Practice Assistant II

GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT:

Reporting to the Operations Manager, the BWH Department of Neurosurgery seeks a Practice Operations Assistant (POA) to support its satellite location at South Shore Hospital. The South Shore location consists of 4 Neurosurgeons, 4 Physician Assistants, and the respective care teams. The POA is an integral member of the healthcare team and is accountable for patient care for his/her care team. The POA participates in the direct and indirect care of patients, including ambulatory visit coordination, surgical scheduling, insurance referral management, and other administrative duties to support the clinical practice. Developing relationships with patients, families and colleagues, the POA functions as an interdisciplinary team member who provides quality patient care and contributes toward the attainment of important goals for the patient, the practice and the organization. Additionally, the POA will provide administrative support to the section and is responsible for multiple functions to ensure a smooth and seamless patient experience.

Brigham and Women's Hospital is dedicated to:

• Serving the needs of our local and global community
• Providing the highest quality health care to patients and their families
• Expanding the boundaries of medicine through research
• Educating the next generation of health care professional

Every employee plays an important role in providing a positive impact on the organization and the people we serve. Your work will be distinguished by demonstrating respect and dignity in all interactions with patients, families and colleagues, excellence in customer service and job performance.

All employees are expected to embrace this commitment and demonstrate behavioral competencies in the following areas:

• People: Focus on serving the community through collaboration and respect
• Self Management: Accountability, professionalism and commitment to growth and development
• Organization: A commitment to quality, service and exceptional performance

Meeting these expectations is key to the success of your department and the organization.

This job description includes:

• General expectations for the position
• Addendum A - BWH Behavioral Competencies
• Addendum B - Job Specific Tasks and Responsibilities
• Addendum C - Physical/Working Conditions

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Perform duties under moderate supervision under the Practice manager with intermediate to advanced proficiency in administrative skills.
• Provide routine and more complex administrative support such as: typing memos and letters, answering telephones, and taking and distributing messages.
• Coordinate calendar and schedules for neurosurgeon, and may include travel or event coordination.
• Assist with training and orienting staff as needed.
• Provide cross coverage as needed.
• Assist with special projects as directed.
• Follow HIPAA guidelines for the management of patient privacy and confidentiality.
• Other duties, as assigned.
• See Addendum B for more detail

QUALIFICATIONS

Level of education required:

• External Education required: High School Diploma or GED
• Associate's or Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Experience in healthcare setting preferred.

Work experience required:

• Excellent organizational skills.
• Knowledge of Medical Terminology is preferred.
• Computer knowledge required: Windows, Networking, MS Outlook, MS Word and MS Excel.
• Ability to prioritize work and meet deadlines, and work under pressure.
• Ability to use discretion in confidential matters.
• Ability to read, write and articulate in English is required.

SKILLS/ ABILITIES/ COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:

Technical skills required:

• Knowledge of practice operations and standards.
• Understanding of procedures including filing, copying, scanning, printing, and faxing.
• Phone skills: Ability to use phone system (answer and screen calls, put on hold), handle more complex calls and give more detailed information.
• Verbal skills: Ability to interpret information as appropriate, answer complex questions in the professional manner and communicate in a professional, courteous, clear and concise manner.
• Organization Skills: 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.
• Writing Skills: 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. May respond directly on behalf of manager/provider without direction or instruction.
• System Skills: Ability to type and enter data effectively and at a more advanced level. Intermediate level computer skills including the ability to use word processing, spreadsheet, database and presentation applications.
• Intermediate comprehension of billing 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.

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.

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); inform Operations Manager of any ad hoc clinics, surgeries which may require on site approval due to staffing and space availability.
• Run patient eligibility in Epic prior to clinic to ensure patients have active insurance information on file.
• Performs a variety of tasks, including those that may be facilitated by administrative staff, which have an effect on the overall operations of the unit. These include patient scheduling, calendar management, and all other duties as assigned by the Practice Administrator.
• Provides cross coverage with front desk staffing as necessary to ensure successful arrival, check-in and out processes, scheduling of necessary ancillary testing and future appointments inter and intra departmentally.

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 pre-operative screening appointments.
• Notify patient and confirm arrangements.
• Schedule all radiological testing 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 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, 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

Level of education required:

• External Education required: High School Diploma or GED
• Associate's or Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Experience in healthcare setting preferred.

Work experience required:

• Excellent organizational skills.
• Knowledge of Medical Terminology is preferred.
• Computer knowledge required: Windows, Networking, MS Outlook, MS Word and MS Excel.
• Ability to prioritize work and meet deadlines, and work under pressure.
• Ability to use discretion in confidential matters.
• Ability to read, write and articulate in English is required.

SKILLS/ ABILITIES/ COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:

Technical skills required:

• Knowledge of practice operations and standards.
• Understanding of procedures including filing, copying, scanning, printing, and faxing.
• Phone skills: Ability to use phone system (answer and screen calls, put on hold), handle more complex calls and give more detailed information.
• Verbal skills: Ability to interpret information as appropriate, answer complex questions in the professional manner and communicate in a professional, courteous, clear and concise manner.
• Organization Skills: 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.
• Writing Skills: 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. May respond directly on behalf of manager/provider without direction or instruction.
• System Skills: Ability to type and enter data effectively and at a more advanced level. Intermediate level computer skills including the ability to use word processing, spreadsheet, database and presentation applications.
• Intermediate comprehension of billing 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.