Patient Service Representative II

This position is Remote in MA. If you are located within commutable distance to the office at 1177 Boston Providence Norwood, MA, you will have the flexibility to work remotely* as you take on some tough challenges.

Explore opportunities with Atrius Health, part of the Optum family of businesses. We’re an innovative health care leader and multi-specialty group practice, delivering an effective, connected system of care for adult and pediatric patients at 28 practice locations in eastern Massachusetts. Our entire team of providers (physicians, PA/NPs and ancillary clinicians) works collaboratively with a value-based philosophy within our group practice as well as with hospitals, rehab and nursing facilities. Be part of our vision to transform care and improve lives by building trust, understanding and shared decision-making with every patient. Join us and discover the meaning behind Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

Under direct supervision, assists patients through management of incoming calls related to various appointment and medical care needs. The Patient Service Representative II plays an integral role as a member of the patients care team by screening all incoming calls and/or myhealth messages and helping complete the request with first call resolution or directing to another member of the interdisciplinary care team. Provides extraordinary customer service and strong problem solving skills to strengthen the patient/ care team relationship. Manges a high volume of calls most often from a remote setting for a defined service line and is responsible to organize and prioritizes action items following standard work, including allocating tasks to the appropriate member of the care team, and ensuring efforts are coordinated and avoid duplication. As a level II representative, utilizes advanced skill set to perform all duties of the Patient Service Representative I, consistently meets all performance expectations set forth by the service line and serves as resource and mentor for other Patient Service Representatives. Manages more complex work including support to multiple regions. Must have clear verbal and written communication skills to ensure the patient and team members understand next steps.

This position is full-time (36 hours/week) Monday - Friday. Monday 8:30 am - 5:00pm, Tuesday - Friday, 9:30am - 5:00pm EST. It may be necessary, given the business need, to work occasional overtime.

We offer up to 4 weeks of paid training. The hours during training will be aligned to your schedule. Training will be conducted onsite and then continue remote.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Supports a high volume of calls typically for multiple regions, departments and/or service lines adhering to department productivity standards set forth by service line(s)
• May support additional patient inquiries such as myhealth Medical Advice messages requiring a higher level of critical thinking and evaluation to determine next steps in accordance with service line (s) standard work
• Maintains a higher degree of technical expertise than Patient Services Representative I and serves as role model to Patient Services Representative I’s. Able to problem-solve and serve as a resource to other Patient Services Representatives
• Supports, mentors and trains Patient Service Level I staff
• Participates in problem solving activities, focusing on productivity and quality. Works with supervisors to ensure continuous improvement of the department
• Participates in special projects and ongoing programs unique to the department
• May represent department on groups and teams related to process improvement opportunities
• Assists with data collection activities and provide appropriate follow up for statistical reports or required studies, ensuring data is properly collected and accurate (e.g. service observations, telephone statistics)
• Screens all incoming patient inquires (through phone, or myhealth) to determine whether those inquiries can be appropriately handled by the Patient Service Representative or if they need to be directed to other team members. This includes chart review to identify previous activity that may have occurred related to the call
• Adheres to service line booking guidelines to ensure that clinic utilization is optimized safely and effectively as well as supports the needs of our patients
• Initiates request for forms, letters, medication renewals, referrals, prior authorizations, and any other administrative needs submitted by patients following standard work determined by service line and answers any corresponding questions. Understands all documents and processes
• Documents details of each call in the patients’ electronic medical record using both service line documentation tools as well in addition to free text when appropriate to ensure coordination of care
• Reviews and facilitates the updating of missing /outdated information in the patient record with each call including demographics, primary care physician selection, and insurance
• Effectively deescalates issues with upset patients and practices. Uses advanced listening techniques to understand the issue and give patients options as they are available to help resolve and ensure satisfaction. May refer difficult or highly complex phone calls and issues to a supervisor
• Participates in resolving operational difficulties and communicates with supervisor regarding department issues/ problems and opportunities for improvement
• Develops and maintains effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, department staff, providers, and other agencies
• Participates in problem solving activities, focusing on productivity and quality. Works with supervisors to ensure continuous improvement of the department
• Attends required team and/or regional meetings to learn new workflows and stay connected with teams working in a remote environment
• Performs other duties as assigned

You’ll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications:

• High School Diploma / GED OR equivalent work experience
• Must be 18 years of age OR older
• 2+ years of experience in a customer service role
• 2+ years of experience in healthcare field
• Technical proficiency in Microsoft, scheduling software and electronic medical records systems (Epic or equivalent)
• Ability to work weekends
• Ability to work  full-time (36 hours/week) Monday - Friday. Monday 8:30 am - 5:00pm, Tuesday - Friday, 9:30am - 5:00pm EST. It may be necessary, given the business need, to work occasional overtime

Preferred Qualifications:

• 3+ years of experience in a clinical or customer service setting
• Problem solving and complex patient management skills 
• Working knowledge of patient related documents

Telecommuting Requirements:

• Reside within commutable distance to the office at 1177 Boston Providence Norwood, MA
• Ability to keep all company sensitive documents secure (if applicable)
• Required to have a dedicated work area established that is separated from other living areas and provides information privacy
• Must live in a location that can receive a UnitedHealth Group approved high-speed internet connection or leverage an existing high-speed internet service

            

Soft Skills:

• Customer Service: Ability to provide a high level of customer service to patients, visitors, staff and external customers in a professional, service-oriented, respectful manner using skills in active listening and problem solving. Ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• Decision Making: Ability to make decisions that are guided by general instructions and practices requiring some interpretation. May make recommendations for solving problems of moderate complexity and importance
• Problem Solving: Ability to address problems that are varied, requiring analysis or interpretation of the situation using direct observation, knowledge and skills based on general precedents
• Written Communications: Ability to summarize and communicate moderately complex information in varied written formats to internal and external customers
• Oral Communications: Ability to comprehend and communicate complex verbal information to medical center staff, patients, families, and external customers
• Knowledge: Ability to demonstrate full working knowledge of standard work, practices, procedures, and policies with the ability to use them in varied situations
• Teamwork: Ability to work collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams of consisting of remote and onsite staff to improve the operations of immediate work group by offering ideas, identifying issues, and respecting team members

*All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group’s Telecommuter Policy.

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you’ll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The salary for this role will range from $18 - $32 hourly based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone–of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location, and income–deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life. Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups, and those with lower incomes. We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes — an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.

OptumCare is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

OptumCare is a drug - free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.

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