Northwestern Medicine · 1 day ago
Patient Access Specialist
Chicago, IL
Full-time
Onsite
Entry, Mid Level
2+ years expNorthwestern Medicine is a leader in the healthcare industry, committed to providing patient-first care. The Patient Access Specialist plays a crucial role in ensuring exceptional customer service, maintaining patient confidentiality, and effectively scheduling patients within the healthcare system.
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 patients which establish a positive first impression of Northwestern Medicine
Exceeds all consumer requests and alerts 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
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 will 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
Adheres to all department policies and compliance requirements
Avoids putting patient in financial or safety risk
Other duties as assigned
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
Accommodates all levels of communication ability
Utilizes multiple online order retrieval systems to verify or print the patients 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
Runs real time eligibility (RTE) on all patients to verify insurance and follows out of network policies as applicable
Sends quality Epic Messages/Telephone encounters that are descriptive and grammatically correct
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, verifying documenting order retrieval in notes for check-in person, ensures there are no duplicate patient records
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
Understands that schedule may change to reflect shifting business needs
Evolves and learns as healthcare policies change
Qualification
Required
High School diploma or equivalent
2-3 years customer service or medical office experience
Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
Proficiency in computer data-entry/typing
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in English
Basic Computer Skills
Ability to type 40 wpm
Ability to multi-task
Customer service oriented
Excellent organizational, time management, analytical, and problem solving skills
Preferred
Additional education
Additional language skills
Healthcare finance and/or healthcare insurance experience
Knowledge and experience in a healthcare setting, especially patient scheduling and/or registration
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
Near North Health
2025-12-01
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2025-11-18
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