Highlights

The Practice Coordinator is primarily responsible for representing the administrative team as the public face of the Practice and works closely with the administrative, clncal and management teams to support practice operations and customer service recovery and intervention efforts Provides support to all functions of the adminstrative teams including but not limited to CRM messages, telephone encounters, referrals, APeX in baskets, scanning, filing, authorizations, and billing. As a patient focused organization, UCSF Medical Center exists to enhance the health and well-being of people through patient care, research and education Success in this mission requires a culture of collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect UCSF Medical Center seeks faculty and staff that are committed to the values of professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity, and excellence that are integral to our mission.

Description

Job Summary

As a patient focused organization, UCSF Medical Center exists to enhance the health and well-being of people through patient care, research and education Success in this mission requires a culture of collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect UCSF Medical Center seeks faculty and staff that are committed to the values of professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity, and excellence that are integral to our mission.

The PC is responsible for the maintenance of all routine clerical operations and communications Adheres to the UCSF House and Telephone Standards and is sensitive to the needs of patients, staff and providers at alltimes The PC is a team player who works closely with others and who is flexible in dealing with the changing priorities Requires a self reliant individual who synthesizes knowledge of practice operations in order to problem-solve, prioritize and facilitate complex transactions in the course of daily activities.

This position makes a difference for patients in an outpatient care unit by providing excellent customer service, faclitating and ensuring the accuracy of the information flow between medical, hospital staff and departments to maximize unit efficiency The PC is required to work at any UCSF campus as needed and scheduled.

Required Requirements

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.

New Patient Scheduling and Processing 5 %

On a daily basis reviews and works referral workqueues documenting activities within the referral

record

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

Schedules and registers patients by telephone or in person before first appointment meeting

establshed accuracy and performance standards Completes appropriate practice intake

paperwork and follows establshed practice guidelines to ensure new patients are seen within

prescribed time lines Communicates any problems with the schedule with supervisor

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

Advanced New Patient Scheduling and Coordination 20 %

Secures outside medical records, CD''s of scans and pathology slides, reviewing them for

completeness, and making a determination as to which physician can best evaluate the patient

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)

Informs patients about possible treatment scheduling options, clinical trials and screening is

coordinated with appropriate research personnel and the appropriate physician As indicated upon

screening, if the patient would benefit from a consultation with other clncal disciplines consults

with the appropriate department and will work to coordinate care, to optimize schedules, and

expedite services

At new patient visits as appropriate meets with patient after the visit to explain how care is

coordnated with possible clnical trials, testing, surgical procedures and care within other

departments (eg general surgery, cardiology) and with other external providers

Surgery Scheduling %2

Coordinates scheduling of all outpatient and inpatient surgeries for the surgical practice Ensures

that all surgical procedures are scheduled within a clinically appropriate time frame Interfaces

with patients, physicians and hospital staff to ensure adequate communication regarding all aspects

of surgical services

Interacts with clinical and academic staff to coordinate surgical activities with physician''s other

responsblities Processes complex hospital admission forms, schedules pre-surgical tests and

appointments, and secures all necessary resources and equipment for surgery

Manages complex scheduling coordination related to securing OR time outside of designated block

time in the operating rooms Works to maximize both OR and surgical robots utilization as well as

complex joint cases with one or more additional surgeons or other services

Advanced Surgery Scheduling 15 %

Coordinates pre-operative anesthesia appointments with other testing, authorzation coding and

scheduling the surgery in Op-Time Additionally, many cases require complex admission, discharge

and planning coordination involving hospital reservations and authorizations related to study

patients on protocol, transfers from outside hospitals and post transfer urgent authorizations and

surgical planning

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

Secures authorization for surgical procedures and coordinates with Hospital Admissions

Department as needed Communicates with the surgeon post-surgery to confirm if any additional

surgical procedure was performed and if so to follow up with the insurance company immediately

to amend the authorization Acts as primary liaison to procedure billing team to coordinate

updated authorizations and or TARs for mid procedure changes or additions

Ensures compliance with Medical Center bylaws and Regulations ensuring the diagnosis is

confirmed before treatment is offered through formal review of any and all outside studies and

pathology The coordinator is the sole person to ensure appropriate and timely communication

and documentation with the patient and the physcian

Successfully interacts with patients to secure surgical consent for cosmetic services This includes

identification of cases, cosmetic price guidelines, quote prices and coordinate payment Analyze the

pricing structure to ensure that the prices remain competitive and are updated as needed This

position is expected to represent UCSF Medical Center''s objective to grow elective cosmetic

services by providing sophisticated customer service and sales

Arranging post-surgical appointments and testing, which may or may not include Home Care,

