KAY VARGAS
Gainesville
Summary
Highly skilled and experienced medical services coordinator with 16+ years of experience in the healthcare field; able to work independently or as part of a team and passionate about serving the community.
Seasoned Referral Specialist with demonstrated experience in the healthcare industry. Skilled in facilitating communication between patients and medical professionals, ensuring proper patient care through accurate referral processes. Known for problem-solving abilities, interpersonal skills, and commitment to maintaining high standards of confidentiality and professionalism. Previous roles have resulted in enhanced operational efficiency and improved patient satisfaction.
Highly-motivated employee with desire to take on new challenges. Strong work ethic, adaptability, and exceptional interpersonal skills. Adept at working effectively unsupervised and quickly mastering new skills.
Overview
2027
2027
years of professional experience
Work History
Referral Specialist
northeast Georgia medical center
Gainesville
05.2024 - Current
- Coordinated patient referrals to specialists within the healthcare network.
- Assisted patients in understanding referral processes and appointment scheduling.
- Verified insurance eligibility for referred services and communicated details to patients.
- Maintained accurate records of patient referrals and follow-up activities.
- Utilized electronic medical record systems to track referral progress efficiently.
- Responded promptly to patient inquiries regarding referral status and procedures.
- Communicated regularly with referring physicians, nurses, case managers, social workers, and other healthcare professionals regarding referral processes and requirements.
- Entered confidential patient information and updated electronic records in database.
- Tracked referral request progress and resolved issues to maintain smooth processing.
- Coordinated with provider offices to ensure timely completion of referrals prior to scheduled appointments.
- Assisted patients in understanding their insurance coverage and answered questions about referrals, authorizations, and other related issues.
- Gathered and verified insurance requirements to meet payer requirements.
- Collaborated with team members to ensure the accuracy of referral data entered into the system.
- Liaised with healthcare facility personnel, insurance representatives, physicians and vendors for smooth communication.
- Reviewed all documentation associated with each referral request to ensure compliance with relevant regulations.
- Created reports summarizing referral activity on a weekly basis for management review.
- Maintained detailed records of all patient referrals, including dates of submission, status updates, and any additional information required by insurance providers.
- Assisted patients by answering questions and providing information regarding referrals.
Registrar
Northeast Georgia Medical Center - The Rehabilitation Institute
Braselton
03.2023 - 03.2024
- Served as the initial point of contact for the clinics for all entities
- Perform Pre-Registration/Registration functions.
- Schedule "New Patients" & "Follow-up" visits and answer the telephone.
- Greet and check off arrival of patients in computer system.
- Perform all scanning for registration.
- Processing New Referrals (faxes received, walk-ins, phone)
- Contacted the referring provider to obtain additional information such as diagnosis codes
- Collected and entered payments through US Bank (process credit card, checks, & cash)
- Collected co-pays for various services. Secured and reconciled cash accounts each evening.
Medical Office Coordinator
OU Health - Stephenson Cancer Center
Oklahoma City
09.2021 - 02.2023
- Served as the initial point of contact for the clinics for all entities
- Gathered medical and other information from patients for further analysis to advance towards the designated clinic physician
- Utilized Athenahealth EHR and IDX for keeping medical records and scheduling appointments, and PACS for medical images
- Employed Meditech software for compiling patient history and doc-tracking for sharing documentation
- Assisted as a liaison between the physicians and the patients
- Ensured proper documentation by maintaining comprehensive patient records and files
- Counseled patients on healthcare services and the provider requirements
- Provided billing and coding assistance by evaluating all invoices and staying up-to-date on all lab and insurance requirements
- Ensured compliance by developing contracts with medical professionals providing services to patients
- Managed complaints from the patients and worked with staff and physicians to address them
- Dedicated towards providing the best overall experience for patients
- Clinics Worked: GI/Colorectal surgery, Breast Oncology, Multi-disciplinary, Bone Marrow Transplant, Head and Neck, GYN Oncology
Lead Patient Services Rep
University of Oklahoma, Schusterman Center
Tulsa
01.2018 - 12.2021
- Verified insurance eligibility and primary care physicians for patients
- Secured incoming referrals from primary care physicians for HMO patients to be seen at the clinic
- Proficient with using the Doc2Doc referral tracking tool
- Authorized to verify patient information with SoonerCare and VA
- Providing bilingual translations for doctors (Endocrinologists), nurses, educators, nutritionists and social workers
- Based on doctor requests, obtain lab records for patients
- Dedicated towards maintaining patient information confidentiality
Patient Services Rep III
University of Oklahoma, Schusterman Center
Tulsa
01.2011 - 12.2018
- Demonstrated knowledge of HIPAA regulations by appropriately handling patient information
- Reconcile daily IDX system receivable reports
- Scheduled patient appointments, either by telephone or in person
Patient Service Rep
University of Oklahoma, Schusterman Center
Tulsa
01.2006 - 12.2011
- Completed new and existing patient registration in a timely manner
- Answered and assisted with incoming calls to the Schusterman Center
- Recorded and filed patient data and medical records
Referral Specialist
NGHS
ga
Education
University of Tulsa, ESL Institute - English as Second Language (ESL)
University of Tulsa
Skills
- Communication
- Bilingual (English/Spanish)
- Microsoft Office products
- Time management
- Decisive
- Critical thinking
- Medical Terminology
- Team Player
- Independent
- Service-oriented
- Collaboration
- Patience
- EHR management
- patient scheduling
- insurance verification
- referral processing
- data entry accuracy
- customer service
- problem solving
- effective communication
- attention to detail
- team collaboration
- Maintaining documents and records
- Records management
- Interdepartmental collaboration
- Admissions and registrations
- Verification and eligibility
- Multi-tasking
- Record management
- Problem-solving abilities
- Organizational skills
- Patient registration
- Registered health information technician (RHIT)
- Excellent communication
- Medical office management
- Multitasking Abilities
Languages
Spanish
Native/ Bilingual
A1
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Referral Specialist
northeast Georgia medical center
05.2024 - Current
Registrar
Northeast Georgia Medical Center - The Rehabilitation Institute
03.2023 - 03.2024
Medical Office Coordinator
OU Health - Stephenson Cancer Center
09.2021 - 02.2023
Lead Patient Services Rep
University of Oklahoma, Schusterman Center
01.2018 - 12.2021
Patient Services Rep III
University of Oklahoma, Schusterman Center
01.2011 - 12.2018
Patient Service Rep
University of Oklahoma, Schusterman Center
01.2006 - 12.2011
Referral Specialist
NGHS
University of Tulsa, ESL Institute - English as Second Language (ESL)
University of Tulsa