Rie Soroka
Summary
Medical Administrative Assistant adept at verifying insurance coverage, scheduling exams and updating patient information. Previously supported three surgeons in a busy medical office setting. Patient-oriented with strong attention to detail, professional telephone etiquette and organization skills.
Patient services professional with strong experience in healthcare environments. Skilled in patient communication, scheduling, and administrative support. Excel in team collaboration and adapt to changing needs. Highly reliable, with focus on achieving results and enhancing patient satisfaction.
Overview
37
37
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Patient Service Specialist
Heartcare Centers of Illinois
07.2020 - Current
- Improved patient satisfaction by providing efficient and friendly service during check-ins, registrations, and scheduling appointments.
- Ensured HIPAA compliance by maintaining strict confidentiality of patient information while handling sensitive documents.
- Adapted quickly to changing policies or procedural updates within the clinic, maintaining consistent levels of efficiency and accuracy in daily tasks.
- Trained new team members on clinic procedures, fostering a welcoming and cohesive work environment.
- Managed high call volumes by efficiently triaging incoming requests to appropriate departments or personnel.
- Reduced wait times for patients by optimizing appointment schedules and coordinating with clinical staff.
- Enhanced clinic workflow by managing patient records and ensuring accurate documentation of medical histories.
- Increased patient loyalty through timely follow-up calls and addressing inquiries or concerns.
- Facilitated communication between patients and healthcare providers, ensuring clear understanding of treatment plans and expectations.
- Applied administrative knowledge and courtesy to explain procedures and services to patients.
- Expedited referral processing for specialist visits as needed, ensuring seamless transitions for patients seeking additional care options outside of the primary practice setting.
- Provided exceptional customer service, resolving patient complaints promptly and professionally.
- Stayed calm under pressure to and successfully dealt with difficult situations.
- Answered incoming calls, scheduled appointments and filed medical records.
- Verified patient insurance eligibility and entered patient information into system.
- Processed payments using cash and credit cards, maintaining accurate records of transactions.
- Facilitated communication between patients and various departments and staff.
- Worked with patients to ascertain issues and make referrals to appropriate specialists.
- Trained new staff on filing, phone etiquette and other office duties.
- Compiled and maintained patient medical records to keep information complete and up-to-date.
- Helped address client complaints through timely corrective actions and appropriate referrals.
- Engaged with patients to provide critical information.
Central Scheduler
Mercyhealth Hospital
04.2017 - Current
- Responded to patient requests via telephone and email
- Verified data integrity and accuracy
- Worked directly with various departments and provider's offices as needed to coordinate appointments and retrieve required information
- Obtained orders for pre/post tests as needed per procedural protocol
- Obtained medical history and surgical reports as needed from various facilities
- Analyzed departmental documents for appropriate distribution and filing
- Assisted patients by answering questions, responding to inquiries and handling telephone requests
- Preregistered patients and reviewed necessary prep information
- Verified and confirmed referral status of upcoming appointments and worked in coordination with Precert Specialists and Referral Specialists to ensure the highest quality of patient care
- Screened patients for outpatient procedures
- Scheduled appropriate interpreters as needed for office visits and procedures
- Office support (phones, faxing, filing)
- Understands insurance benefits
- Familiar with commercial and private insurance carriers
- Billing and collection procedures expert
- Records maintenance professional
- Insurance and collections procedures
- Adept multi-tasker
- Close attention to detail
- Office management professional
- Resourceful and reliable worker
- Excellent verbal communication
- Excellent problem solver
- Composed and professional demeanor
- Scheduled patients for a variety of outpatient procedures using the Epic System
- (US, MRI/CT/PET, Heart and Vascular/Cardiac, Sleep Study Center, IVT, Nuc Med, Gastro, and Interventional Radiology)
- Provided highest quality of patient care
Fine Jewelry Manager
Macy's
02.2017 - Current
- Reported to the district manager regarding all store and staff issues
- Managed staff of five sales associates
- Partnered with sales representatives and managers to coordinate delivery and merchandising schedule
- Greeted customers and ascertained customers' needs
- Maintained records, safe logs, and paperwork related to sales and merchandising
- Helped customers with questions, problems and complaints in person and via telephone
- Organized racks and shelves to maintain the visual appeal of the store
- Developed positive customer relationships through friendly greetings and excellent service
- Trained and served as a peer coach for new sales associates
- Maintained knowledge of current sales and promotions, policies regarding payment and exchanges and security practices
- Reviewed operational records and reports to project sales and determine profitability
- Attended sales training events and brought best practices leadership back to the company
- Edited employee schedules to provide extra coverage for events and meet the needs of the store
- Set sales for upcoming events
- Performed security audits
- Attended weekly conference calls with district and regional managers to review sales, upcoming events, and new training alerts for employees
- Attended daily management meetings with store and area managers
Central Scheduling Specialist
Swedish American Hospital
02.2018 - 07.2020
- Used electronic systems to enter provider orders and retrieve test results.
