Department Overview

The Department of Diagnostic Imaging Services is always on the forefront of technology. We offer a wide spectrum of diagnostic and therapeutic services in an efficient, professional and timely manner. Although our true strengths consist of over 300 people who really make the difference. All of our highly qualified professionals share a commitment to provide excellent service, high standards of quality and safe patient care.

The function of the PAS Resource Specialist - Scheduling position within Diagnostic Imaging Services is to provide essential customer service support and guidance to clinics and patients in the areas of financial screening, patient eligibility for services, managed care, and complex patient referrals. The PAS Resource Specialist completes multifaceted, radiology specific, scheduling tasks, with the purpose of assisting, scheduling, and coordinating patient diagnostic imaging appointments in EPIC and RIS. The employee in this position promotes OHSU's mission statement by delivering high quality, cost effective, family-oriented service excellence. This position helps to create a collaborative environment by integrating education, research, and clinical leadership.

Function/Duties of Position

• Provide high quality customer service to both external customers (patients, referring providers, clinics, insurance carriers) and internal customers (OHSU health care providers, staff) that exceed the service standards of the health care industry.
• This duty includes prompt and professional communication efforts, face-to-face and telephone customer contact skills, crisis management, familiarity with available information technology, standard complaint processing, flexible coverage of internal service needs, and the continuous application of process improvement methods and skills.

Enrollment & Authorization

• Gather and/or verify patient information including demographics, insurance coverage, and financial status.
• Confirm patient eligibility for health care coverage and clarify any managed care arrangements.
• Verify appropriate accounts are active and associated with services to be received.
• Confirm authorizations for imaging procedures.
• Enter all information accurately into OHSU databases or into the medical record when necessary.
• Follow up on pending authorizations until they are obtained.

Arranged Care

• Obtains prior medical records and imaging studies if appropriate.
• Answer multi-line telephone, aids with clarifying orders, and notifying clinics of errors.
• Arranges stretchers, wheelchairs, and interpreters when necessary, and accommodate other special needs whenever possible.
• Mail information packets.
• Provide personal reminders to patients about upcoming appointments.

Radiology/Surgery Scheduling

• Schedules multifaceted patient appointments on line, and manually if necessary in all modalities of Diagnostic Imaging Services.
• Maintains current information regarding schedules for resources and providers.
• Serves as liaison and information resource for physicians, nursing support staff, coworkers, IP Admitting Department, Surgery Office, and Periop Services.
• Collects from physician and clinics all information necessary order information to schedule a scan (including ICD10 codes, diagnosis, equipment needs, etc.).
• Facilitates care arrangements by scheduling IRU time, preops, PAT clinic, ancillary and clinical services as needed.
• Applies problem solving and negotiating skills in resolving provider and patient concerns and other imaging related problems.

Telecommunications

• Triages and accurately documents telephone calls from patients and referring clinics including requests for appointments, complaints, general information inquiries, and urgent health care concerns.
• Delivers such information or requests promptly to the appropriate providers or their designees.
• Clinical Services Resource
• Shares PAS expertise and disseminates PAS information to PAS Specialists within the service area.
• Instructs co-workers as needed in user skills for PAS system software including Order Entry, EPIC cadence scheduling and the Radiology Information System (RIS).
• Maintains a service-based working knowledge of diagnostic and procedural coding and medical terminology.
• Fills in as needed for any subordinate PAS position within the service area.
• Training and Competency
• Successfully completes the required PAS initial training and core competency assessment before or during the trial service period.
• Complete all required update modules.
• Maintain core competencies, and demonstrate continuous application of these skills throughout the period of employment.

Managed Care Coordination

• Maintains current information on managed care insurance plans and serves as a liaison and information resources for physicians, nursing support staff, PAS specialists, referring physician offices, patients, Hospital Operations Support and others on authorization requirements; serves as a service area resource ICD10 coding requirements; obtains managed care authorizations for consultations, procedures, office visits, care arrangements, and contact other ancillary and clinical services as needed; problem solves and negotiates skills in resolving patient concerns and managed care related proble

Required Qualifications

• One year of experience in a medical office setting, including high-volume direct patient contact, scheduling of appointments and may require experience obtaining managed care authorizations (dependent on position description). OR
• One and a half years of work experience in a high volume direct public contact position and 6 months experience in a medical office setting.
• Thorough knowledge of PAS policies and procedures.
• Demonstrated advanced PAS user skills as well as extensive knowledge of integrated care at OHSU.
• A history of excellent work attendance is essential.
• Basic computer skills including word processing, Windows applications, online scheduling.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills and strong customer service orientation.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in confrontational customer interactions.
• Must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without accommodation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associates degree.
• 2+ years in a medical office setting. Experience in a radiology office setting strongly preferred.
• Database skills. RIS, EPIC systems.
• Radiology specific medical terminology.

All are welcome