Physical Therapy starting paperwork for durable medical equipment and following up on all other

paper work, i e Workers Compensation as necessary

Revenue Cycle 5 %

Performs cash collection and depositing functions as assigned, complying with all established

policies and procedures

Communicates Medical Center admnstrative 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 authorzations for establshed 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 authorzation

Works with patients and staff to confirm availabilty and accuracy of medical information within

APeX and to ensure compliance with all hospital policies and procedures

Moderate Complex Revenue Cycle %

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 RFl 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 authorzations that often require precise documentation in

specific formats to receive approval

Provide assistance with medication authorization for new medications and refills

Advanced Revenue Cycle %

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 (eg J codes for medications hke

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 Initratives

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 vist volume, etc and creates reports in Microsoft Excel

Oversees and coaches staff on complex authorization requests as they arse

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

improve cash collection rates for the practice

Check in / Front Desk. %

Greets and welcomes patients making eye contact and utilizing AIDET standards

Determines a patient''s co-pay obligation and collects it at the time of the visit; may also collect

payments on patient accounts

Gives priority to the timely registration of patients on check in and is aware of the necessity of

maintainng practice flow, paying careful attention to the performance improvement initiatives to

reduce delays

Communicates with patients in a confidential professional manner using tact and diplomacy

Monitors and maintains the reception area, making sure it is tidy and there is adequate avalability

of reading and educational materials Ensures that the temperature of the reception area is

comfortable and that there is adequate and appropriate seating for all patients

Observes the waiting area and performs customer service intervention when patients have been

waiting a long time or are not receiving adequate service

Assists patients with use of Kiosk and actively works to promote Kiosk utilization

Advanced Check in/ Front Desk %

Responsible for front end office responsibilities to include but not limited to functions ranging from

registration and front desk duties, referral processing, authorization coordnation and review, cash

deposits, DME oversight and scheduling functions Will also act as a Care Support Assistant for the

Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) funded clinical team

Develops and analyzes front desk productivity reports in partnership with the management team to

Improve co-pay collection rates and accurate payer plan capture Identifies opportunities for

productivity improvement and assists management team with staff coaching and workflow

enhancement.

Is primarily responsible for representing the clerical team as the public face and works closely with

the administrative and management teams to support practice operations and customer service

recovery and intervention efforts Provides support to all functions of the administrative teams to

include message boards, referrals, Apex in baskets, scanning and filing

Cadence Template Builder %5

Able to create Cadence schedule templates for providers

Understands how template construction effects access and works to ensure templates is user

friendly and help promote consistent clinic access

Able to generate reschedule reports in Cadence and work with other members of administrative

team to ensure patients are rescheduled in a timely manner to avaid custamer service problems

Administrative and Patient Care Coordination Responsibilities 5%

Schedules established patient appointments using Apex and its related components

Understands the distinction of each medical practice and how care is delivered in each setting

Coordinates appointments with multiple providers as required

Discusses practice policies and procedures with patients and referring physicians

Answers questions about provider schedules and acts as a resource to other medical center

practices and ancillary service adminstrative staff

Has a keen awareness of the need to provide prompt and convenient appointment access to

patients

Adheres to the provider productivity standards as established in APEX templates for the practice

and schedules appointments with the appropriate appointment type

Screens all telephone calls, screening for emergencies and routing all messages, requests for same

day appointments, refill requests, etc to the appropriate box

Utilizes legacy systems and Apex to retrieve pertinent patient data

Follows practice procedure for follow-up of missed appointments

Covers Apex in-baskets and phone messages when other members of the team are absent

Demonstrates an ability to adjust priorities as required for smooth operation of the practice and

notifies the clinical staff

Provides administrative support to providers in coordination of patient care (i e sending patient

letters educational materials results of lab tests, etc)

Schedules procedures and tests providing appropriate instructions to patients

Collaborates with clinical staff in problem-solving patient needs and requests for same day

appointments and other appointments requiring care coordination Works together with the

clncal staff in the processing and follow-through of urgent patient needs

Demonstrates courtesy and overt helpfulness in all interactions Collaborates with Practice

