Job Summary

• Provide clinic operational support to a complex, multi-physician practice in adult Bariatric, Colorectal, General Surgery, Gynecology, Pre-op, Urology, Vascular, and other surgical specialties within an ambulatory care setting at Michigan Medicine?s Chelsea Multispecialty ACU, as well as other locations for training and coverage, including but not limited to Chelsea/Dexter, SW Ann Arbor, and N Central.
• Participate in a rotation of all front desk responsibilities, including patient check-in, check-out, and cash reconciliation. Roles involve direct public contact, complex patient scheduling via the Cadence scheduling system, coordinating and scheduling outside referrals and diagnostic testing, and cash collection through Cadence/EPIC.
• Verify and update accurate patient demographic information, insurance details, guarantor information, and referring physician data in real-time during patient visits, either directly or with the assistance of the Registration Department.
• Maintain excellent rapport with patients, faculty, and staff, both in person and over the phone, while working effectively within a team setting.
• Provide self-management support, care management, and care coordination for patients with complex illnesses to optimize their health status or lead a group of three or more Patient Services Assistants (PSAs) when required by clinic needs.
• Manage provider templates, including creating, closing, editing, and updating templates to align with scheduling needs and standards.
• Update decision trees to ensure accurate patient scheduling and work closely with the ACU Manager to maintain alignment with ACOC standards and principles.

Responsibilities*

• Coordinate daily functional support of the clerical team, ensuring efficient workflow and task management.
• Provide interpretation, guidance, and instruction on policies, procedures, and practices to the clerical team.
• Maintain work schedules, and lunch schedules, and ensure coverage, review timesheets for accuracy.
• Provide input on the performance of the clerical staff.
• Lead onboarding and in-service training for new clerical staff, managing and maintaining all training materials, including process documents.
• Delegate tasks appropriately to Patient Services Associates.
• Collaborate with the leadership team to ensure smooth and effective clinical operations.
• Promote and facilitate positive communication within the entire healthcare team, fostering a collaborative work environment.
• Lead team huddles to keep staff informed and aligned with daily priorities and present at monthly all-staff meetings.
• Handle escalations, identifying when issues need to be raised through the chain of command.
• Screen new patients for navigation services, providing support, education, and guidance throughout their care continuum.
• Build proactive relationships with patients through regular contact, helping to identify and address barriers to care.
• Assist patients in navigating the complex logistics of the health system, providing clear direction and support.
• Identify and recommend appropriate resources to patients, ensuring they receive necessary assistance and care.
• Perform telephone triage, distribute for action, and document according to specified clinic standards.
• Accurately and efficiently schedule patient appointments utilizing Cadence.
• Confirm, notify, and remind patients of appointments and changes; inform patients of necessary preparations before visits or tests.
• Communicate any clinic schedule changes, such as closures, provider template adjustments, and other scheduling changes, to the team.
• Handle special scheduling requests, like overbooks, VIPs, and complex issues.
• Assist patients with payment questions in person or over the phone.
• Collect payments, copays, and past-due balances at patient check-in/out, using established department guidelines.
• Reconcile clinic cash collections and credit card transactions daily according to specified clinic standards.
• Ensure completeness of visits and provide receipts for payments.
• Serve as a resource for physicians, other staff, patients, and third parties on insurance authorizations and managed care-related issues.
• Assist medical providers, nurses, and medical assistants with any issues that arise in the clinic.
• Appropriately scan important medical documents into patients? charts and send necessary paperwork to Health Information Management (HIM).
• Help oversee and monitor day-to-day clinic operations and processes for satisfaction and improvement, acting as the front-line ?go-to? person for questions and assistance.
• Assist in identifying and resolving operational problems related to billing, clinic charge capture, scheduling, and process implementation.
• Participate actively in the interview process for potential new hires.
• Run reports as requested and manage in-basket messages for specific departments according to set guidelines.

Required Qualifications*

• High school diploma or GED.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a related field.
• Knowledge of basic medical terminology.
• Proven ability to lead a team or manage a project.
• Experience in facilitating and coordinating patient care, including identifying and recommending appropriate resources.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively within a team setting.
• Strong communication skills, including verbal, written, and active listening abilities.
• Proficiency in information technology skills relevant to the role.
• Consistent attendance and punctuality are essential.

Desired Qualifications*

• Bachelor's degree in a health-related field, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Experience working in a large, complex healthcare setting.
• Familiarity with UMHS electronic medical record systems.
• Knowledge of University policies and procedures.

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Additional Information

Administrative management and functional supervision are received from the Administrative Manager.

Union Affiliation

This position is included in the bargaining unit represented by the Service Employees International Union - Healthcare Michigan (SEIU), which represents bargaining unit members in all matters with respect to wages, benefits, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. 

Background Screening

Michigan Medicine conducts background screening and pre-employment drug testing on job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent job offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background screenings.  Background screenings are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Report Act. Pre-employment drug testing applies to all selected candidates, including new or additional faculty and staff appointments, as well as transfers from other U-M campuses.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.