Patient Support Specialist

You can make a difference as a part of our region's largest health care system, based locally in Billings, Montana. Join our amazing team with a focus on safe, high quality care and an excellent patient experience. Billings Clinic is here to take care of our community and region.

We look forward to meeting you.

About Us
Billings Clinic is a community-owned, not-for-profit, Physician-led health system based in Billings with more than 4,700 employees, including over 550 physicians and non-physician providers. Our integrated organization consists of a multi-specialty group practice and a 304-bed hospital. Learn more about Billings Clinic (our organization, history, mission, leadership and regional locations) and how we are recognized nationally for our exceptional quality.

Your Benefits
We provide a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to all full-time employees (minimum of 24 hours/week), including Medical, Dental, Vision, 403(b) Retirement Plan with employer matching, Defined Contribution Pension Plan, Paid Time Off, employee wellness program, and much more. Click here for more information or download the 2021 Employee Benefits Guide.

Magnet: Commitment to Nursing Excellence
Billings Clinic is proud to be recognized for nursing excellence as a Magnet®-designated organization, joining only 97 other organizations worldwide that have achieved this honor four times. The re-designation process happens every four years. Click here to learn more!

Patient Support Specialist

POPULATION HEALTH - 6916 (Billings Clinic Main Campus)

req1925

Shift: Day

Schedule: M-F 8-4:30

Employment Status: Full-Time (.75 or greater)

Hours per Pay Period: 0.90 = 72 hours (Non-Exempt)

Starting Wage DOE: CUSTOM.POSTING.WAGE

The Patient Support Specialist is an integral member of the Care Management team. Patient Support Specialist work independently with minimal supervision to connect patients with community resources by scheduling appropriate follow-up appointments prior to the hospital discharge. The Patient Support Specialist assists in the delivery of patient care by identifying gaps in the patients care and provides opportunities to fill the gaps through conversation with patients and or family members/caregivers. They work collaboratively with the care management team, primary care services, pharmacy and other Billings Clinic team members and departments to meet the physical, psychosocial, educational, and spiritual needs of the patient and family.

Essential Job Functions

• Supports and models behaviors consistent with Billings Clinic’s mission, vision, values, code of business conduct and service expectations. Meets all mandatory organizational and departmental requirements. Maintains competency in all organizational, departmental and outside agency standards as it relates to the environment, employee, patient safety or job performance.

• Schedules and coordinates requested follow up appointments for patients with Billings Clinic and non-Billings Clinic Primary Care Providers who are being discharged from the hospital to home. Advocates for the patient as necessary to ensure timely discharge follow up in the outpatient setting. Has a discussion with patient and family to learn dates and times that will best meet the patient/family needs. Promptly escalates concerns to appropriate chain of command.

• Works to identify patients needing follow up care scheduled by reviewing charts and interacting with Care Managers, hospitalists, IMR physicians, and attending daily rounds.

• Assists patients in addressing barriers to care such as transportation, appointment location, appointment availability and scheduling.

• Follows scheduling protocols for Billings Clinic appointments scheduled to ensure scheduling accuracy.

• Works closely with the inpatient Care Management team and inpatient providers across the hospital to coordinate appointments and address other patient coordination needs prior to discharge.

• Acts as a Representative for Billings Clinic while interacting with regional facilities including but not limited to physician offices, Indian Health Services and the Veterans Administration.

• Reviews Medicaid Member attribution list monthly and contacts newly attributed members in writing within 20 days via a welcome letter. Tracks and provides Medicaid authorizations for attributed members.

• Schedules annual wellness visits for patients as directed for AWV Nurses in Primary Care Clinics.

• Work with payers to coordinate gap closure efforts and to share feedback about the patient population. Using payer provided information to reach out to identified patients.

• Utilizes Healthe Registries to Identify gaps in care for individual patients, which include preventive care as well as chronic disease management. Assists patients/caregivers with scheduling appointments, diagnostic tests, treatments, procedures and cares to close these gaps. Establishes and maintains a professional, collaborative positive relationship with the patient, family, physician, and other providers to assess the options for care and the use of benefits and community resources. Reviews Physicians schedule and informs providers of needed gap closure prior to appointments.

• Receive incoming calls from payer partner covered patients to assist with and streamline scheduling.

• Advocates on behalf of patient, communicating and collaborating with healthcare providers, payers, physicians, and community-based services to assist in establishing an appropriate and integrated care for each patient.

