Practice Assistant II

GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT:Summarize the nature and level of work performed.

Brigham and Women's Hospital is committed to putting every Patient First. Every employee plays a role in providing a positive impact on patients and the care they receive at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Our service will be distinguished by the delivery of high-quality and safe patient care, respect and dignity in all interactions with patients, families and colleagues and by customer service excellence.

All employees are expected to embrace this commitment and demonstrate behavioral competencies in the following areas:

People: Focus on serving the community through collaboration and respect

Self-Management: Accountability, professionalism and commitment to growth and development

Organization: A commitment to quality, service, and exceptional performance

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:Indicate key areas of responsibility, major job duties, special projects and key objectives for this position.These items should be evaluated throughout the year and included in the written annual evaluation.

•Perform duties under moderate supervision with intermediate to advanced proficiency in administrative skills.

•Proficient with scheduling, verifies registration, and appropriately collect payments as needed. Provide training and assistance to others in these areas.

•Utilize knowledge of HMO's managed care and other first party insurers and troubleshoots insurance issues as appropriate.

•Assist with training and orienting staff as needed.

•Provide cross coverage as needed.

•Assist with special projects as needed.

•Follow HIPAA guidelines for the management of patient privacy and confidentiality.

•Other duties, as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:(MUST be realistic, neither overstated nor understated, and related to the essential functions of the job.)

Level of education required:

•Minimum of a high school diploma or GED.

Work experience required:

•Minimum two years customer service experience required.

•Some additional training in office systems or other post high school education preferred.

SKILLS/ ABILITIES/ COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:(MUST be realistic, neither overstated nor understated, and related to the essential functions of the job.)

Technical skills required:

•Knowledge of practice operations and standards.

•Understanding of procedures including copying, scanning, printing, and faxing.

•Phone skills: Ability to use phone system (answer and screen calls, put on hold), handle more complex calls and give more detailed information.

•Verbal skills: Ability to interpret information as appropriate, answer more complex questions in the most professional manner and communicate in a professional, courteous, clear, and concise manner.

•Organization Skills: Ability to manage work processes in a neat and orderly way and to sort and alphabetize. Ability to manage multiple tasks effectively, follow established protocols, and work within systems.

•Writing Skills: Ability to correspond and communicate with others clearly and effectively in writing (via Outlook, EPIC encounter, Teams) and to take complete and accurate messages.

•System Skills: Ability to type accurately.Proficient computer skills.

•Understanding of the appropriate use and importance of related forms.

•Intermediate understanding and use of medical terminology.

•Intermediate comprehension of insurance types and referral process.

•Intermediate comprehension of registration and fiscal information.

•Knowledgeable and compliant with all hospital, State and Federal requirements (where applicable to job performance), including policy and procedures with The Joint Commission and HIPAA

HOSPITAL WIDE RESPONSIBILITIES:These are required of all staff, regardless of position. Do not remove these standard

Works within legal regulatory, accreditation and ethical practice standards relevant to the position and as established by BWH/Partners; follows safe practices required for the position; complies with appropriate BWH and Partners policies and procedures; fulfills any training required by BWH and/or Partners, as appropriate; brings potential matters of non-compliance to the attention of the supervisor or other appropriate hospital staff.

BWH Behavioral Competencies (required of all employees)

I. People Cluster

1.Inclusiveness

Definition: Maintain an environment where individuals value and respect differences in all situations. Stand firm against intolerance and bias to create a welcoming environment and respect all individuals regardless of race, gender identity, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental ability, religion, socio-economic status, or national origin.

a)Work effectively with others who have diverse perspectives, talents, roles, backgrounds and/or styles

b)Contribute to a positive team environment where differences are respected, supported and are free from stereotyping and offensive comments

c)Be professional when approached about behaviors that might be perceived as disrespectful

2.Open Communication

Definition: The ability to effectively articulate and receive information in a clear, concise and timely manner.

a)Practice active listening skills

b)Foster and maintain an environment that respects open dialogue, differences of opinion, as well as diverse communication styles

c)Ensure that information is shared in a clear, accurate, and timely manner using the appropriate communication method for one's audience

d)Express oneself clearly and professionally in one's verbal, non-verbal, written, and electronic communication

