2024-25 Best Hospitals rankings.

The hourly rate range for this position is $21.84 - $34.48. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy.

USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law.

USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying.

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities.

Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at [phone], or by email at [e-mail]. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

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