• Actively participates in system and regional process improvement initiatives to improve transitions of care.

• Completes timely and accurate documentation in the medical record using knowledge of documentation standards for the department to facilitate communication with team members. Documentation is done in compliance with all clinical guidelines and billing/ reimbursement standards.

• Performs all other duties as assigned or as needed to meet the needs of the department/organization.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Billings Clinic policy and procedures, both organizational and departmental

• Personal computers, hardware and software

• Billings Clinic Code of Business Conduct

• Billings Clinic Corporate Compliance Program

• HIPAA and confidentiality requirements

• Patient’s/resident’s rights

• Customer service techniques and Personal Service Excellence (PSE)

• File and record keeping systems

• Personal computers and CIS applications, including necessary scheduling functions

• Billings Clinic physicians and specialties

• Scheduling protocols

• Interpersonal skills necessary to interact with patients, families, physicians, RNs, LPNs, MA’s, Care Managers and Healthcare Data Analysts

• Demonstrate empathy and sensitivity necessary to elicit patient’s cooperation and allay apprehensions

• Maintaining records and recording data

• Identifying when to refer the patient to Care Management or to the PCP

• Professional communication skills, both verbal and written

• Analytical skills to solve simple to semi-complex problems

• Organization, prioritization, and time management

• Interviewing patients to accurately determine needs

• Skill in utilizing personal computers with basic computer skills in word processing and data management using Microsoft Office programs

• Conflict resolution/ de-escalation

• Incorporate population specific needs into all aspects of communication and patient care: scope of services will encompass age groups ranging from infant through geriatric.

• Utilize time management concepts or maximize time effectively

• Interpret, adapt, and apply guidelines and procedures

• Utilize service recovery effectively

• Analytical skills necessary to organize daily work, interpret data, and maintain simple to moderate complex records

• Demonstrates ability to adapt to quickly changing needs

• Handle frequent interruptions.

• Interpret policies and procedures; identify non-compliance and take appropriate action

• Utilize time management concepts to maximize time effectively

• Work independently

• Maintains flexibility to adapt to a variety of workload assignment

• Incorporate cultural diversity and age appropriate care into all aspects of communication and patient care; scope of services provided will encompass age groups ranging from infant through geriatric

• Communicate clearly and effectively, both verbal and written with the ability to quickly assess patient interaction and appropriately and effectively interact with patients from all backgrounds successfully communicating the importance of post hospital follow up care

• Establish and maintain collaborative relationships

• Concentrate and pay close attention to detail and work independently especially in regard to patient demographics including Primary Care Provider and Referring Provider listings in the medical record

• Maintain composure in a position that has considerable deadlines, customer contact, and high volume

• Performs assigned duties under the supervision of the Supervisor and per the Billings Clinic Gaps in Care job description, policies and/or procedures

• Scheduling and organizing patients care needs to maximize patient convenience and to maximize effective utilization of their time.

• Ability to define and implement an evolving role of patient centered care delivered in a complex integrated health care system which includes setting common goals, merging resources, providing education, and cross training of roles with competing priorities

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• High school graduate or equivalent

• Heartsaver CPR Certification

Experience

• Prefer one year of office experience related to above tasks

• Prefer 3-5 years customer service experience

Other Minimum Qualifications

• Medical Assistant (optional)

• Excellent oral and written communication skills

• Must be able to work in a close team environment and exhibit flexibility and enthusiasm in learning new information and developing new skills quickly

• Demonstrate commitment to ongoing education preferred

• Excellent phone skills

• An equivalent combination of education and experience related to the above tasks, knowledge, skills, and abilities will be considered

Billings Clinic is Montana’s largest health system serving Montana, Wyoming and the western Dakotas. A not-for-profit organization led by a physician CEO, the health system is governed by a board of community members, nurses and physicians. Billings Clinic includes an integrated multi-specialty group practice, tertiary care hospital and trauma center, based in Billings, Montana. Learn more at www.billingsclinic.com/aboutus

Billings Clinic is committed to being an inclusive and welcoming employer, that strives to be kind, safe, and courageous in all we do. As an equal opportunity employer, our policies and processes are designed to achieve fair and equitable treatment of all employees and job applicants. All employees and job applicants will be provided the same treatment in all aspects of the employment relationship, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy and family status, national origin, spoken language, neurodiversity, age, and/or disability. To ensure we provide an accessible candidate experience for prospective employees, please let us know if you need any accommodations during the recruitment process.