Patient Advocate

Maine Eye Center’s vision is to be the preferred regional ophthalmology practice for comprehensive medical and surgical eye care. Our mission is to consistently provide high quality eye care and outcomes through excellent service, exceptional doctors, staff, and state of the art technology.

Maine Eye Center Core Values include: Teamwork, Quality Patient Care, Respect, Responsibility, and Integrity.

Description of Responsibilities:

Maine Eye is looking for a Patient Advocate to be a friendly first point of contact for all new and existing patients. Must be able to work independently and as a team from a remote setting. This is an excellent opportunity for an organized candidate who can work in a fast-paced position with a great team. The Patient Advocate will schedule all new patient appointments and process all new patient paperwork.

This position generally works normal business hours Monday-Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Friday 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Flexibility in schedule is needed from time to time in order to meet business goals and provide exceptional patient service. 

Responsibilities include and are not limited to:

• Providing excellent customer service
• Scheduling the first appointment for all new and established patients to MEC, while following individual clinic scheduling guidelines
• Informing new patients of department-specific expectations such as wait times, dilation, and any additional fees
• Communicating the status of the referral to the referring doctor
• Inputting all pertinent patient information into Allscripts
• Requesting and obtaining necessary medical information prior to first appointment and making patient charts available to the physicians
• Serving as the point of contact for any phone calls from new patients
• Verifying insurances upon patient registration
• Requesting and processing insurance referrals
• Creating a strong relationship with referring physicians
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor

Benefits:

• Healthcare
• Dental
• Wellness Program
• 401(k) with 5% matching
• HSA and FSA options
• PTO
• Paid Holiday
• Other perks to support your well-being and career growth.

Requirements:

• Demonstrate and exemplify all MEC core values: Teamwork, Quality Patient Care, Respect, Responsibility, and Integrity.
• Ability to maintain establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, providers, patients, and the public.
• Ability to communicate and speak clearly and concisely.
• Exceptional customer service skills
• Ability to exercise judgement, initiative, and possess problem-solving skills.
• Professional communication with internal and external contact and patients.
• Attention to detail and accuracy in a fast pace, multi-tasking environment is essential.

Experience Requirements:

Minimum of one year of administrative experience.  Must be an independent thinker and possess excellent customer service and problem-solving skills. Must be able to communicate clearly and efficiently to both patients and doctors as well as internal and external customers. Demonstrated knowledge of medical terminology and intermediate computer skills (Microsoft Office and EMR) are necessary. Experience with basic office equipment including telephone, photocopier, and fax machine.  Excellent organizational skills are required.

Educational Requirements:

High school diploma or equivalent is required.

Required Licenses / Certifications:

None

Typical Working Conditions:

Work is performed in an office environment.  Involves frequent patient contact both in person and over the phone along with contact with physicians and staff.  Work may be frequently fast paced, and contact may be dealing with a variety of patient personalities.  Possess ability to work in a team environment as well as ability to accept constructive criticism from supervisors and physicians.  Occasional overtime or evening work may be requested.

Typical Physical Demands:

Requires normal range of vision and hearing for telephone and patient contact when scheduling surgery.  Work may require sitting and viewing computer terminal for extended periods of time.  Requires manual dexterity to operate a keyboard, telephone, copier, and other office equipment.  It is necessary to be able to handle multiple phone calls.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Psychological Demands (in a usual workday):

Must possess excellent organizational and time management skills in order to handle multiple and sometimes conflicting tasks. Must be able to work with minimal supervision regarding time management and have the ability to consistently make sound, ethical decisions in emergency situations. Demonstrated ability to make accurate assessments while establishing and maintaining effective working relationships within the organization.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

• Know and follow all safety rules and procedures
• Follow proper Workplace Ergonomics
• Report any unsafe act or workplace conditions

CONFIDENTIALITY

• Ensure HIPAA compliance

Employment with Maine Eye Center contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which may include verification of employment history, education, criminal record, and other factors, as required by law and company policy. Background checks are conducted in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. A criminal record does not automatically disqualify candidates from employment; each case will be reviewed individually in accordance with job-related criteria and legal requirements.