Practice Coordinator

Temporary Employment Program

Temporary Employment

69386BR

Job Summary

• Acts as the primary contact for referring physicians and new patients
• If practice utilizes a mirror system for external referrals, such as an electronic log, maintains electronic log but also creates referral record for accurate tracking and documenting of external referrals.
• Assigns new patients to providers as required, taking into account scheduling issues.
• On a daily basis reviews and works referral work queues documenting activities within the referral record
• Collects and verifies insurance and referral/authorization information for first appointment ensuring referral records and Hospital Accounts Records (HARS) are created and assigned to the appointment. 
• Schedules and coordinates any pre-appointment tests or appointments.
• Explains first appointment procedures in layman’s terminology to patient including required records, pathology slides and radiology films to bring or send prior to the first visit; prepares and mails New Patient Packet or sends through MyChart; provides other information requested by patient. 
• Gives directions and instructions to patients before the first appointment.  Manages patient expectations by providing practice-specific guidelines related to service/visit.  Seeks clinical input when appropriate.
• Creates a professional and positive first impression for patients and referring physicians.  Demonstrates good judgment and common sense.
• Understands and is able to prioritize new patient scheduling based on diagnosis and current treatment status to ensure complex patients are scheduled according to practice priorities (e.g. someone newly diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal cancer is seen within the week vs. a second opinion currently receiving treatment is seen within 3 weeks). 
• At new patient visits, as appropriate meets with patient after the visit to explain how care is coordinated with possible clinical trials, testing, surgical procedures and care within other departments (e.g. general surgery, cardiology) and with other external providers.
• Performs cash collection and depositing functions as assigned, complying with all established policies and procedures.
• Communicates Medical Center administrative and financial policies clearly to patients, answering patient account questions and knowing when to refer patients to financial counseling, billing agents, patient relations or other support departments for additional help.
• Obtains and documents insurance authorizations for established patient visits, referrals and procedures or ancillary services. Communicates clinical information from medical records authorization requests to insurance companies. 
• Demonstrates competency working with CPT codes and ICD-9 and ICD-10 for the purpose of scheduling and securing authorization.
• Works with patients and staff to confirm availability and accuracy of medical information within APeX and to ensure compliance with all hospital policies and procedures.
• Monitors provider(s) open charts and encounters and works with providers to complete encounter documentation in a timely manner to support revenue cycle workflow.  May assist provider with instructions on how to close encounters opened in error.
• Works RFI workqueues to secure information for accurate billing submissions or to respond to denials such as retro authorizations, clinical documentation, and addended authorizations with add on CPT codes.
• Secures authorization for procedures, specialty visits and ancillary testing  and coordinates with Hospital Admissions Department as needed.
• Provide assistance with complex DME authorizations that often require precise documentation in specific formats to receive approval
• Provide assistance with medication authorization for new medications and refills.
• Secures complex insurance authorizations for services, medications, or testing and is able to track the authorizations for renewal based on insurance company driven limits of time frames or numbers of visits or services. 
• Has demonstrated competency working with HCPC codes and is able to look up and locate the appropriate codes for the purpose of requesting authorization (e.g. J codes for medications like chemotherapy).
• Understands how to identify and interpret a patient’s insurance benefit package, including pharmacy and mental health carve outs.  Utilizes this information to direct authorization requests and to coordinate these services for patients.
• Reviews & analyses monthly denial reports for both professional and hospital billing.  Initiatives retro authorizations from denial report.
• Identifies trends in denials and works with practice team and supervisors to develop and implement improved workflows to minimize denials.
• Compiles & analyzes data for reports to track basic revenue cycle measurements such as charges, payments, visit volume, etc. and creates reports in Microsoft Excel.
• Oversees and coaches staff on complex authorization requests as they arise.
• Address patient complaints from patients regarding billing and complaints related to billing that come out of Patient Relations.
• Through reporting track patterns of billing complaints and identify patterns which can be addressed with coaching and education of staff and providers.
• Understands the concept of managed care and is knowledgeable about the resources available to the staff in regards to knowing the specific requirements of individual managed care plans.  Assists patients to understand the concept of managed care.
• Reviews all upcoming visits to determine patient eligibility and assists with transitioning patients who are no longer eligible to new primary care practices through collaboration with the practice Social Worker and clinical teams.
• Department resource for insurance questions and insurance updates, including having reserved time on the staff agenda to review updates with administrative team, include important updates in the practice newsletter including drafting newsletter announcements
• As practice SuperUser will produce reports and review with staff cash collection barriers  to improve cash collection rates for the practice.

