Access Improvement Consultant, Senior

LOCATION: Buckhorn Office Building

DEPARTMENT: Health Information Technology Personnel

WORK SCHEDULE: Days

WORK TYPE: Full Time (1.0 FTE)

JOB SUMMARY:

Leads multi-department processes and projects to innovate, define, and optimally support the Geisinger Patient Access strategy across the care continuum. Responsibility includes the development, implementation and continuous improvement of assigned access initiatives to ensure organizational access targets are achieved. Work includes targeted initiatives that redesign or create new processes aimed to improve Clinic, ED or hospital access and patient and staff satisfaction.

Provides leadership on cross-functional teams for assigned work aimed to accomplish system-wide and strategic patient access imperatives. Collaborates with process stakeholders for implementing project initiatives. Requires advanced knowledge of processes that affect access, such as scheduling processes, capacity management, provider templates, IT system configuration and data related to the processes. For assigned areas, is responsible to ensure strong clinical integration into all access process and operating results for access innovations.

TECHNICAL SKILL SETS THAT ARE A PLUS INCLUDE:

1.    Epic Cadence technical knowledge & experience related to Patient Access

·         Understanding of Cadence configuration & processes related to patient scheduling, Epic list management (orders workques, wait list, recall list), and related access functionality (e.g., Epic Fast Pass, text features, After Visit Summary, Appointment Notices and enclosures, scheduling thru myChart).

·         Understanding of Cadence configuration & processes related to physician and ancillary template build and co-dependent Cadence features (visit types, blocks, modifiers).

·         Keen business sense how the Cadence configuration can be leveraged to optimally support timely and accurate scheduling of patients. The more senior/lead levels need a strong understanding of capacity management and methods to measure that the physician schedules & related configuration is designed to match the patient demand.

2.    Telephony and Omni-channel patient contact coordination: (this near-IT team) will oversee the technical components of the inbound and outbound contacts with our patients across multiple communication channels including inbound and outbound calls, outbound patient contacts via text, IVR and web (now only via our patient portal), and evolving into webchat, chatbots and robotic processing. The team will have a mix of - daily oversight to ensure ongoing technical processes are well maintained and operating optimally for the Patient Contact Center; and implement new functionality to continuously streamline patient scheduling work.

·         Systems currently in use: 

                                                                      I.        CISCO Unified Communication Platform used for IVR call routing, Finesse real-time dashboard etc., (Multiple components)

                                                                    II.        WorkForce Management (tool selection to begin shortly); provides staffing forecasts, staff scheduling and real-time call/contact load balancing across scheduling agents

                                                                   III.        Verint: Speech Analytics

                                                                  IV.        Nuance: Speech to text

                                                                    V.        Acqueon for campaign management

                                                                  VI.        Egain: reporting package to leverage CISCO data

·         Requires understanding of telephony and related communication channel (text/chat/web) technology.  Knowledge of “patient call center” operations and how such data and technology can be leveraged to increase scheduling staff productivity, promote patient self-service and contribute to meeting access targets.

3.    Skills needed across the board:  organized, project management, attention to detail, ability to organize testing and technical implementation phases, communicate well between business owners and IT. Self-motivated, effective IT controls to ensure daily routines occur reliably & errors are processed.

COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS:

Demonstrates advanced knowledge in one or more of the following areas: process improvement, business requirements analysis, project management, data analysis or information systems

Demonstrates understanding of access components and processes related to scheduling, template management and patient list management.

Can effectively lead/facilitate multidisciplinary teams to achieve targeted results.

Demonstrates ability to communicate effectively to drive a vision for change from concept to completion; strong presentation skills.

Demonstrates advanced understanding information systems, database structures, reporting software, change control and system configuration.

Uses quantitative and qualitative assessment skills to identify performance improvement opportunities for important clinical, operational or financial issues.

Able to support implementation of changes through design of user acceptance testing scenarios.

Demonstrates strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, requiring independent thinking and decisions and attention to detail.

Implements solutions to complex problems, builds alignment towards a solution and solicits business requirements to drive to completion

Possesses leadership and teamwork skills, as well as the ability to multi-task.

Demonstrates strong understanding of access components, and ways to improve access across the system.

Demonstrates ability to simultaneously manage and prioritize numerous requests and activities.

Demonstrates ability to work independently and effectively in a team-oriented environment including ability to maintain flexibility and composure under pressure.

Demonstrates interpersonal and written skills necessary to communicate with all levels of the organization.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Master’s Degree in Information Systems, Improvement Methodologies (industrial/systems/management), Healthcare Management, Clinical, Public Health, Operations Research, Business Administration, Statistics, or related field required. Minimum of 3 years of project management and/or healthcare operations management experience with proven ability to develop effective programs and deliver effective solutions required.

Minimum of one certification required, including Certified Health Access Manager (CHAM), Cadence certification, Lean or equivalent improvement methodology* certification.

*Equivalent options include, but are not limited to: Six Sigma, Project Management Professional (PMP®),

OR

Related Bachelor’s Degree e.g., Information Systems, Improvement Methodologies (industrial/systems/management), Healthcare Management, Clinical, Public Health, Operations Research, Business Administration, Statistics, or related field required. Minimum of 5 years of project management and/or healthcare operations management experience with proven ability to develop effective programs and deliver effective solutions required.

Minimum of one certification required, including Certified Health Access Manager (CHAM), Cadence certification, Lean or equivalent improvement methodology* certification.

*Equivalent options include, but are not limited to: Six Sigma, Project Management Professional (PMP®).

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Work is typically performed in an office environment.

OUR PURPOSE & VALUES: Everything we do is about caring for our patients, our members, our students, our Geisinger family and our communities. KINDNESS: We strive to treat everyone as we would hope to be treated ourselves. EXCELLENCE: We treasure colleagues who humbly strive for excellence. LEARNING: We share our knowledge with the best and brightest to better prepare the caregivers for tomorrow. INNOVATION: We constantly seek new and better ways to care for our patients, our members, our community, and the nation.

ABOUT GEISINGER: Geisinger is a physician-led health system comprised of approximately 30,000 employees, including nearly 1,600 employed physicians, 13 hospital campuses, two research centers, and a 583,000-member health plan Geisinger is nationally recognized for innovative practices and quality care. Geisinger serves more than 3 million people in central, south-central and northeast Pennsylvania and also in southern New Jersey with the addition of National Malcolm Baldridge Award recipient AtlantiCare, A member of Geisinger. In 2017, the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine became the newest member of the Geisinger Family.

We offer healthcare benefits for full time and part time positions from day one, including vision, dental and domestic partners. * Perhaps just as important, from senior management on down, we encourage an atmosphere of collaboration, cooperation and collegiality. For more information, visit www.geisinger.org, or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

** Does not qualify for J-1 waiver.  We are an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer Women and Minorities are Encouraged to Apply.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability or their protected veteran status.

*Domestic partner benefits not applicable at Geisinger Holy Spirit.