Supervisor and Administrative Director in the resolution of patient complaints

Assists in maintaining current filing and scanning

Moderate Complex Administrative and Patient Care Coordination Responsibilities %

Must have an understanding of multiple clinical symptoms and their associated escalation level

with a common sense approach for when it is appropriate to escalate or take action to speed along

a process within the practice or to obtain immediate clnical intervention

Advanced customer service skills in working with and providing exceptional customer service to

patients who are medication dependent and may exhibit challenging behaviors This includes

understanding how to deescalate a difficult encounter and also when to seek additional support

from leadership and to protect the safety of the work environment

Advanced Administrative and Patient Care Coordination Responsibilities 10 %

Acts as liaison with Concierge Services Expedites requested services

Coordinates complex patient care coordination activities Arranging appointments and testing,

which may or may not include Tumor block genetic testing, Home Care, Physical Therapy, starting

paperwork for durable medical equipment or disability paperwork and following up on all other

paper work, i e Workers Compensation as necessary

Keeps track of patients who have parallel pathways for their medical care and works with clinical

providers to take steps at critical points along the continuum May create and maintain APeX

patient lists or Excel Spreadsheets for tracking purposes For example, patients receiving

neoadjavent chemotherapy who will be scheduled for surgery once their tumor has shrunk and

must be evaluated by the MD after cycle 3 of their chemotherapy regimen The PA IV will need to

keep track of the patient and schedule a timely appointment with the surgeon and the medical

oncologist to coordinate planning for surgery scheduling

Is skilled and able to book Radiology appointments directly into Radiology scheduling software

while ensuring accuracy of exam types, location specifications and insurance restrictions

Identify referral problems, report out to management team with suggested solutions

Develop and review reports related to referral management, tracking and updating management

team with ongoing outgoing and incoming referral issues as they arse

Oversight with maintaining Open Access schedules in order to meet the Patient-Centered Medical

Home (PCMH) standards (could include Direct Access scheduling into the generc job template)

APeX and IT Specific Skills 5 %

Performs the following APEX specific Patient Care Coordinator (PCC) functions as appropriate to

completion of APeX PCC training and job duties

o Enter new incoming referrals entering authorization information as appropriate

Updating and closing CRM messages and converting CRM messages into telephone

encounters if practice is serviced by the Ambulatory Services Call Center

o Open, document within, route and close telephone encounters Able to accurately utilize

documentation steps when leaving a telephone encounter open pending further

communications with the caller Able to utilize smart text logic to document patient phone

screening as associated with complex appointment scheduling

Works applicable APeX workqueues to address patient care and service matters

o Create and send administrative communications via MyChart

0 Create SmartPhrase templates associated with administrative functions

Create and route patient letters associated with adminstrative matters

0 Perform enter/edit outside test results following established workflow and steps

o Open, document within route and close telephone encounters Able to accurately utilize

documentation steps with leaving a telephone encounter open pending further

Works with supervisor and co-workers to ensure that the practice responds comprehensively to

patient care needs through improved procedures and administrative systems Is an active

participant in performance improvement projects and customer service initiatives

Complies with all Medical Center and Ambulatory Services procedures for infection control, safety,

administrative and clinical practice Complies with activities mandated by Joint Commission, Title22

As assigned, fills in for other co-workers to help address work load problems and cover vacation or

sick leave openings.

Moderate Complex General Performance %

Maintains provider calendars

When working in a primary care practice, assists with the delivery and maintenance of a high

standard of patient care using the Patient Centered Medical Home model which emphasizes the

care of the "whole patient" which includes in reach, outreach and intensive follow up on referrals

When working within the primary care environment acts as the coordinator for all of patient''s

needs such as forms (ie work release, disability, immunization records, etc.) and is principally

responsible for the continuity of care for patients which includes a significant amount of support for

patients at the time of the visit and between visits

Provides 1 1 and team training for new hires and new initiatives and procedures

Advanced General Performance %

Facltates Float coverage as needed for practice (eg when float is assigned, work with float to

ensure successful coverage of work)

Serves on and contributes documentation to the Patient Centered Medical Home application

workgroup

Environmental Responsibilities 5 %

Reports any malfunctioning of equipment.

