Northwestern Medicine · 1 day ago
Access Team Lead
DeKalb, IL
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
2+ years expNorthwestern Medicine is a leader in the healthcare industry, dedicated to providing exceptional patient care. The Access Team Lead will oversee customer service operations, ensuring high standards of patient interactions and compliance with healthcare regulations.
Emergency MedicineHealth CareHospitalMedicalNutritionRehabilitation
Responsibilities
Consistently practices Patients First philosophy and adheres to high standards of customer service. This includes setting an example to peers, coworkers, etc. by fostering a team atmosphere. Responds to questions and concerns
Forwards, directs and notifies Team Lead or Operations Coordinator of extraordinary issues as necessary
Maintains patient confidentiality per HIPAA regulations
Provides exceptional customer service to consumers which establish a positive first impression of Northwestern Medicine
Exceed all consumer requests and alert management of issues or concerns that require escalation
Correctly identifies and collects patient demographic information in accordance with organization standards
Interacts with various hospital departments and physicians offices to effectively schedule and direct patients through the NMHC systems in a patient/customer friendly manner
Reaches out to patients to schedule an appointment as defined
Performs medical necessity checks as necessary for scheduled services, communicates options to patient if appointment fails
Facilitates the pre-authorization of diagnostic exams, between referring physicians and insurance carriers, through the use of online tools, work lists, and direct phone calls as necessary
Informs patients of any issues with securing the financial account for their encounter
Completes out-of-pocket estimations as requested by patients
Provides training and education as needed
Manages work schedule efficiently, completing tasks and assignments on time
Completes other duties assigned by manager
Cross-training between various departments may take place to ensure coverage
Participates in Quality Assurance reviews to ensure integrity of patient data information
Uses effective service recovery skills to solve problems or service breakdowns when they occur
Utilizes department and hospital policies and procedures to complete assigned tasks
Communicates information to the patient regarding questions about physician referrals, insurance referrals and consultations
Collects authorization numbers in appropriate systems as applicable
Provides professional and constructive environment for communication across units/departments and resolves operational issues
May attend intra/interdepartmental meetings which involve walking within NM Campus
Communicates customer satisfaction issues to appropriate individuals
Demonstrates teamwork by helping co-workers within and across departments
Communicates effectively with others, respects diverse opinions and styles, and acknowledges the assistance and contributions of others
Interacts with internal customers to provide excellent support service to staff in departments which provide direct patient care
Utilizes multiple online order retrieval systems to verify or print the patient's order
Verifies insurance eligibility and benefit levels through the use of online tools (NDAS, ASF, etc.) or over the phone as necessary
Completes accurate handoff instructions and notes to scheduling staff, by noting appropriately in Epic
Demonstrates ability to use all computer applications efficiently and to the capacity needed in this position
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
Assists Operations Coordinator with staff training and development, as well as on-boarding new staff
Ensures staff understanding and compliance of NM policies, procedures and expectations and assists in communicating any changes when applicable
Identifies potential problems and notifies the Operations Coordinator and Manager
Coordinates advanced troubleshooting to staff when issues or questions arise
Serves as first line of assistance to staff
Investigates and resolves patient, technical and workflow problems related to their area of responsibility or escalates to Operations Coordinator/Manager for assistance
Helps coordinate and supervise section staffing to ensure sufficient staff to cover all aspects of service alongside Operations Coordinator
Works proactively with Operations Coordinator to adjust daily staff work assignments due to sick leave or increased patient volume
Monitors queues to make real-time adjustments as necessary
Assures that all computer systems and technology are consistently working properly
Coordinates the maintenance and repair activities as related to equipment and facilities
Escalates issues when needed
Identifies and communicates key issues and trends to Operations Coordinators
Assesses and communicates staff development needs to Operations Coordinator to support periodic individual evaluations of staff
Develops, coordinates, presents and participates in staff education and training programs including new system deployment and go-live support
Provides material and helps develop agendas for routine staff meetings. Maintains customer service objectives
Assumes delegated responsibilities in the absence of the Operations Coordinator
Assist Operations Coordinator/Manager with responsibilities that include interviewing, hiring, training, progressive discipline, dismissals, performance appraisals, and employee relations
Assist Operations Coordinator/Manager on the development and implementation of policies and procedures as needed to support Service Center functions
Ensures 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
Works with Operations Coordinator/Manager on enforcing Productivity and Quality standards; conducting regular audits of staff performance, with documented feedback; monitoring agent performance including service level, calls answered, contact quality, errors, attendance
Performs other duties as assigned
Qualification
Required
Minimum of two years experience in customer service or patient relations
Excellent interpersonal and 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
Bachelors degree
Healthcare Finance and/or Healthcare Insurance Knowledge
Experience in a healthcare setting, especially patient scheduling and/or registration
Coding Certification
Certified Healthcare Associate Designation (NAHAM)
Two - four years of progressive experience in a revenue cycle setting
Financial aptitude, business orientation or experience/knowledge of hospital based patient management/patient accounting systems
Knowledge of medical terminology
Epic experience
Benefits
Tuition reimbursement
Loan forgiveness
401(k) matching
Lifecycle benefits
Company
Northwestern Medicine
Northwestern Medicine is the collaboration between Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine around a strategic vision to transform the future of health care.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Northwestern Medicine has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (75)
2024 (66)
2023 (70)
2022 (78)
2021 (35)
2020 (39)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$25M2018-06-26Grant· $25M
Leadership Team
Howard Chrisman, MD
President and CEO
John A. Orsini, CPA
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Recent News
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