- Expedited patient registration process by pre-registering new patients prior to their initial appointments, improving overall experience.
- Contributed to improved departmental organization by maintaining accurate records of patient appointments and contact information.
- Provided exceptional support during high call volume periods, managing multiple lines simultaneously without compromising quality of service.
- Communicated information to patients regarding requirements for appointments and test preparation.
- Strengthened relationships with healthcare providers through consistent follow-ups and accurate information updates.
- Streamlined appointment cancellations or rescheduling requests, ensuring minimal disruption to daily operations while accommodating patients'' needs effectively.
- Enhanced patient satisfaction with attentive customer service and thorough explanations of appointment procedures.
- Facilitated cross-functional team collaboration by participating in meetings aimed at enhancing operational workflows within the department.
- Achieved optimal efficiency by proactively identifying areas for improvement within the central scheduling system.
- Optimized scheduling processes by implementing efficient time management techniques and prioritizing appointments.
- Consistently exceeded departmental performance metrics by effectively managing time and maintaining strong attention to detail in all aspects of the central scheduling role.
- Supported a positive work environment by fostering open communication channels among team members and management staff.
- Maintained compliance with HIPAA regulations through strict adherence to confidentiality protocols when handling sensitive patient data.
- Managed multiple schedules and prioritized tasks to meet demands of fast-paced work environment.
- Verified insurance coverage and eligibility for medical services prior to scheduling appointments to prevent billing issues.
Estee Lauder Counter Manager
Macy's / Estee Lauder Cosmetics
07.2016 - 02.2017
- Trained and developed new associates on POS system and key sales tactics
- Increased profits through effective sales training and troubleshooting profit loss areas
- Instructed staff on appropriately handling difficult and complicated sales
- Promoted products to increase retail sales
- Followed through with client requests in a timely manner
- Maintained a solid knowledge base of all Estee Lauder products
- Entered client information into the databases quickly and with minimal errors
- Performed make-overs and facials according to clients' needs
- Counted cash drawers and prepared deposits
- Assigned employees to specific duties to best meet the needs of the store
- Reported to the district manager regarding all store and staff issues
Shiseido Cosmetics Beauty Associate
Macy's/ Shiseido Cosmetics and Skincare
05.2016 - 07.2016
- Greeted customers in a timely fashion while quickly determining their needs
- Recommended merchandise to customers based on their needs and preferences
- Maintained knowledge of current sales and promotions, policies regarding payment and exchanges and security practices
- Completed all cleaning, stocking and organizing tasks in assigned sales area
- Built relationships with customers to increase likelihood of repeat business
- Contributed to team success by exceeding team sales goals by 85%
- Called clients to confirm upcoming appointments
- Followed through with client requests in a timely manner
- Oversaw the upkeep of the entire facility and notified maintenance for service repairs
- Administered facial massage and skincare services
General Manager
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
07.2010 - 01.2016
- Supervised all in-house aspects of the restaurant
- Managed different areas of restaurant operations such as customer relations, vendors' relations and inventory control
- Specialized in training and motivating new staff regarding their work and responsibilities
- Controlled the overall cash flow on a daily basis to meet the weekly expenditures
- Maintained accounting books regarding employee payroll and sales summaries of the restaurant
- Estimated the daily food consumption and placed orders with suppliers accordingly
- Trained new staff; delineated their responsibilities and restaurant work ethics
- Monitored cooking staff closely to ensure adherence to required standards in terms of quality and safety
- Maintained a friendly environment for staff and customers
- Scheduled working hours of staff and rotation of shifts
- Maintained the cleanliness and sanitation standards of the restaurants by routine checkup of the cleaning done by facilities staff
- Achieved highest employee retention rate in the region
Teacher's Assistant
Weber Elementary/Clear Creek Independent School District
07.2008 - 06.2010
- Planned and implemented classroom core curriculum and instructive programs for children in the absence of the supervising teacher
- Assisted lead teacher in lesson delivery and presentation
- Uphold classroom environment conducive to learning and suitable to the physical, social, and emotional development of students
- Performed general administrative tasks such as filing, record-keeping and taking phone messages
- Maintained records and compiled varied reports in an accurate and timely manner
- Communicated and interacted with parents and caregivers
- Created and implemented age appropriate activities
