Practice Operations Assistant
***This position is best for those students graduating in 2020 and any alumni that have a long-term career interest in the public health, healthcare management, and/or prospective clinical interests (i.e. MD, NP, PA, etc. who need additional experience in the healthcare field prior to submitting applications for such degrees). The Department of Neurosurgery prides itself on providing all interested staff throughout the Department with opportunities to observe and participate in educational events and research endeavors in the individual candidate's area of focus or interest. These opportunities are not noted in the job description, but offered to all personnel***
GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT:
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:
Actual job duties may vary by department (see Addendum B for more detail)
- Perform duties under moderate supervision 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 including: coordinate calendars for several managers or coordinates events for department.
- Proofread and edit manuscripts, perform library or literature searches, and help to create and edit presentation materials. Work with less direction with ability to create more advanced material.
- Helps to prepare and edit grant applications and other related materials with less direction and more applicable knowledge of the process.
- Perform transcription of dictated physician notes.
- 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.
JOB SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
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)
- Run patient eligibility in Epic prior to clinic to ensure patients have active insurance information on file.
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 Weiner Center pre-operative screening appointments in Epic.
- Notify patient and confirm arrangements.
- Schedule all radiological testing in Percipio 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 Schedule 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 (patient charts), 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.