Patient Access Specialist Senior - Behavioral Health Screening

Inova Peterson Life with Cancer at Inova Loudoun Hospital is seeking a dedicated Patient Access Specialist Senior to support front desk operations, patient access, and behavioral health service coordination for individuals and families affected by cancer. This role is full-time, day shift, Monday-Friday, 8:00a-5:00am.

This position serves as a primary point of contact for patients, caregivers, and visitors at the Family Center, ensuring a welcoming, supportive, and efficient patient experience. The role combines patient registration, appointment scheduling, referral coordination, Epic documentation, and administrative support with responsibilities related to behavioral health intake workflows and mental health screening coordination.

The ideal candidate will have strong Epic proficiency, experience in outpatient healthcare or patient access services, familiarity with PHQ-9 depression screenings, and the ability to communicate effectively with patients experiencing emotional distress, cognitive challenges, or complex healthcare needs.

Inova is consistently ranked a national healthcare leader in safety, quality and patient experience. We are also proud to be consistently recognized as a top employer in both the D.C. metro area and the nation. 

Featured Benefits:

• Committed to Team Member Health: offering medical, dental and vision coverage, and a robust team member wellness program.
• Retirement: Inova matches the first 5% of eligible contributions – starting on your first day.
• Tuition and Student Loan Assistance: offering up to $5,250 per year in education assistance and up to $10,000 for student loans.
• Mental Health Support: offering all Inova team members, their spouses/partners, and their children 25 mental health coaching or therapy sessions, per person, per year, at no cost.
• Work/Life Balance: offering paid time off and paid parental leave.

Key Responsibilities

Front Desk and Patient Access Operations

• Serve as the primary front desk point of contact for patients, caregivers, visitors, and clinical staff at the Laudon. 
• Welcome patients and families, provide information regarding available services, and assist with navigating the patient experience.
• Coordinate patient check-in, registration, demographic updates, and appointment scheduling using Epic.
• Verify patient information, insurance details, and required documentation to ensure accurate and complete records.
• Manage incoming telephone calls, patient inquiries, and departmental communications, directing requests to appropriate team members.
• Maintain accurate appointment schedules and coordinate changes, cancellations, and follow-up visits.
• Assist patients experiencing emotional distress, cognitive limitations, or other challenges with patience, empathy, and professionalism.
• Support daily front desk operations while maintaining patient confidentiality and a high standard of customer service.

Behavioral Health Coordination and Screening Support

• Support the Behavioral Health Intake Coordinator and licensed clinical team with administrative and patient coordination activities related to oncology-focused counseling services.
• Review completed PHQ-9 depression screening questionnaires and other patient-submitted intake documentation for completeness and identified concerns.
• Recognize elevated PHQ-9 scores and positive responses to question 9 that require timely clinical review.
• Flag concerning screening results and promptly communicate findings to designated licensed behavioral health professionals in accordance with established protocols.
• Monitor the status of behavioral health intake forms, referrals, and required documentation to support timely patient follow-up.
• Assist with coordinating behavioral health appointments, counseling referrals, and communication between patients and clinical teams.
• Help connect patients and caregivers with appropriate program information and available support resources as directed by clinical staff.
• Maintain accurate documentation of screening-related communications and follow-up activities in Epic.
• Support established workflows for identifying and escalating patient concerns requiring additional clinical attention.

Epic Documentation and Referral Management

• Utilize Epic to manage patient registration, appointment scheduling, referral tracking, and clinical administrative workflows.
• Monitor assigned Epic workqueues and In Basket messages to support timely referral processing and follow-up.
• Review patient records and submitted documentation to ensure accuracy and completeness.
• Assist with routing referrals and communicating scheduling needs to appropriate clinical teams.
• Document patient communications, appointment updates, and administrative follow-up activities in Epic.
• Support efficient coordination between patient access staff, behavioral health professionals, and other Life with Cancer team members.
• Maintain compliance with HIPAA, organizational policies, and established documentation standards.

Patient Support and Care Coordination

• Provide compassionate, patient-centered support to individuals and families navigating cancer-related healthcare services.
• Assist patients with appointment preparation, registration questions, scheduling concerns, and access to available programs.
• Communicate effectively with patients who may be experiencing anxiety, depression, emotional distress, or cognitive difficulties.
• Coordinate with multidisciplinary teams to help ensure continuity of services and timely resolution of patient needs.
• Identify administrative barriers to patient access and collaborate with appropriate staff to resolve concerns.
• Support patients and caregivers in navigating available Life with Cancer programs and resources.

Administrative and Operational Support

• Provide general administrative support to Family Center operations and clinical teams.
• Maintain organized patient records, referral documentation, scheduling information, and departmental communications.
• Assist with managing shared inboxes, telephone messages, and administrative requests.
• Support coordination of patient appointments, program activities, and daily operational needs.
• Assist with administrative documentation, invoice processing, and other departmental responsibilities as assigned.
• Collaborate with team members to improve workflow efficiency, patient access, and service consistency.
• Maintain a professional, organized, and welcoming front desk environment.

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience - 2 years of patient access experience
• Education - High school or GED

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate's or bachelor's degree in healthcare administration, psychology, behavioral health, or a related field.
• Experience in outpatient rehabilitation, behavioral health, oncology, or other multidisciplinary clinical settings.
• Experience reviewing completed PHQ-9 questionnaires and identifying results requiring clinical follow-up.
• Experience supporting patients with cognitive impairments, neurological conditions, or complex medical needs.
• Experience with Epic workqueues, In Basket messaging, referral coordination, and patient documentation.
• Familiarity with mental health resources and behavioral health referral processes.
• Experience supporting multidisciplinary clinical teams and coordinating patient services.
• Experience in healthcare, outpatient clinical services, patient access, medical office administration, or a related setting.
• Experience with patient scheduling, registration, insurance verification, and electronic medical record documentation.
• Proficiency in Epic, including patient registration, appointment scheduling, documentation, and referral workflows.
• Familiarity with PHQ-9 depression screenings and procedures for communicating concerning results to clinical staff.
• Experience interacting with patients who may have emotional, behavioral, cognitive, or complex healthcare needs.
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and customer service skills.
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities in a fast-paced healthcare environment.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain patient confidentiality and handle sensitive information appropriately.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with clinical and administrative teams.

Location: Family Center – Inova Loudoun Hospital
North Tower - 1st Floor
44045 Riverside Pkwy
Leesburg, VA 20176