3.Building Collaborative Relationships

Definition: Identifying opportunities and taking action to build relationships between one's area and other areas, teams, departments, units, or organizations to help achieve organizational goals.

a)Take initiative to support others and build productive relationships that will lead to a cohesive workplace

b)Interact effectively with other team members, departments and customers to accomplish organizational goals

4.Organizational Awareness

Definition: Understand how one's own work affects the organization as a whole and demonstrate a commitment to the organizational goals.

a)Support and respect BWH's mission, vision, values and history

b)Understand and recognize how one's individual role and department impacts the organization

II. Self-Management Cluster

1.Embracing Change

Definition: Demonstrate adaptability and openness to organizational changes needed to improve effectiveness and achieve goals.

a)Support and positively participate in organizational and/or job specific changes

b)Initiate appropriate action when change is needed

c)Be flexible and open to new ideas

d)Adapt to shifting priorities

2.Learning Oriented

Definition: Predisposed to pursue learning opportunities even outside own comfort zone, one stays abreast of new tools and methods, rising to add value and build challenge in current assignments.

a)Demonstrate openness to learning from successes and failures

b)Recognize and participate in learning opportunities

c)Seek and share best practices.

3.Professionalism

Definition: Practice respect for self and others; and adhere to BWH standards, policies, and procedures at all times.

a)Adhere to BWH's Code of Conduct, Guide to Ethical Standards, policies and procedures

b)Align behavior with the organizational mission and values

c)Practice respect in accordance to the BWH standards

d)Demonstrate responsibility, reliability, and trustworthiness

III. Organization Cluster

1.Quality and Safety Focus

Definition: Responsible for meeting standards of performance or outcomes in a safe manner while avoiding risks.

a)Align job performance with quality and safety standards (e.g. The Joint Commission, BWH and department specific standards)

b)Adhere to established policies and procedures

c)Take action to prevent errors

d)Identify and report adverse events, errors and incidents

2.Efficiency and Performance Improvement

Definition: Systematic approach to improve performance by eliminating waste, non-value added activities and variability in processes.

a)Participate in process and performance improvement by identifying, analyzing, and enhancing existing processes to achieve better outcomes

b)Maximize available resources to achieve performance measures; reduce waste, rework, and work-arounds consistent with one's role

3.Problem Solving

Definition: Able to gather appropriate data and diagnose the cause of the problem before taking action; and if necessary develop alternative courses of action.

a)Recognize actual and potential problems and take appropriate action towards a solution

b)Offer assistance, as needed, when a potential problem situation is observed

c)Use good judgment to keep manager informed of problems or issues, following department practice

4.Service Excellence

Definition: Focusing one's efforts towards anticipating, meeting and exceeding the expressed and unexpressed needs or expectations of internal and external customers.

Apply service standards consistently to present a positive image of BWH to colleagues, health providers, patients, families, and visitors:

a)Engage with positive greetings and active listening

b)Empathize by expressing understanding

c)Educate throughout the information exchange

d)Enlist thoughts and ideas from others

e)End interactions professionally, which includes a clear resolution or next steps

IV. General/Administrative Support: (required of all Administrative Support employees)

1. Information Gathering

Definition: Identify and seek information needed to clarify a situation. Ask questions to discover the facts.

a)Identify specific information needed to clarify a situation or to make a decision

b)Probe skillfully to get at the fact

Qualifications

GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT:Summarize the nature and level of work performed.

About MGB Health Care Center, Westwood:

MGB Health Care Center is a comprehensive, community-based, multi-specialty ambulatory care center located in Westwood, Massachusetts.The Center offers Primary Care which is staffed by Mass General Brigham Community Physicians (MGBCP).It also offers a wide range of medical and surgical specialties which is staffed by BWH/BWPO Physicians.Both groups have teams complimented with APCs.The Center also has Ancillary services which include Phlebotomy, XRAY, US, and Mammography.This deep breadth of patient services under one roof requires that each of our team members embody the willingness and ability to work across departments to provide an integrated patient experience.