Complies with recommendations made by ergonomic specialists to avoid workplace injury

Complies with infection control policies related (eg does not eat at the front desk or in patient

care areas)

Moderate Complex Environmental Responsibilities %

Serves as practice deputy for life /safety activities helps lead drills

Customer Service Outreach 5 %

Deals directly with patients either by telephone, electronically or face to face while consistently

following EVERYDAY PRIDE principles in verbal and written communications

Responds promptly and courteously to internal and external inquiries Stays logged into

appropriate APeX Pools and In Baskets

Handles front line patient complaints with the support of the Practice Supervisor / Administrative

Director

Supports all performance improvement intiatives as outlined by the Medícal Center leadership

through active participation and initiation

Obtains and evaluates all relevant information to handle inquiries and complaints

Strong team player, has a dedicated work ethic, and is willing to learn and adapt to new tasks when

asked Comfortable building rapport with patients quickly and is able to work effectively with and

without supervision and remain calm and friendly in all interactions with patients

Notifies providers of patient delays and service issues Acts and advocate for patients to help

facilitate provider punctuality in seeing patients according to schedule

Communicates provider delays with front office team and makes regular announcements to waiting

room as needed when delays are over 30 minutes

Offers suggestions for change or improvement in clinc/practice operations

Leads by example in the areas professional appearance, demeanor and body language, makng eye

contact with patients and internal customers, exhibits a friendly demeanor to put patients at ease

Seeks opportunities to improve patient convenience Utilizes service recovery amenities as

appropriate Contributes to the development of a patient focused environment.

Lead role duties 10 %

Addresses and resolves escalated issues of day to day operations (e g customer service, provider

complaints, cross departmental communication or coordination problems, etc.)

Serves as a liaison to management to advise on, take lead action on, and provide direction on

process improvements initiatives

Acts as a primary resource for one or more designated functions in the department (e g, APeX

SuperUser)

Provides feedback related to staff performance

Supports staff through orientation, training and oversight Will attend monthly organization

meetings/trainings to enhance SuperUser role within the practice

Is a team player who works closely with others and who is flexible in dealing with the changing

prioríties Is a seff relíant individual who synthesizes knowledge of practice operations in order to

problem-solve, prioritize and facilitate complex transactions in the course of daily activities

Living Pride Standards

Service Excellence

Demonstrates service excellence by following the Everyday PRIDE Guide with the UCSF Medical

Center standards and expectations for communication and behavior These standards and

expectations convey specific behavior associated with the Medical Center''s values Professionalism,

Respect, Integrity, Diversity and Excellence, and provide guidance on how we communicate with

patients, visitors faculty, staff, and students, virtually everyone, every day and with every

encounter These standards include, but are not limited to personal appearance, acknowledging

and greeting all patients and families, introductions using AIDET, managing up, service recovery

managing delays and expectations, phone standards, electronic communication, team work,

cultural sensitivity and competency

Uses effective communication skills with patients and staff; demonstrates proper telephone

techniques and etiquette acts as an escort to any patient or family member needing directions,

shows sensitivity to differences of culture, demonstrates a positive and supportive manner in which

patients/families/colleagues perceive interactions as positive and supportive Exhibits team work

skills to positively acknowledge and recognize other colleagues, and uses personal experiences to

model and teach Living PRIDE standards

Exhibits tact and professionalism in difficult situations according to PRIDE Values and Practices

Demonstrates an understanding of and adheres to privacy, confidentiality, and security policies and

procedures related to Protected Health Information (PHI) or other sensitive and personal

information

Demonstrates an understanding of and adheres to safety and infection control policies and

procedures

Assumes accountability for improving quality metrics associated with department/unit and meeting

organizational/departmental targets

Work Environment

Keeps working areas neat, orderly and clutter-free, including the hallways Adheres to cleaning

processes and puts things back where they belong Removes and reports broken equipment and

furniture

Picks up and disposes of any litter found throughout entre facility

Posts flyers and posters in designated areas only, does not post on walls, doors or windows

Knows where the Environment of Care Manual is kept in department, corrects or reports unsafe

conditions to the appropriate departments

Protects the physical environment and equipment from damage and theft.

OTHER FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Demonstrates innovation and flexibilty regarding the modification of tasks or workflows within

assigned duties and job functions

Perform other duties as assigned

Other clerical duties as assigned