POSITION: Patient Accounts Representative

WORK HOURS: Monday – Friday / 40hrs.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTION AND RESPONSIBLITIES:

• Responsible for reconciliation of billing account transactions including cash receipts, claims, overdue invoices, interest charges, refunds and related items to ensure accurate information according to established guidelines/procedures.
• Respond to telephone inquiries and patient service request and take appropriate steps to resolve payment concerns.
• Work with insurance carriers to obtain payment on delinquent charges by maintaining a timely follow up process.
• Maintain, follow up and correct as necessary all edits, denials, and rejections at a current status within the established time frame.
• Maintain current knowledge of major payor payment provisions and regulations; as well as ICD-9 and CPT coding requirements.
• Maintain reasonable aging of outstanding accounts receivable guidelines.
• Practice HIPAA as it applies to sensitive information encountered when performing daily processes.
• Operate office equipment, such as voice mail messaging systems, and use word processing, spreadsheet, or other software applications.
• Organize, file and maintain records.

Minimum Job Requirements (Education, Experience, Skills):

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Previous accounts receivable experience preferred.
• Previous medical office experience preferred.
• Possess strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with the staff.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and work with shifting priorities.

APPLY ONLINE NOW

Peoria, IL – Gailey Eye Clinic was recently honored by the Healthcare Advertising Awards, receiving 2 Merit Awards in the Social Media and Physician Referral/ Recruitment categories. This 30th annual awards event was sponsored by Healthcare Marketing Report.

Gailey Eye Clinic, a multi-location vision care practice in Central Illinois and its marketing partner, Central States Media developed a Social Media campaign that focused on a extending the Gailey brand to Facebook to allow patients more accessibility to information as well as more ways to interact with Gailey staff. The interactive Facebook page facilitated and increased patient interaction through custom tabs such as Ask Anna, Locations and Testimonials.

The Physician Referral and Recruitment campaign, also developed with Central States Media, revolved around a multi-channel marketing campaign directing prospective physicians to community-specific websites that promoted the aesthetics, amenities and lifestyles of the communities in which the Gailey practice is located.

Nearly 4,000 entries were received in this year’s competition, making the awards the largest healthcare advertising awards competition; and one of the 10th largest of all advertising awards. A national panel of judges were engaged in reviewing all entries based on creativity, quality, message effectiveness, consumer appeal, graphic design and overall impact.

The Healthcare Advertising Awards is the oldest, largest and most widely respected healthcare advertising awards competition. The awards are sponsored by Healthcare Marketing Report, the leading publication covering all aspects of healthcare marketing, advertising and strategic business development.

The Facebook site can be viewed by visiting https://www.facebook.com/gaileyeyeclinic. The physician recruitment website can be viewed by visiting http://www.lifeatgailey.com.

About Gailey Eye Clinic
Gailey Eye Clinic, headquartered in Bloomington, IL, is a provider of eye care services and specialties including Vision Care, Optical Service, Cosmetic services, Glaucoma, Macular, Retina & Cornea Care, treatment of Cataracts and LASIK surgery using the Allegretto Wave laser system. There are currently 15 clinic and 2 ambulatory surgery centers located throughout central Illinois and include Bloomington/Normal, Champaign, Decatur, Peoria, LaSalle/Peru, Springfield, Forsyth, Pontiac, Danville, Galesburg, Gibson City, Ottawa, Canton and Watseka.

For more information:
LeAnn Luban
leluban@GaileyEyeClinic.com
309-557-8698

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The addition to the front of the existing building allows for a larger optical department with more frames and sunglasses, a larger contact lens department with two exam rooms and one patient training room, three physician exam rooms and one physician office, Gailey Administrator Tom Restivo said during a tour on Wednesday.

“It’s a lot more convenient for patients,” said Dr. Robert Lee, an ophthalmologist and president of the board of directors of Gailey, 1008 N. Main St., Bloomington.

Susan Pennypacker of Bloomington, a patient who had a vision exam and was fitted for new glasses, agreed.

“The optical department was hidden in the basement,” she said. “Now you come in and see all the glasses. It’s a nice atmosphere.”

The expansion to the building, now 35,000 square feet, was prompted by growth in numbers of Gailey patients, especially patients of Gailey’s retina program, Lee said. Dr. Sumit Bhatia became McLean County’s first retinal specialist when he joined Gailey in September.

The growing retina program will take over space that had been for three physician exam rooms and a physician office, which were moved to the addition. The lower level space formerly occupied by the optical and contact lens departments may be converted for Gailey’s growing laser vision correction program, Restivo said.

The addition was designed by Edwards Architects of Bloomington and built by Johnston Contractors of Bloomington to match the architecture and color of the existing Gailey building, said Lee and architect Bob Edwards.

“We wanted to preserve the old trees and create a building that looks the same as the original 1941 building, so it would look like the same Gailey Eye Clinic that everyone remembers,” Edwards said.

The wrought iron fence around the front of the building will be reinstalled. The fence dates back to the late 1800s, when the Funk home was on the property.

“We gave great attention to the architecture because this is a landmark building on the Main Street corridor,” Lee said. “But, when you walk inside, it looks like a whole new building.”

Gailey, with eight ophthalmologists and four optometrists, has 160 employees – 70 at the Bloomington clinic; 20 at Bloomington Eye Institute, its outpatient surgery center across from the clinic; and the remaining employees at Gailey’s other clinics in Central Illinois.

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BLOOMINGTON — Gailey Eye Clinic doesn’t act its age. The vision care practice, which turned 70 years old this year, continues to add physicians, procedures and locations.

A new generation of ophthalmologists is providing services. Dr. Robert Lee, president of Gailey’s board of directors, noted that the ophthalmologists that he joined at Gailey in 1994 have retired and have been replaced by a new generation of doctors.

