Position Summary: The Patient Access Coordinator (PAC) plays a pivotal role in ensuring patient-centered, coordinated, and team-based healthcare in the OBAT (Office-Based Addiction Treatment) Clinic. This position requires strong organizational, administrative, and interpersonal skills to support the clinic’s operations and maintain seamless patient experiences. The PAC will collaborate with healthcare providers, nurses, and staff to manage front desk functions, including appointment scheduling, patient registration, and patient communication.

The OBAT-PAC reports directly to the Patient Access Supervisor and up to the Practice Manager and is expected to uphold professionalism, provide excellent customer service, and adapt to the dynamic needs of the clinic.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES (Job Specific Competencies):

I. Essential Functions

1. Customer Service:
   • Greet patients warmly and professionally.
   • Answer live calls coming in to the OBAT Front Desk line (ex 1133) to avoid missing calls and not being able to communicate with clients that have no phone service.
   • Check and respond to messages left on the OBAT Front Desk line, or triage messages appropriately to the OBAT Nurses or Providers
   • Respond to patient inquiries and phone calls promptly and courteously, ensuring accurate message-taking and appropriate call routing.
2. Appointment Scheduling:
   • Schedule and confirm patient appointments, ensuring compliance with clinic-specific guidelines.
   • Perform pre-registration to verify patient demographic and insurance information.
   • Manage cancellations and no-shows by reaching out to patients and rescheduling, then coordinating with OBAT RNs for any clinical concerns or prescription follow ups.
   • Schedule patients for follow up appointments after their OBAT visits.
3. Patient Check-In/Check-Out:
   • Check in patients, verify information, collect co-pays, and guide patients through clinic processes.
   • Monitor patient flow and address wait time concerns, pulling in OBAT nurses or providers as needed for assistance or evaluation (ie, patient is ill, becoming agitated, in a particular rush, a new patient and it’s unclear their medical needs)
   • Check out patients as necessary in ECW.
4. Support for OBAT Team:
   • Facilitate coordination among OBAT addiction medicine providers, nurses, psych NP, and MAs.
   • Ensure clarity around responsibilities, including supporting all OBAT team members equally.
   • Assist in administrative tasks, such as maintaining patient flow and supporting clinic-specific workflows.
5. Call and Request Management:
   • Respond to patient calls and requests professionally and efficiently.
   • Escalate urgent concerns to the appropriate clinical staff promptly.
   • Support communication workflows to ensure patient needs are addressed in a timely manner.
6. Administrative Duties:
   • Handle specific tasks that have been identified as operational gray areas, such as checking the fax machine, picking up cold boxes from the mailroom, and ensuring readiness of clinic documents.
   • Support clinic operations by managing tasks like maintaining office supplies, handling faxes, and maintaining a clean workspace.
7. Professionalism and Teamwork:
   • Uphold a high standard of professionalism and maintain effective teamwork with all OBAT team members.
   • Demonstrate flexibility, adaptability, and a collaborative attitude in all interactions.
8. Confidentiality and Professional Standards:
   • Ensure patient information is kept confidential and secure.
   • Refrain from discussing sensitive information in inappropriate settings.
   • Maintains a clean and neat work space free from PHI.

II. Quality and Efficiency:

• Adhere to clinic policies, procedures, and performance standards.
• Demonstrate organizational skills to prioritize responsibilities effectively.
• Contribute to process improvements and operational efficiencies.

III. Professional Development and Team Collaboration:

• Participate in staff meetings.
• Collaborate with clinical teams to refine workflows and responsibilities.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

QUALITY:

• Adheres to center/departmental policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Consistently meets established standards and achieves desired results.
• Pays attention to detail in performing job duties.

EFFICIENCY:

• Prioritizes responsibilities to meet desired results within required timeframes.
• Takes responsibility for delivering services as part of a team.
• Suggests and implements improvements for clinic services.
• Meets deadlines without causing undue disruption.
• Utilizes time, resources, and supplies effectively and efficiently.
• Makes sure the front desk and phone are not left unattended for longer than is absolutely necessary, outside of clinic break times.

HUMAN RELATIONS/COMMUNICATIONS:

• Contributes to a positive work environment.
• Communicates effectively and courteously with patients, team members, and staff.
• Cooperates with others, demonstrating respect and courtesy.
• Maintains professionalism during stressful situations.

MATURITY/RESPONSIBILITY:

• Exhibits professional demeanor, tone, and appearance.
• Upholds confidentiality regarding patient, visitor, and co-worker information.
• Strives to improve job performance with consistent effort.

ATTENDANCE:

• Complies with attendance and tardiness policies.
• Follows policies for work and breaks.
• Assists with covering absences, emergencies, high workloads, holidays, and vacations when necessary.

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent required; additional education in healthcare administration preferred.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in a healthcare setting, preferably in front desk or administrative roles.
• Strong organizational, communication, and multitasking skills.
• Proficiency in electronic health records (EHR) systems, particularly ECW (eClinicalWorks).
• Commitment to providing excellent customer service and maintaining confidentiality.
• Bilingual in Spanish Preferred

Common Physical Demands