Patient Access Ops Coordinator

At Northwestern Medicine, every patient interaction makes a difference in cultivating a positive workplace. This patient-first approach is what sets us apart as a leader in the healthcare industry. As an integral part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to join our quest for better health care, no matter where you work within the Northwestern Medicine system. We pride ourselves on providing competitive benefits: from tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness to 401(k) matching and lifecycle benefits, our goal is to take care of our employees. Ready to join our quest for better?

The Patient Access Ops Coordinator reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards.

This position provides exceptional customer service to consumers, which establish a positive first impression of Northwestern Medicine. The Patient Access Ops Coordinator exceeds all internal and external consumer requests and alert management of issues or concerns that require escalation.

Responsibilities:

• Assists with training, progressive discipline, dismissals, performance appraisals, and employee relations.
• Schedule staff and allocate resources across hours of operation to maximize patient access satisfaction, provider productivity and efficiency, staff productivity, cost-savings, and operational efficiencies.
• Ensure staff has access to necessary policies, procedures, training and other resources necessary to complete their responsibilities, and that policies and procedures are updated as necessary. Provide one to one coaching and mentoring.
• Coordinates and manages staff scheduling and coverage to accomplish optimum coverage. This may involve walking and working in multiple worksites.
• Identifies, analyzes and communicates key issues/trends and reports findings and recommendations to management.
• Provides input to management on budget issues, staffing, cost containment strategies and capital needs.
• Provides staff with monthly attendance review.
• Works on a daily basis in regards to staffing, operations, performance and goal measurement and tracking.
• Assists in leading and/or developing employee engagement participation and improvement.
• Assists in leading and/or developing plans with team, Team Lead, and Manager to ensure patient satisfaction goals are met.
• Leads training and coaching exercises with employees to continuously improve skill sets.
• Actively ensures staff compliance to Rules of Personal Conduct.
• Facilitates a multi-disciplinary and collaborative approach to patient care and interdepartmental problem solving/service delivery.
• Develops tools to support staff and enhance efficiency.
• Provides input into staff performance reviews. May participate with manager in conduction staff performance reviews.
• Reviews and approves Automated Time Reports for accuracy.
• Completes other duties assigned by manager.
• Assesses and communicates staff development needs to manager as well as providing feedback to the Manager to support periodic individual evaluations of staff.
• Coaches, motivates and further develops staff to support achievement of department goals and for the continued success of the organization.
• Plans, executes and resolves all routine technical needs of the unit (phone, copiers, fax machines, PCs, etc).
• Gathers all information required for departmental reporting. Produces reports as required.
• Monitors daily transaction activity to ensure compliance with procedures.
• Identifies, investigates, and develops support for and assists in the implementation of new tools/technology necessary to maintain and improve productivity, effectiveness, quality, customer service, reduce risk and/or reduce costs.
• Is proactive in preventing issues with patient visit by double checking type of test, preps required, assuring no conflict with other tests, verifying time and location, communicating relevant information and documenting order retrieval in notes for check-in person.
• Understands minimum data set required for a complete registration, collects and verifies critical data and updates that information into registration system.
• Understands departmental and individual quality metrics.
• Proactively analyzes account activity, identifies problems, and initiates appropriate actions/resolutions.
• Evaluates procedures and suggests improvements to enhance customer service and operational efficiency.
• Participates in departmental quality improvement activities.
• Provides ideas and suggestions for process improvements within the department. Monitors registration and scheduling, including insurance verification to ensure processing within prescribed quality standards.
• Adjusts processes as needed to meet standards.
• Uses organizational and unit/department resources efficiently.
• Acts as a training resource for new staff and a resource for coworkers, sharing process and workflow information.

Required:

• Four to seven years of increasingly responsible positions within a related health care or customer service setting.
• Excellent interpersonal verbal communication skills. Excellent problem solving skills.
• Received favorable annual performance reviews if internal applicant in the past one to two years.
• Ability to read and communicate effectively in English.
• Basic computer skills.
• Ability to type 40 wpm.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to multi-task. Customer service-oriented.
• Excellent organizational, time management, analytical, and problem solving skills.

Preferred:

• Strong leadership, organization, planning and time management skills.
• Strong personal computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Training experience.
• Demonstrated problem solving skills.
• Technical competence in appropriate health care provider areas.
• Supervisory experience or training

Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status.

Background Check

Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers. If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check.  Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act.

Artificial Intelligence Disclosure

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person. 

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Please visit our Benefits section to learn more.

Sign-on Bonus Eligibility: Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign on bonus. Exception: New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position at NM may be eligible depending upon the job family.