- Maintained a clean, safe and a fully organized classroom
- Assisted with execution of individual development plans
- Maintained files and records of students' progress
Administrative Assistant
Oral Surgery Associates
01.2002 - 01.2004
- Scheduled surgeries and completed associated paperwork
- Prepared surgical files, obtaining all needed insurance information, x-rays, and medical history
- Ensured that patient information was obtained correctly and filed properly
- Assisted patients and their families by providing them with procedural and diagnostic information
- Scheduled patients for appointments, tests, and surgeries and ensured that follow up calls were made in a timely manner
- Provided patients with proper preoperative and postoperative care and information
- Answered telephone calls and provided callers with information on specific services of the office
- Scheduled appointments between patients and surgeons
- Collected patient co-pays and kept track of deductibles and payments
- Obtained and maintained patient insurance information and financial background for self-payable services
- Ensured that the medical office was clean and maintained at all times
- Assisted in the maintenance of medical charts and/or electronic medical record (filing, Op Reports, test results, home care forms)
- Pre-certified medical and surgical procedures
- Accurately posted and sent out all medical claims
- Interacted with providers and other medical professionals regarding billing and documentation policies, procedures and regulations
- Compiled and tracked outstanding balances owed to medical facilities
Manager
J.M.K. Nippon Restaurant
01.1988 - 01.2000
- Effectively managed payroll and timekeeping, including completion of the proper paperwork for new hires and terminations
- Purchased adequate quantities of necessary restaurant items, including food, beverages, equipment and supplies
- Led and directed team members on effective methods, operations and procedures
- Correctly calculated inventory and ordered appropriate supplies
- Skillfully interacted with external vendors to obtain the best quality in pricing and product
- Promoted a positive atmosphere and went above and beyond to guarantee each customer received exceptional food and service
Education
Bachelor of Arts - English Literature
Rockford University
Rockford, IL01.1995
Associate of Arts - English Literature
Beloit College
Beloit, WI01.1993
Skills
- Insurance benefits understanding
- Commercial and private insurance knowledge
- Billing and collection procedures
- Records maintenance
- Insurance and collections procedures
- Multi-tasking
- Attention to detail
- Office management
- Resourcefulness
- Reliability
- Verbal communication
- Problem solving
- Professional demeanor
- Patient scheduling
- Patient care
- Training and development
- Sales training
- Profit loss analysis
- Product knowledge
- Cash handling
- Sales and promotions knowledge
- Security practices
- Staff training and motivation
- Payroll accounting
- Employee retention
- Bilingual (Japanese/English)
- Epic Medical Software
- Activfax Communication System
- Appointment scheduling
- Patient confidentiality
- Insurance verification
- Professionalism and ethics
- Healthcare systems
- Medical terminology
- HIPAA compliance
- Customer service
- Patient registration
- Conflict resolution
- Regulatory compliance
- Eligibility determination
- Japanese fluency
- Patient education
- Problem-solving
- Friendly and outgoing
- Multitasking and organization
- Team collaboration
- Team leadership
- Customer follow-up
- Verbal and written communication
- Money handling
- Patient check-in
- Registration and admissions
- Electronic health records
- Phone and email etiquette
- Data entry
- Policy understanding
- Payment processing
- EMR
- Pre-admission requests
- Paging systems
- Scheduling diagnostic procedures
- Registration management
- EMR updating
- Post-discharge care coordination
- Referral coordination
- Calm and effective under pressure
- Clerical and filing support
- Japanese fluency
- 80 WPM typing speed
- Multi-line telephone systems
- Reliability and dedication
- Caring and empathetic
- Punctual and hardworking
Additional Information
Certified Dental Assistant, Bilingual Japanese/English, Epic Medical Software, Activfax Communication System, EMR, IDX
Certification
- HIPAA Compliance Certification – Various Providers.
- Customer Service Certification – Various Providers.
- Dental Assistant Certification - 2002
Languages
Japanese
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Patient Service Specialist
Heartcare Centers of Illinois
07.2020 - Current
Central Scheduling Specialist
Swedish American Hospital
02.2018 - 07.2020
Central Scheduler
Mercyhealth Hospital
04.2017 - Current
Fine Jewelry Manager
Macy's
02.2017 - Current
Estee Lauder Counter Manager
Macy's / Estee Lauder Cosmetics
07.2016 - 02.2017
Shiseido Cosmetics Beauty Associate
Macy's/ Shiseido Cosmetics and Skincare
05.2016 - 07.2016
General Manager
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
07.2010 - 01.2016
Teacher's Assistant
Weber Elementary/Clear Creek Independent School District
07.2008 - 06.2010
Administrative Assistant
Oral Surgery Associates
01.2002 - 01.2004
Manager
J.M.K. Nippon Restaurant
01.1988 - 01.2000
Bachelor of Arts - English Literature
Rockford University
Associate of Arts - English Literature
Beloit College
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