Patient Service Associate chez San Francisco Community Health Center

Agency Description

San Francisco Community Health Center (SFCHC), formerly known as API Wellness Clinic, is a federally qualified health center that provides culturally competent, high quality medical care, health services, education, and outreach. We transform lives by advancing health, wellness and equality. We strengthen the well-being and lead under-served communities of all races, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, and immigration statuses toward justice and health. Founded in 1987 as an all-volunteer, community-based response to the AIDS crisis in communities of color, we are an anchor-organization for San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood, and we also lead regional, statewide, and national programming. 

We believe that everyone deserves to be healthy and needs access to the highest quality health care.

About You: 

• You focus and center your work around giving a high level of service.
• You are empathetic responding to any situation with compassion and curiosity.
• You are driven by your own internal integrity as well as that of the agency.
• You have a justice and equity mind-set. 
• You feel that everyone deserves dignity and respect. 
• You consistently pay attention to details. 
• You collaborate well in a diverse and cross-functional workplace.

Position Summary: 

The Patient Service Associate [PSA] is the first person at SFCHC primary care clinic welcoming and greeting patients.  Patient registration is a critical phase of SFCHC’s Clinic Business Operations as it directly impacts the financial stability, operational efficiency and delivery of patient-centered care. Accurate information collected at registration ensures proper billing and claims processing, minimizing denials thus improving cash flow. Meaningful and relevant data are collected during visits to assure patient safety and proper care. A streamlined registration process reduces wait time, increases patient satisfaction and builds trust in choosing SFCHC as the primary care home.  As a federally qualified health clinic [FQHC], SFCHC serves vulnerable populations and  must accurately process payments through Medicare, Medi-CAL  and managed care systems and other private payers, including the uninsured, underinsured. other public health programs and SFCHC Sliding Fee Discount Program (SFD). 

The Patient Service Associate works collaboratively with eligibility, Enhanced Care Management [ECM] and clinic enabling support staff.  The PSA reports to the Revenue Cycle Manager under the daily supervision of the Health Eligibility and Access Supervisor.

Essential duties:

• Schedule initial visit, pre-registration, check-ins and follow-up appointments and call or text messaging reminders for medical, behavioral and dental clinic patients.
• Collect up-to-date health insurance plan data upfront for accurate billing and collection.
• Validate patient identity during registration to prevent miscommunications to ensure the correct patient is receiving the right care. Example: government-issued photo ID and insurance card.
• Collect personal, medical and insurance data adhering to Patient Health Information principle. Use clearinghouse/270–271 or payer portal.
• Request consent to treat, HIPAA, Patient Rights and Financial Responsibility acknowledgments.
• Answer phone calls, text or email messages of appointment-related inquiries.  Direct clinical matter to the Nurse station or Care triage.
• Check voice, text and email messages every hour [60 minutes] and forward non-appointment inquiries to the Nurse or Medical Assistant station. 
• Obtain proper information from patients eligible under the Sliding Fee Discount Program.
• Conduct follow-up or reschedule patient no-shows and cancelations, documenting follow-up attempts in EPIC Electronic Health Record (EHR).
• Accept and process patient payments (cash/credit/check) and deliver Payment Report to Accounting by 5 pm daily.
• Contact new patient assigned by the managed care plans [San Francisco Health Plan and Anthem Blue Cross] and schedule initial visit within 60 days.  
• Notify Supervisor and RCM of any hindrances or barriers when scheduling new appointments.
• Scan remittance advice, explanation of benefits and other health plan documentation supporting payments onto EPIC-OBS server and shred already scanned documents immediately.
• Refer patients requiring financial assistance, good faith estimates to Health Eligibility and Access
• Refer patients that may require ABN (Medicare) or payer-specific notices and pre-authorization to Clinic Referral Services or Health Eligibility and Access units.

 Qualifications and requirements:

• Ability to work with diverse populations – LGBTQ communities, refugees/immigrants, people experiencing homelessness, and multiply-diagnosed populations (those with substance use and/or mental health barriers)
• A High school diploma or GED with accurate typing and handwriting skills
• This job requires prolonged sitting, occasional lifting up to 20 lbs and constant typing 
• Proficiency in the use of computers (Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Windows, and MS Office—Word, Excel, and Outlook).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English
• Strong attention to detail and demonstration of follow through and reliability. 
• Ability to work with a multi-disciplinary team.
• Must complete Health Information Portability & Affordability Act [HIPAA] training, 340B Basic, Fraud Waste and Abuse trainings within the first 3 business days of hire
• Up-to-date with vaccinations, especially the latest COVID-19 and flu vaccines.
• Proof of TB clearance (issued within the past 12 months).
• Two years’ experience in customer service, office, and clerical work, health clinic is desirable
• Spanish or other foreign language fluency is preferred
• Knowledge of EPIC is preferred