Audiology Patient Care Coordinator

Are you personable and love interacting and caring for others? Do you want to begin a rewarding career in healthcare - where you can make a meaningful impact for others every single day?

You may want to consider starting your career as an Audiology Patient Care Coordinator at Ascentist Healthcare. We're seeking an Audiology Patient Care Coordinator to work full-time, M-F, for our Professional Hearing Center clinic in Lee's Summit, MO.

In this role, you'll be responsible for making and scheduling patient appointments in an efficient and timely manner, greeting patients and visitors, registering patients upon arrival, obtaining third party payment information, verifying insurance hearing aid benefits, collecting money and communicating with patients, physicians, audiologists and other staff. We are looking for an enthusiastic, self-motivated, team player to step into this role.

As a Audiology Patient Care Coordinator, you'll perform a variety of tasks in support of daily operations, including, but not limited to:

• Greets and registers patients in a prompt, pleasant, and helpful manner.
• Provides instructions and directions to patients.
• Informs appropriate clinic personnel of patient/visitors' arrival.
• Answers incoming telephone calls, screens calls, takes messages, and provides appropriate information.
• Regularly checks the Audiology message lines and returns patient calls promptly.
• Scans chart information into the EMR system in an accurate and timely manner.
• Receives payments from patients and issues computer-generated receipts. Processes and posts over-the-counter payments, bank cards and CareCredit.
• Balances all monies received at the end of shift (cash, checks and credit cards) to a computerized system to ensure that funds are accounted for properly.
• Schedules, coordinates and re-schedules patient appointments following protocol.
• While scheduling patient appointments or checking in patients at the time of arrival, reviews patient account information in the computer system for any special flags (e.g. collection) and handles these flags accordingly.
• At all patient visits (for which other Front Office staff have not already performed), obtains the patient's insurance card and/or other third party billing information, and verifies that our physicians are participating providers with the patient's insurance carrier.
• Informs patients accordingly if we are not a network provider.
• Maintains a working understanding of which insurance companies we are and are not contracted with.
• Updates patient current demographic information, collects balances due on account, provides any necessary forms needing completion, and obtains signatures as necessary.
• Obtains referring physician information from patients (if applicable) and inputs this information into the computer system in the designated fields.
• Determines if managed care referral is needed, and ensures that patient has that referral prior to seeing the physician or audiologist.
• Verifies necessary insurance and demographic information and records in the practice management/EMR system following the established company protocol.
• Operates a computer system to generate information necessary for billing the patient and third-party payers.
• Communicates the company financial policy to patients and presents necessary forms for signature.
• Communicates to the Business Office any insurance changes on patient accounts that affect previous visit charges (so that those charges can be refilled with third party payers, if needed.)

Hearing Aid Specific Functions (with training/supervision until proficient):

• Receives hearing aid "drop-offs", completes necessary paperwork and manages the process to complete hearing aid maintenance with audiologists.
• Contacts patients to notify them when the work is complete, and coordinates efforts to return completed "drop-offs" to patients.
• Coordinates delivery/pick-up efforts with DHL/FedEx; opens delivery bags/boxes daily and disseminates hearing aids/supplies to appropriate audiologists using established protocol; prepares packages to be sent out.
• Coordinates sale of hearing aid supplies (e.g. batteries), completes necessary paperwork and collects/records patient payments for these supplies following established protocol.
• Monitors and orders general department and hearing aid supplies.
• Monitor new orders and repairs for accuracy and timeliness.
• Inspects and prepares hearing aids for fitting by completing necessary paperwork and entering data into the NOAH system.
• In conjunction with the billing department, may pre-certify/confirm hearing aid benefits with third-party payers and complete established "Insurance Inquiry Record" for determining/documenting insurance inquiry regarding hearing aid benefits.
• Performs daily listening checks and maintains audiometric equipment.
• Responsible for maintaining safe and sanitized clinical work areas.
• Cleans hearing aids and performs troubleshooting checks on malfunctioning hearing aids.
• Reviews hearing aid vendor/manufacturer invoices, matches patient charges to received shipping documents, ensures appropriate pricing based on contracts with manufacturers, and codes cost of sales using established general ledger code-block. Forwards completed invoices ready for payment to Accounts Payable for processing. (Note: This may be a shared responsibility with one or more of the audiologists).
• Maintains a working understanding of the department's tracking mechanism for hearing aid sales. May be asked, on occasion, to input data into the Excel spreadsheet for reporting purposes.
• Assists as needed in company marketing efforts for hearing aids, including community/networking events.
• After proper training, may act as a liaison between Ascentist Healthcare and primary care/referring physicians to communicate services offered thru the Hearing Aid Department.

Other Duties:

• Maintains and updates current information on audiologists' schedules (individually or through communication with appropriate staff) ensuring that patients are scheduled properly and appointments are confirmed. Calls seminar audio patients to confirm appointments.
• Oversees hearing aid/audiology waiting area, coordinates patient movement, reports problems and/or irregularities.
• Maintains clean, orderly waiting area including beverage area and reading materials. Ensures that doors to clinical areas remain secure at all times.
• Attends department and company meetings, as required.
• Participates in outside educational opportunities to enhance knowledge and skills upon approval of management.
• Maintains strictest confidentiality at all times with regard to patient protected health information; has read and understands the company's HIPAA Privacy Notice to patients.
• Performs other job-related duties, as necessary.

Qualifications

Education, Experience & Certifications:

• Must possess a High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Must possess a minimum of one year medical scheduling/receptionist experience.
• Clean background check

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Demonstrates proficiency using Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat.
• Ability to work concurrently on multiple projects with varying priorities in a fast paced, dynamic environment while ensuring accurate and quality work.
• Proven record in attendance, demonstration of reliability and dependability in prior roles.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
• Demonstrates effective time management with the ability to plan and organize work, adjust schedule and duties as requested and work overtime as needed.
• Demonstrates a high level of motivation, accountability, and ownership.
• Demonstrates effective problem solving and follow up skills.
• Demonstrates friendly, personal, and timely customer service skills.
• Ability to effectively use general office equipment including phones, fax machines, copiers, and other similar office technology on a regular basis.
• Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail in an ever-changing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate, read, write, and understand English.
• Understanding of and ability to comply with all regulatory requirements including OSHA, HIPAA, Ascentist Policies and Procedures and Ascentist Employee Handbook.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to recognize potentially hazardous situations and respond in a calm manner.
• Ability to remain in a stationary position for prolonged periods of time.
• Ability to transport up to 25 pounds on an occasional basis.
• Ability to detect and assess details at a close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• The ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.

At Ascentist Healthcare, we believe in taking care of our people. We offer a comprehensive total rewards package including a 401(k) plan with a company match, medical, dental and vision benefits plus other options to benefit you and your family such as Health Savings Accounts, Critical Illness, and Short- & Long-Term Disability. Ready to be a part of a progressive, patient focused organized? Apply today to join the Ascentist team

We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

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