Patient Access Specialist

Northwestern Medicine

. Practice the Patients First philosophy and deliver high standards of customer service .

Posted 9/21/2026full-timeRemote • Illinois • United StatesJuniorMid-Level💰 $18 - $28 per hourWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates expertise in patient scheduling, registration, and insurance verification while maintaining compliance with HIPAA regulations. Strong customer service orientation and effective communication skills are essential for resolving patient inquiries and ensuring high-quality service delivery.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Patient SchedulingInsurance VerificationHIPAA ComplianceCustomer Service OrientationData Entry Proficiency

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Data EntryMedical Office ExperienceHealthcare FinanceHealthcare InsurancePatient RegistrationAnalytical SkillsProblem-Solving SkillsTyping Speed 40 WPMQuality AssuranceMulti-Tasking

Soft Skills

Interpersonal SkillsVerbal CommunicationWritten CommunicationOrganizational SkillsTime Management

Tools & Technologies

Epic SystemsOnline Retrieval Systems

Industry Keywords

Patient ConfidentialityService RecoveryQuality ImprovementDemographic InformationAuthorization Numbers

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Practice the Patients First philosophy and deliver high standards of customer service
Respond to patient questions and concerns and escalate extraordinary issues
Maintain patient confidentiality under HIPAA regulations
Identify and collect patient demographic information
Schedule and direct patients through Northwestern Medicine systems
Contact patients to schedule appointments
Perform medical necessity checks and communicate options when appointments fail
Inform patients about financial-account issues and provide out-of-pocket estimates
Provide training and education as needed
Manage schedules and complete assignments on time
Cross-train across departments to ensure coverage
Participate in quality assurance reviews of patient data
Resolve service breakdowns using service recovery skills
Communicate physician referral, insurance referral, and consultation information
Collect authorization numbers and support interdepartmental communication
Verify or print patient orders using online retrieval systems
Verify insurance eligibility and benefits using online tools or telephone
Complete handoff instructions and Epic notes for scheduling staff
Run real-time eligibility checks and follow out-of-network policies
Send accurate Epic messages and telephone encounters
Prevent visit issues by verifying tests, preparation, timing, location, and duplicate records
Complete and update patient registration data
Analyze account activity and initiate resolutions
Suggest process improvements and participate in quality improvement activities
Monitor registration, scheduling, and insurance verification against quality standards
Support onboarding and coworkers with process and workflow information
Perform other duties assigned by management

Requirements

What you’ll need

High School diploma or equivalent
2-3 years customer service or medical office experience
Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
Proficiency in computer data-entry/typing
Ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in English
Basic computer skills
Ability to type 40 wpm
Ability to multi-task
Customer service orientation
Excellent organizational, time management, analytical, and problem-solving skills
Additional education preferred
Additional language skills preferred
Healthcare finance and/or healthcare insurance experience preferred
Knowledge and experience in a healthcare setting, especially patient scheduling and/or registration, preferred
Must complete a criminal-history background check if hired
Must complete an authorization and disclosure form for the background check

Benefits

Comp & perks

Tuition reimbursement
Loan forgiveness
401(k) matching
Lifecycle benefits
Competitive benefits supporting physical, emotional, and financial well-being
Protection for unexpected life events