Patient Advocate - Full Time

Patient Advocate – Full Time

As the Patient Advocate, you are the first point of contact providing patient greeting, direction and excellent customer service. You will enter patient information into the computer, schedule appointments, answer the phone, provide information, and direct calls. The Patient Advocate ensures that patient records are updated, assists with related filing, expedites patient flow, and works closely with clinical and billing staff to ensure a positive patient experience. The Patient Advocate participates in rotation of the duties of check-in, phones, and check-out at front-office workstations.

Come to work every day knowing your efforts make other people’s lives better. You will be part of a supportive, dynamic, multidisciplinary team – including medical, dental, and behavioral health care providers, social workers, family workers, and others – working together to meet the needs of the whole person. Your days will be busy, varied and interesting, and you will have opportunities for career growth; many employees take on new challenges and increasingly responsible positions during their years with us.

Salary Range: $19.00

Job Duties

• Greets new patients with a friendly professional manner, providing excellent customer service. Explains services including basic eligibility guidelines and sliding fee scale. Collects deposits, verifies and completes all required paperwork from and/or with patients. Collecting and scanning insurance cards if applicable.
• Briefly reviews all aspects of the Patient Handbook with new clients, paying special attention to Financial Policy.
• Greets returning patients presenting for appointments, confirms demographic and insurance information. Collects payments from self-pay patients and arranges payment plans for all valances. Collecting and scanning insurance cards. Verifies insurance eligibility and collects necessary co-payments. Provides receipts for payment and enters information into computer system.
• Refers uninsured patients to the Outreach & Enrollment department.
• Identifies and connects patients who may need further case management, e.g. social work services, medication assistance, transportation, and document in electronic health record. Contacts staff team to deliver patient service.
• Works collaboratively with department team to ensure efficient operations of the Front Office.
• Works collaboratively with medical teams to ensure the efficient and smooth access to patient care. Including, completing any care alert needs that are able to be satisfied.
• Educates patients without a deposit or who have a balance, and set up payment plans as appropriate.
• Updates annual registration paperwork and scans approved financial determination applications into computer system.
• Provides tablets to all appropriate patients.
• Manages the new patient requests via phone and/or online portal and ensures they are completed within three days of receipt.
• All payments are batched and posted in a timely manner. Payments are available and accurate for collection by the finance department.
• Schedules all requested appointments appropriately and accurately.
• Completes all other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Strong customer service experience and commitment to being an effective professional team player.
• Time management skills, basic computer proficiency, and demonstrated ability to organize and manage multiple priorities with an eye toward details.
• Maintains confidentiality under all circumstances.

The ideal candidate will also have:

• Ability to work harmoniously with coworkers and patients
• Experience working with diverse and vulnerable populations
• Excellent communication and listening skills
• Organizational skills
• Strong clinical and assessment skills
• Compassionate and nonjudgmental attitude

Work Location(s): Goodwin Community Health, Somersworth, NH

Hours Per Week: 40 (8:00am – 5:00pm)

Days: 5 (Monday – Friday)

Job Status: Full-Time (Non-Exempt)

Eligible for Benefits: Yes

This position is eligible for a one-time sign-on bonus for up to $1,500.00.

Benefits

Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical and dental insurance with an agency subsidy. One of the GSCH health insurance plans has a no-premium option for employee-only coverage. GSCH offers a 401(k) plan with an employer match, employer-paid group term life insurance, and short-term disability coverage. Voluntary benefits include vision, long-term disability coverage, Flexible Spending Account, and access to local discounts. GSCH offers earned time accrual (15 days in your first year [pro-rated by FTE]), plus seven (7) paid holidays. Eligibility starts at 24 hours/week, with full benefits offered at 32 hours/week and above.

About Us

Greater Seacoast Community Health’s mission is to deliver innovative, compassionate, integrated health services and support that are accessible to all in our community, regardless of ability to pay.

The Greater Seacoast Community Health network includes Families First Health & Support Center in Portsmouth, Goodwin Community Health in Somersworth, and Lilac City Pediatrics at both locations. Strafford County Public Health Network and WIC Nutrition Program are also affiliated with Greater Seacoast.

Greater Seacoast Community Health is a network of community health centers providing primary care, pediatrics, dental care, prenatal care, behavioral health counseling, substance use disorder treatment, mobile health services, WIC, social work services, a pharmacy, parenting classes, playgroups, and home visiting.

We believe everyone should be empowered to maximize health and well-being and strive to make our array of programs and health services integrated, high quality, affordable, recovery friendly, trauma informed, inclusive, and easy to access.

As not-for-profit community health centers and family resource centers serving the Greater Seacoast region of New Hampshire and southern Maine, our services are for everyone — infants to seniors, single people and families, insured or uninsured, all income levels. Learn more at GetCommunityHealth.org.

Greater Seacoast Community Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all applicants without regard to race, color, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other classification protected by state, federal, or local law. Qualified Veterans are encouraged to apply.