“We are trying to live up to the standards set by Dr. Watson Gailey and the doctors who followed him,” Lee said.

The fact that much of this growth has happened during a recession makes it more noteworthy.

“It does appear to be contrary,” Lee said in Gailey’s home office at 1008 N. Main St., Bloomington — a 1941 building that is undergoing a renovation.

Health care reform is resulting in consolidation of medical providers and Gailey offers an efficient administrative system as existing ophthalmologic practices join Gailey, administrator Tom Restivo said.

The growth model is “risky in some ways,” said Dr. Jerry Ringer of Bloomington, a Gailey ophthalmologist from 1970 until he retired in December 2003.

“We are reinvesting in our business, which includes assuming some long-term debt,” Lee admitted. “But we believe in the services we provide.”

An example of investment is more than $1 million to convert to an electronic medical record beginning Aug. 9, Lee and Restivo said.

Ringer supports the growth model and gives the following examples: In 2007, Gailey added a retinal surgeon, Dr. Sumit Bhatia, and on Monday, Gailey adds a specialist in oculoplastics, Dr. Alan Oester, who will perform plastic surgeries of the eyes and face resulting from trauma, illness or for cosmetic reasons.

“Bloomington-Normal couldn’t support those specialists solely,” Ringer said. By adding other locations, the specialists see patients and perform surgeries in Bloomington and other locations, he said.

Dr. Watson Gailey opened the clinic in 1941 and later added an eye bank to preserve tissue for corneal transplants. Over the years, the original clinic building has expanded several times, most recently in 2008.

The clinic also has added satellite clinics, beginning with Peru in 1983. Gailey — which had 95,000 patient-visits last year — has 13 locations in Central Illinois, with 2011 additions of Galesburg and Ottawa (where existing ophthalmologic practices joined Gailey) and Canton (where Gailey is partnering with Graham Hospital).

In addition, in October, Gailey will open a new building in Springfield, where the vision care practice expanded in 2008.

Gailey is staffing the 13 clinics — as well as Bloomington Eye Institute, its outpatient surgery center at 1008 N. Center St., Bloomington — with 200 full- and part-time employees, 11 ophthalmologists and four optometrists. Among recent additions are an ophthalmologist, Dr. Sarah Khodadadeh; an optometrist, Dr. Kristen Clark; and patient service coordinator Samantha Greenburg.

“By having multiple people in the practice, Gailey can bring in new people with new skills, which provides an incentive for everyone to learn,” Ringer said.

Besides general ophthalmology, optometry, retinal surgery and oculplastics, other services include surgeries for cataracts and glaucoma, laser vision correction and pediatric ophthalmology.

Even long-time procedures are being updated. For example, some cataract surgery patients no longer just receive an artificial lens to replace the clouded lens with the cataract but the patients’ glasses prescription may be incorporated into the lens for near or distance vision, which could reduce the use of glasses.

In addition, Toric intraocular lenses (IOL) treat astigmatism, a blur that results from an irregularly shaped cornea, Lee said. Patients receiving a Toric IOL can see better because their cataract is removed, their near or distance vision is improved and their astigmatism is reduced.

Among patients who had the procedure recently was Clara Lehan, 66, of Towanda, a registered nurse with Illinois State University’s Student Health Services, who developed vision problems because of cataracts and astigmatism in each eye.

On July 12, the Toric procedure was performed by Lee at Bloomington Eye Institute on Lehan’s right eye, which also corrected her distance vision. The procedure was performed on her left eye — including correcting her near vision — on July 19.

“It went fine,” Lehan said minutes after her left eye procedure. “I can see more clearly, objects are brighter and my distance vision has improved.”

“It’s excellent how they do surgery and post-op right here” at Bloomington Eye Institute, she said. Recalling that cataract patients in the 1970s had to be on bed rest for four to five days, Lehan applauded the “progress” of being able to return home shortly after her procedure.

Ringer said Gailey’s longevity was “remarkable” and attributed it to the clinic’s ability to attract new medical professionals while retaining existing staff.

“Gailey Eye Clinic has been here for 70 years and will be here for another 70 years,” Lee said. “We’re not going anywhere.”

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“It’s very nice,” said patient Carol Sauder of Roanoke.

Sauder had been getting injections in her left eye by Dr. Sumit Bhatia for wet macular degeneration at Gailey’s main office, 1008 N. Main St., Bloomington. On Monday, she had her first appointment and injection with Bhatia at the new center, 2501 E. College Ave., Suite B, Bloomington.

“It’s convenient,” Sauder said of the new center. “It’s easy to get in and out of.”

That’s a goal of Gailey’s expansion, said Dr. Robert Lee, president of Gailey’s board of directors.

Moving Gailey’s growing retinal business from Main Street to the former Heartland Eyecare Group location means more room for retinal services and easier access for retinal patients, Lee said. In addition, the move means more room for Gailey’s general ophthalmologic care, which remains on Main Street, he said.

“This will allow us to provide retinal care in a better environment,” Lee said. A smaller office with parking right outside the front door makes it easier for patients and more efficient for staff, he said.

“Better patient flow and less waiting time in both locations is the goal,” Lee said.

Bhatia and seven Gailey employees relocated to the new center. Meanwhile, Gailey’s overall growth means four or five more employees will be added to the Main Street location, Lee said.

Purchase of the College Avenue location combined with renovation and equipment costs mean that Gailey is investing about $1 million in the facility, said Gailey Administrator Tom Restivo.

Bhatia and the staff are treating macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and other retinal vascular disorders with exams, injections and minor procedures. Bhatia will continue to perform retinal surgeries at Gailey’s Bloomington Eye Institute and at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, Normal.

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