Patient Access Specialist - Bilingual Spanish/English

Inova; United States; On-site; USD 42,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision coverage

Retirement match 5%

Education assistance: up to $5,250/yr;

Student loan assistance: up to $10,000

Mental health coaching or therapy (up

per person, per year, at no cost

Job summary

Inova Partnership for Healthier Communities - Herndon is seeking a dedicated Patient Access Specialist - Bilingual Spanish-English to join our team. This full-time, Monday–Friday role handles admissions, scheduling, insurance verifications, and financial counseling while upholding Service Excellence standards.

Responsibilities include patient intake, documentation, multi-system navigation, and coordinating with HIM/UR. Requires 1 year healthcare access exp; HS diploma. Location: Herndon, VA.

Qualifications

• Bilingual Spanish-English required; other languages a plus.
• High school diploma or equivalent; healthcare admin education preferred.
• Experience in a customer-facing role, preferably healthcare.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office and related software.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Authorized to work in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Greet and assist patients at the front desk, providing a warm and welcoming environment.
• Explain Inova's financial assistance programs and eligibility criteria to patients.
• Guide patients through the application process for financial assistance.
• Maintain accurate records and documentation of patient interactions and financial assistance applications.
• Collaborate with the PHC team to identify and address barriers to accessing services.
• Promote Inova's commitment to accessible healthcare for all.
• Ensure compliance with regulations regarding patient access and financial assistance.
• Provide excellent customer service and patient satisfaction.
• Assist with additional administrative tasks as required by PHC.

Skills

Bilingual Spanish-English

Customer-facing experience

Strong communication

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Time management

Empathy

Flexibility

Authorized to work in US

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Healthcare administration education preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

• Herndon, VA, United States
• VA, United States

Job Description

Inova Partnership for Healthier Communities - Herndon is looking for a dedicated Patient Access Specialist - Bilingual Spanish-English to join the team. This is a full Time, Monday to Friday from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. As Patient Access Specialist, you will adhere to Inova Health System's "Service Excellence" standards while admitting/scheduling patients, conducting insurance verifications and providing financial counseling. To help achieve our mission, you will ensure patient safety by demonstrating effective problem solving and effective communication skillsets. Engaging in active listening when dealing with a customer complaint is of vital importance.

Inova is consistently ranked a national healthcare leader in safety, quality and patient experience.We are also proud to be consistently recognized as a top employer in both the D.C. metro area and the nation.

Featured Benefits

• Committed to Team Member Health: offering medical, dental and vision coverage, and a robust team member wellness program.
• Retirement: Inova matches the first 5% of eligible contributions - starting on your first day.
• Tuition and Student Loan Assistance: offering up to $5,250 per year in education assistance and up to $10,000 for student loans.
• Mental Health Support: offering all Inova team members, their spouses/partners, and their children 25 mental health coaching or therapy sessions, per person, per year, at no cost.

Patient Access Specialist Responsibilities:

• Patient Intake, Registration & Documentation: Manages complex cases, resolves errors, confirms authorizations, validates, and indexes documents.
• Administrative & Technology Operations: Prepares schedules, tracks records, and navigates multiple systems efficiently.
• Case Management Tasks: Coordinates documentation and follows up on case-related tasks.
• Financial Counseling: Assesses coverage and initiates financial assistance.
• Insurance & Contract Coordination: Applies payer-specific rules, resolves issues, and identifies contract limitations.
• Inquiries & Patient Concerns: Resolves moderate concerns and tracks follow-ups with patients.
• Kiosk: Educates patients and reports usage trends on kiosks.
• Patient Referrals: Validates insurance and tracks referral status.
• Scheduling: Schedules specialty visits and coordinates preparation.
• Transport: Coordinates special needs transport.
• Health Information Management (HIM) Coordination: Resolves minor chart issues and assists with release of information (ROI).
• Utilization Review Coordination: Provides documentation to utilization review (UR) teams Minimum Qualifications:
• Experience - 1 year of healthcare patient access experience

Education - High School diploma or equivalent

Preferred Qualifications

Responsibilities

• Greet and assist patients at the front desk, providing a warm and welcoming environment.
• Explain Inova's financial assistance programs and eligibility criteria to patients.
• Guide patients through the application process for financial assistance, ensuring a smooth and efficient experience.
• Maintain accurate records and documentation of patient interactions and financial assistance applications.
• Collaborate with the PHC team to identify and address any barriers to accessing healthcare services.
• Promote and raise awareness about Inova's commitment to providing accessible healthcare to all.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and policies regarding patient access and financial assistance.
• Provide excellent customer service, ensuring patient satisfaction and a positive experience.
• Assist with any additional administrative tasks as required by the PHC department.

Qualifications

• Bilingual proficiency in Spanish and English is a must; proficiency in other languages is a plus.
• High school diploma or equivalent; additional education in healthcare administration or a related field is preferred.
• Previous experience in a customer-facing role, preferably in a healthcare setting.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport with patients.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with an attention to detail.
• Proficiency in using Microsoft Office suite and other relevant software.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Empathy and a genuine desire to help others, with a patient-centric approach.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing priorities and a willingness to learn.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.

About Us

We are Inova, Northern Virginia’s leading nonprofit healthcare provider. Every day, our 26,000+ team members provide world-class healthcare to the communities we serve. Our people are the reason we're a national leader in healthcare safety, quality and patient experience. And from best-in-class facilities to professional development opportunities, we support them at every step. At Inova, we're constantly striving to be ever better — to shape a more compassionate future for healthcare.

Inova Health is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, pregnancy (including childbirth, pregnancy-related conditions and lactation), race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristics protected by law.