Department Description

UCSF’s Temporary Employment Program (TEP) recruits and hires temporary employees for immediate clerical and technical support services to UCSF Departments and various off-campus locations. UCSF departments deploy temporary employees to work on special projects, fill in for regular employees who are on vacation or leave, or to temporarily fill a vacant position during recruitment. Frequently temporary employees become successful candidates for career and limited appointment positions.

Required Qualifications

• High School graduate or equivalent with four years related experience; or college degree and 6 months related experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience.  
• Successfully passes fingerprinting protocol and is approved to be a cash collector
• Strong computer skills, including basic keyboarding skills, and experience with at least two Office-type software programs (i.e., Outlook, Word and Excel). Proven ability to navigate through multiple patient records systems. Able to sit at a computer terminal with telephone headphones for extended period of time.
• Ability to analyze situations, prioritizes, and develops solutions and makes recommendations.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision
• Ability to use good judgment and work independently, at times under the pressure of deadlines
• Ability to access situations prioritizes workload, develop solutions and make recommendations.
• Excellent customer service and communication/interpersonal skills, both over the telephone and directly.
• Able to sit at a computer terminal with telephone headphones for extended periods of time.
• Basic math skills required.
• Proven ability to deal with a wide variety of individuals;
• Ability to deal sensitively and effectively with patients.
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Strong writing skills to include the ability to compose, edit, and proof a wide variety of documents.
• Demonstrated administrative/office coordination skills.
• Demonstrated knowledge of medical practice terminology.
• Within six months of start date, based upon completion of training, the Supervisor, completes the proficiency checklist with the employee. This includes the following areas if applicable
• • Referrals  (Incoming referral entry) and handling all referral WQs
  • Pend orders
  • Pend smart sets
  • Schedule surgeries
  • Work applicable work queues
  • Enter/edit outside test results
  • Messaging (CRM)  if applicable
  • 2nd calls in CRM  if applicable
  • Telephone encounters
  • My open encounter
  • Staff message
  • New message
  • Route Patient advice request to providers (My Chart) 
  • Patient Schedule (My Chart)
  • Letters
  • Pools
  • Patient look up
  • Check in process
  • Check out process
  • Comment field
  • Quick note
  • Scanning

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in health care (may include medical, dental or veterinary) in the following areas:  patient scheduling, insurance verification, medical record data abstraction, or patient financial services.
• Prior experience with appointment, ancillary service or surgical scheduling or a combination of all three. 
• Bi-lingual or multi-lingual capability (Spanish, Cantonese, and Russian) strongly preferred. 
• Prior experience with EPIC.

About UCSF

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It is the only campus in the 10-campus UC system dedicated exclusively to the health sciences. We bring together the world’s leading experts in nearly every area of health. We are home to five Nobel laureates who have advanced the understanding of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, aging and stem cells.

Pride Values

UCSF is a diverse community made of people with many skills and talents. We seek candidates whose work experience or community service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence – also known as our PRIDE values.

In addition to our PRIDE values, UCSF is committed to equity – both in how we deliver care as well as our workforce. We are committed to building a broadly diverse community, nurturing a culture that is welcoming and supportive, and engaging diverse ideas for the provision of culturally competent education, discovery, and patient care. Additional information about UCSF is available at diversity.ucsf.edu

Join us to find a rewarding career contributing to improving healthcare worldwide.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California San Francisco is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

Job Code and Payroll Title

004818 PRACTICE CRD 3

Job Category

Administrative Support, Clinical Labs, Support Services, Temporary Employment

Bargaining Unit

Teamsters Local 2010 – Clerical and Allied Services Unit (CX)

Employee Class

Temporary Employment

Appointment End Date

31-Jan-2023

Location

Parnassus Heights (SF)