While the Center's location is 16 miles from the main campus of BWH, it is an expectation that the Center's services offered will comply with the standards of care found at our main campus.In addition, all clinicians practicing at the Center will be fully credentialed at BWH and will provide the same standard of care that makes the BWH nationally recognized for clinical excellence.The administrative and clinical staff of the Center must demonstrate the same high level of competence and professionalism found at the main campus. Travel to main campus may be required for professional development or business reasons.

Expectations for all Brigham and Women's / Mass General Health Care Center Employees:

Each employee is responsible for understanding the importance of and contributing to creating an environment that puts Patients First. To that end, all Center employees are expected to:

•Work in an efficient manner

•Practice safe patient care

•Practice multi-disciplinary cross-coverage duties as needed

•Work effectively in a team environment

•Demonstrate a consistently high level of professionalism

•Provide excellent, consistent customer service

•Be flexible

•Be willing to participate in changes to improve the Patient First environment.

These eight expectations are key to the Center's success and are core competencies required by all Center employees, regardless of role.

Job Specific Duties and Skills for position:

GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT:Summarize the nature and level of work performed.

The Ambulatory Practice Assistant II is primarily responsible for appropriately greeting and welcoming all customers who visit the practice, including recording their arrival in the practice management system, distributing necessary institutional and practice-specific forms, requesting that patients review and verify existing demographic and insurance information, setting certain expectations for patients regarding their visit, and responding to customers' information needs.Responsible for answering and appropriately managing incoming telephone calls.The Ambulatory Practice Assistant II is responsible for monitoring patients in the waiting room and assisting in related patient flow processes.Responsible for collecting co-payments, cash receipts and performing reconciliation.This position is responsible for performing various administrative and clerical duties required to support the practice and providers, and may be required to perform other tasks.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:Indicate key areas of responsibility, major job duties, special projects and key objectives for this position.These items should be evaluated throughout the year and included in the written annual evaluation.

For all positions that include direct patient care, indicate with an "X" the age(s) of all patient populations served

No Direct Patient Care

All age group

X

Adolescence (13 to 17 years)

Neonates (birth to 1 month)

Young Adult (18 to 25 years)

Infant (1 month to1year)

Adult (26 to 54 years)

Early Childhood (12 months to 5 years)

Senior Adult (55 to 64 years)

Late Childhood (6 to 12 years)

Geriatric (65 years and up)

Ambulatory Practice Assistant II (Onsite)

•Processes patients arriving for appointments.Verifies appointments, reviews both registration and fiscal database information, updates information as appropriate (i.e., PCP, address, phone number).

•Operates computer terminal and must be proficient in multiple practice management systems (i.e. EPIC, Outlook, Teams)

•Warmly greets patients and performs administrative tasks necessary to ensure needed information for a successful visit such as availability of the medical record, appropriate forms, referrals and other actions needed to maintain flow of the clinic.

•Distributes intake forms/assigns Ipads as needed to complete PROMS/questionnaires.

•Performs all check-in and check -out functions, including but not limited to scheduling follow-up visits within the Clinic, as well as appointments in other departments and outside the hospital.

•Daily monitoring and execution of assigned WQ / In-basket for the clinics within a timely manner.

•Provides support and information to patients and providers to problem solve and manage complex administrative issues.

•Completely performs and is a resource to other team members in all revenue enhancement activities, including but not limited to registration verification, payment collection, and reconciliation.

•Maintains confidentiality and privacy, which is consistent with HIPAA/PHI guidelines.

•Completes Prior Authorizations as required.

•Manage patient referrals and links them to scheduled office appointments.

•Schedule patient appointments and coordinates the scheduling of diagnostic testing.

•Ensure the completeness of all required benefits eligibility, waivers, etc.

•Has general understanding of HMO, Managed Care, and other Third-Party Insurers. Functions as a resource for patients around managed care plans, insurance, and referral issues, with an ability to perform electronic insurance verification.Re-directs patients to call the number on the back of their insurance card/ billing office / referral line when appropriate.

•Understands financial services and self-pay resources and provides patients with information as needed.

•Provide cross-coverage for other staff members for absences, vacations, etc. and during variations in workflow, as needed.

•Answers incoming telephone calls in a timely fashion, as needed.

