Referral Specialist

UChicago Medicine; Illinois; On-site; USD 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

UChicago Medicine is seeking a Referral Specialist to manage internal and external referrals across its ambulatory and outpatient footprint. This role supports branded vanity lines, MyChart help, and ensures expeditious scheduling with financial clearance where needed.

You will work with Access Center Scheduling, Clinic, and Revenue Cycle teams to deliver accurate referrals, handle calls, and promote services while maintaining high-quality patient service.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Two to three years of hospital and patient accounts experience with knowledge of third-party payor/regulatory requirements and medical terminology.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Experience with basic computer software (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Typing 25–30 words per minute.
• Ability to manage a high volume of work in a busy contact center.

Responsibilities

• Delivers exceptional personal attention to patients referred to UChicago Medicine.
• Manages referral work queues (internal and external).
• Outreaches to patients via phone, MyChart, email to schedule or coordinate referrals.
• Executes processes for scheduling, pre-registration, and insurance networks.
• Promotes other practices or services and closes engagement requests.
• Supports revenue cycle by insurance registration and financial clearance.
• Ensures patient accounts are financially secure.
• Handles calls across multiple queues and branded lines.
• Provides MyChart password assistance and proxy access as needed.

Skills

Customer service

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

MS Office

Typing 25-30 wpm

Medical terminology

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Epic

Job description

Be a part of a world-class academic healthcare system,

Be a part of a world-class academic healthcare system, UChicago Medicine Care Network, as a Referral Specialist at our Burr Ridge Access Center. This position is a flexible/remote opportunity.

The Referral Specialist manages all internal and external referrals across UChicago Medicine’s Ambulatory and outpatient footprint. The referral specialist is also responsible for supporting UChicago Medicine’s branded vanity lines for all ambulatory sites of care, as well as the My Chart support line for patients and consumers.

The Referral Specialist works closely with stakeholders across the organization, including Access Center Scheduling, Clinic, and Revenue Cycle operations. The Referral Specialist will ensure expeditious conversion of referrals to scheduled visits, inclusive of initiating and securing financial clearance.

Essential Job Functions

• Delivers and maintains an exceptional level of personal attention to all patients referred to UChicago Medicine (UCM)
• Manages all assigned referral (internal and external) work queues
• Performs outreach to every assigned patient via telephone, My Chart, email and other electronic means to complete schedule or care coordination of referrals
• Exhibits mastery of specialized Access Center processes including but not limited to questionnaires, subgroups, auto search, radiology scheduling workflows, pre-registration, message templates, and referral capture and insurance plan networks.
• Identifies and promotes other practices or services the patient may also need by closing engagement requests and scheduling any outstanding orders/referrals identified via CRM.
• Drives and supports the UCM revenue cycle by minimizing potential financial risk of patient accounts through insurance registration and financial clearance activities.
• Ensure patient’s account is financially secure
• Communicates out of pocket expense to the patient and tries to collect the identified out of pocket expense
• Answers all telephone calls for multiple queues and branded marketing lines across UCM
• Assesses the caller’s needs and responds with critical judgement and ensures appropriate resolution for the inquiry or issue; understands when to elevate calls
• Attempts to handle calls through a first call resolution, inclusive of scheduling, pre-registration, and financial clearance.
• Works cooperatively in a team environment and supports a flexible structure to ensure success of the UCM Access Center. Demonstrates adaptability in providing coverage for multiple queues for unexpected absences, events or call volume variances
• Utilizes exemplary telephone etiquette to ensure we provide exceptional customer service
• Keeps up to date on UCM providers, services and locations across the organization
• Scheduling all physician consults generated from the PHA practices and capturing the referral in network
• Answers all telephone calls for multiple queues and MyChart help lines across UCM
• Understands and becomes a subject matter expert with MyChart, open, and direct scheduling
• Provides MyChart password assistance
• Provides proxy access to parents/guardians of minor children

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Two to three years of demonstrated hospital and patient accounts experience with extensive knowledge in third-party payor/regulatory agency requirements and general medical terminology
• Excellent customer service skills
• Good analytical and problem-solving ability
• Experience in basic computer software programs (Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook)
• Typing required (minimum 25-30 wpm)
• Ability to handle high volume of work in a busy contact center

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous epic experience

Position Details

• Job Type/FTE: Full Time (1.0 FTE)
• Shift: Days
• Work Location: Onsite - Burr Ridge Access Center
• Unit/Department: Administration
• CBA Code: Non-Union

About Us

We’ve been at the forefront of medicine since 1899. We provide superior healthcare with compassion, always mindful that each patient is a person, an individual. To accomplish this, we need employees with passion, talent and commitment… with patients and with each other. We’re in this together: working to advance medical innovation, serve the health needs of the community, and move our collective knowledge forward. If you’d like to add enriching human life to your profile, UChicago Medicine is for you. Here at the forefront, we’re doing work that really matters. Join us. Bring your passion.

UChicago Medicine is growing; discover how you can be a part of this pursuit of excellence at: UChicago Medicine Career Opportunities

UChicago Medicine is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, civil union status, parental status, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status and other legally protected characteristics.

As a condition of employment, all employees are required to complete a pre-employment physical, background check, drug screening, and comply with the flu vaccination requirements prior to hire. Medical and religious exemptions will be considered for flu vaccination consistent with applicable law.

Compensation & Benefits Overview

UChicago Medicine is committed to transparency in compensation and benefits. The pay range provided reflects the anticipated wage or salary reasonably expected to be offered for the position.

The pay range is based on a full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) and is reflective of current market data, reviewed on an annual basis. Compensation offered at the time of hire will vary based on candidate qualifications and experience and organizational considerations, such as internal equity. Pay ranges for employees subject to Collective Bargaining Agreements are negotiated by the medical center and their respective union.

Review the full complement of benefit options for eligible roles at Benefits - UChicago Medicine.