Patient Advocate

Description

CORE VALUES 

The core values of Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Inc. (CHC/SEK) are dignity and stewardship. Each staff member is expected to perform their job duties in a way that preserves dignity for our patients and maintains good stewardship of CHC/SEK’s resources. 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Patient Advocates are often the first interaction that patients have with CHC/SEK and, as such, play a vital role in connecting individuals with the wide array of healthcare services offered.  

Patient Advocates are responsible for greeting callers with dignity and professionalism, understanding CHC/SEK resources and systems, scheduling appointments across sites and service lines, directing calls to appropriate staff, interacting in a positive and productive manner with site staff and always serving as advocates for patients.

Requirements

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

1. Answers phone calls and responds to other messages (i.e., web requests, voicemail and email) meeting timeliness goals and adhering to established guidelines.
2. Identifying any additional needs a patient may have by asking clarifying questions, presenting options or solutions, and escalating to more appropriate staff when needed for resolution.
3. Navigate the Electronic Health Record (EHR), system to look for various messages in EHR (Referrals, DI, Labs, Notes, Appointments, Hub, Information Screen, etc.) in order to ensure patients calls are directed to the appropriate staff.
4. Schedules appointments accurately in the EHR, including rescheduling as needed, and following guidelines and policies that are in place. 
5. Identify emergent & urgent calls based on information provided by caller. Transfers calls to nursing staff for triaging or contacting staff inside the EHR for emergent or urgent calls as appropriate.
6. Serves as a resource patients, clinical staff and enabling staff members as appropriate in order to meet the patients’ needs.
7. Contacts patients to schedule follow up appointments. 
8. Contacts patients to advise them of campaigns for quality measures as needed. 
9. Communicates with the patient regarding necessary information that he/she may need to bring with them to assist with their registration experience.
10. Conducts reminder appointment phone calls and makes adjustments as needed.
11. Performs other duties/tasks as assigned. 

QUALIFICATIONS

1. High School diploma or equivalent. 
2. Experience in clinic, healthcare setting, or call setting, preferred.
3. Medical terminology, preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

1. Social and cultural sensitivity appropriate to ethnically and economically diverse patient-and employee-base.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the rationale of appropriate patient care.
3. Must be organized and able to manage/prioritize tasks to meet deadlines, adapts to change in a positive manner, able to work as a part of a team.
4. Communicates through appropriate channels. Use proper chain of command for patient complaints.
5. Ability to handle emergency situations calmly and effectively.
6. Must be computer literate, especially with Microsoft Office products and be proficient with the Electronic Health Record software.
7. Must be able to maintain good inter-personal relationship with co-workers and other members of the health care team and the organization.
8. Provide customer service in accordance to the organization’s mission.
9. Be courteous and respectful when interacting with patients and family members.
10. Maintain patient confidentiality in accordance to organization’s policy and procedure and HIPAA requirements.

WORKING CONDITIONS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.