•Assists with training and orientation of new staff, where applicable.

•Works on special projects as directed.

•Performs all other duties & tasks as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:(MUST be realistic, neither overstated nor understated, and related to the essential functions of the job.)

1. High school diploma, Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experience required.
2. Must be computer literate.
3. Two or more years of customer service experience or experience in a hospital setting preferred.Must have good communication skills and at least moderate proficiency in keyboard skills.
4. Must understand the overall goals and systems of the facility; communicate effectively with socially diverse group of patients visiting their providers for problems that may be life threatening; coping with the anxiety and stress often created in such a situation; communicate well with a large group of physicians and mid-level providers working in a face-paced and demanding environment; respect the strict confidentiality of medical records and information.

SKILLS/ ABILITIES/ COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:(MUST be realistic, neither overstated nor understated, and related to the essential functions of the job.)

1.Excellent interpersonal skills.This position requires a great deal of initial contact with customers objectives.

2.Knowledge of referral management and insurance parties.Experience with electronic payment collection.

3.Excellent organizational skills.

4.Computer Literacy/Data Entry Skill

5.Ability to prioritize work in a very busy atmosphere.

6.Familiarity in a Hospital setting preferred.

7.Ability to problem-solve.

8.Capable to work quickly to resolve or minimize identified problems.

PHYSICAL/ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS OF JOB

Indicate requirements and frequency by placing an "X" in the appropriate box.

Work Environment:

Activity

Amount of Time Spent

None

1 - 25%

25 - 50%

50 - 75%

Over 75%

Outdoor weather condition

X

Extreme cold (non weather)

X

Work in high place(s)

X

Work in confined space(s)

X

Risk of electrical shock

X

Risk of radiation exposure

X

Exposure to blood borne pathogen

X

Flammable/explosive gase

X

Toxic / caustic chemical

X

Dust or other irritant

X

Grease or oil

X

Hazardous specimens

X

Exposure to lab animal

X

Infectious / contagious disease

X

Cleaning agents/chemical

X

Hot equipment

X

Noisy equipment

X

Humid or wet conditions (non -weather)

X

Other

Lifting/Carry Requirements of this job

No Lifting required

No Carrying required

Number of pounds

Amount of Time

1 - 25%

25 - 50%

50 - 75%

Over 75%

Lift

Carry

Lift

Carry

Lift

Carry

Lift

Carry

Up to 10 pound

X

X

Up to 25 pound

Up to 50 pound

Up to 100 pound

Over 100 pound

Push/Pull Requirements of this job:

No Pushing required

No Pulling required

Number of pounds

Amount of Time

1 - 25%

25 - 50%

50 - 75%

Over 75%

Push

Pull

Push

Pull

Push

Pull

Push

Pull

Up to 10 pound

X

X

Up to 25 pound

Up to 50 pound

Up to 100 pound

Over 100 pound

Physical Activity requirements of this job:

Activity

Amount of Time Spent

None

1 - 25%

25 - 50%

50 - 75%

Over 75%

Stand

X

Walk

X

Sit

X

Use of hands requiring fine motor skills and sense of touch

X

Move / rotate / bend wrist(s)

X

Type / use keyboard or other data entry device

X

Reach with hands & arm

X

Climb stair

X

Climb ladder or other equipment

X

Drive / operate motor vehicle

X

Balance

X

Stoop, kneel, crouch, bend, crawl

X

Speak

X

Hear

X

Taste

X

Smell

X

Other

X

Vision Requirements of this job:

Vision Requirement

Required

Not Required

Close vision

X

Distance vision

X

Color vision

X

Peripheral vision

X

Depth perception

X

Ability to adjust focu

X

Other

X

Safety equipment used while performing this job:

Safety eye glasse

Gown

Filter lens (welding/soldering)

Scrub

Face shield

Boot

Ear plugs or Muffler

Hard hat

Surgical mask / dust mask

Coverall

Self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)

Glove

Other

Level of noise typical in this work environment:

Very quiet

Quiet

Moderate

X

Loud

Very loud

EEO Statement

BWH is an Affirmative Action Employer. By embracing diverse skills, perspectives, and ideas, we choose to lead. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law. We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

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