Call Center Practice Assistant - Neurosurgery (Remote)

Reporting to the Practice Manager, the Practice Assistant will be responsible for the day to day operational functions of the call center including scheduling patient appointments, triaging phone calls and faxes,, improving patient experiences, and any other needs from the department.

1. Office Operations

• Respond to a variety of incoming calls to the physician's practice,
• Handle patient inquiries and issues in a timely and effective manner
• Treat all customers with dignity and respect.
• Return all patient phone calls within the same day.
• Provide patients with progress updates on appointments, procedures, etc.
• Interact with Brigham and Women's Hospital departments, referring clinics and physicians offices in order to coordinate services for patients.
• Sort and review all physician correspondence.
• Maintain clinical and administrative meetings calendar for the physician(s).
• Assist physician with travel, lecture arrangements.
• Assist physician with submission and tracking of all business expense reimbursements in conjunction with the Finance Manager.

2. Clinic Responsibilities

• Schedule new and established patient visits in Epic and diagnostic testing as required.
• Prepare and send out new patient greeting letters with appropriate paperwork for the upcoming visit.
• Prepare charts for clinic ensuring that the chart is up to date and contains all patient correspondence received prior to the visit, as well as diagnostic results.
• Notify Operations Manager and/or clinic staff to block off the physician schedule in Epic when surgeon is out of the office; inform him/her that surgeon is out of the office as soon as information is known (add this information to the MD Away Calendar as well to ensure OR time is released)
• Run patient eligibility in Epic prior to clinic to ensure patients have active insurance information on file.

3. Billing Function

• Serve as a liaison to insurance companies and provide them with all necessary information in order to obtain prior authorizations.
• Ascertain work related visits and cases; obtain all necessary worker compensation information necessary to initiate and complete negotiations and billing.
• Complete referral management process in conjunction with Patient Service Center, including reviewing, updating and completing and missing information.
• Ensure that referrals obtained for all clinic visits are up to date and accurate.
• Perform demographic and insurance eligibility checks in Epic, Nehen and Emdeon. Review and correct any information that is found through eligibility checks.
• Review surgical schedule and work with Billing Manager to ensure charges are going out appropriately.
• Review logs of outstanding OR dictations and work with physician to ensure timely signing and finalization of operative notes.
• Ensure all physician notes are dictated and final signed within the required time period so billing can go out.

4. Surgical scheduling

• Schedule all surgical procedures and Weiner Center pre-operative screening appointments in Epic.
• Notify patient and confirm arrangements.
• Schedule all radiological testing in Percipio and assist with the prior authorization process.
• Work with clinical team to ensure that patient has all pre-operative educational materials.
• Confirm all bookings in system and with patient prior to the procedure date and within appropriate timelines.
• Notify OR Schedule Manager of any unused surgical block time as soon as the information becomes available.

5. Maintain accurate files

• Develop and maintain accurate and up to date electronic files for confidential patient information (patient charts), correspondence, administrative issues and research information for articles and papers that are readily available upon request.

6. Prepare all correspondence

• Provide insurance companies with requested information in order to complete filings and documentation for motor vehicle, worker's compensation, disability claims and insurance inquiries pertaining to our services.
• Review and edit all office notes and transcriptions in Epic
• Send all consult correspondence to appropriate referring physicians.

7. Perform all other duties as requested.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelors' Degree preferred
• High school diploma or GED required;
• Additional training in office systems preferred.

SKILLS/ ABILITIES/ COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:

• Knowledge of practice operations and standards.
• Understanding of procedures including filing, copying, scanning, printing, and faxing.
• Ability to use phone system (answer and screen calls, put on hold), answer routine questions, and give routine information.
• Ability to interpret information as appropriate, answer routine questions in the most professional manner, and communicate in a professional, courteous, clear, and concise manner.
• 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.
• Ability to correspond and communicate with others clearly and effectively in writing (via e-mail, memo, or interoffice note) and to take complete and accurate messages.
• Ability to type and enter data at an entry level. Entry level understanding of applicable systems.
• Understanding of the appropriate use and importance of related forms.
• Basic understanding and use of medical terminology.
• Basic comprehension of insurance types and referral process.
• Basic 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.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Hospital based ambulatory practice. Normal patient environments where there are some exposures to communicable diseases, unpleasant odors, needle, and blood products.

HOSPITAL WIDE RESPONSIBILITIES:

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.