Mental healthcare administrative Assistant

Administrative Healthcare Assistant — Virtual (Healthcare Operations + Project Coordinator)



Location: Remote (Phoenix time zone preferred / core hours overlap 9:00–5:00 MST)
Reports to: Office Manager / Clinical Director
Classification: Full-time, Non-exempt (non-clinical)
Works with: Front Desk, Billing, Clinical Team, Providers, QA



Position summary
We’re hiring a detail-oriented, proactive virtual Administrative Healthcare Assistant / Project Coordinator who will be the operational backbone of our remote front-desk and practice operations. This person will run the virtual check-in workflow, own patient communication and billing liaison tasks, and lead small operational projects that improve patient flow, reduce no-shows, and tighten administrative compliance. They must be an expert at juggling EHR tasks and telehealth logistics, and be comfortable owning projects end-to-end using modern PM tools.



This is a fully remote role. Candidate must be able to create a secure, HIPAA-compliant workspace and be available during core clinic hours (with flexibility for occasional early/late shifts when necessary).



Core responsibilities



1) Virtual Front Desk & Patient Coordination



Run the virtual check-in workflow from first contact through session completion: verify identity and insurance, request/confirm ID & insurance images, collect/confirm copay via Square or card-on-file, confirm telehealth links, and update EHR notes accordingly per BANANA AAPPLE and CHEESE



Triage incoming phone calls, secure messages and emails; respond or escalate per SOPs. Maintain SLAs (e.g., respond to patient messages within 2 business hours during core hours).



Manage scheduling for intakes (60 min), follow-ups (30 min default), and therapy visits (60 min), honoring provider blocks and modalities.



Monitor no-show/cancellation queue and run scripted outreach to reschedule, document outreach, and apply fees per policy.



Prepare pre-visit chart packets and superbills for providers; ensure charts are complete 48 hours prior to scheduled visits.



Ensure accurate demographics, medication lists, pharmacy, and emergency contact updates in the EHR.



2) Billing & Insurance Support



Verify eligibility and pre-authorization needs prior to visits; track outstanding eligibility failures and follow up.



Collect copays and reconcile daily collections with billing; maintain credit card authorizations and PCI/HIPAA compliance.



Help triage denials and re-bills and coordinate with Billing to reduce aged AR.



Maintain accurate documentation for superbills and submissions so encounters close promptly.



3) Telehealth & Technology Management



Own telehealth logistics: create/validate session links, send confirmations, troubleshoot patient connection issues, and guide patients through virtual check-in.



Be fluent with Practice Fusion (or equivalent EHR), Square/PayPal for payments, telehealth platforms ( ---------- ), e-fax/e-fax queues, and secure patient file upload procedures.



Maintain an equipment checklist and ensure secure storage of credentials (use company vault) — never email PHI insecurely.



4) Project Coordination & Continuous Improvement



Lead and coordinate office projects such as: virtual triage redesign, scheduling optimization, EHR template updates, and onboarding workflows.



Build and maintain project plans with milestones, owners, status updates, and risk logs in Asana/ClickUp/Teams Planner.



Run weekly status huddles for operational initiatives and deliver monthly KPIs to management.



Identify process gaps and propose SOP changes; draft SOP updates and training guides for staff.



5) Compliance, Reporting & QA



Maintain daily and weekly checklists: opening/closing tasks, med-fridge logs, supply orders, and safety walkthroughs (virtual analogues where applicable).



Ensure documentation and communications follow HIPAA minimum-necessary rules; participate in monthly QA spot checks and staff micro-trainings.



Prepare operational reports: no-show rates, appointment confirmation rates, average response time, and resolution times for administrative tickets.



6) Team Communication & Back-up



Serve as the remote “glue”: coordinate between providers, medical assistants, billing, and other admins.



Maintain clear handoffs and task ownership. Escalate provider or patient risks immediately.



Be available as a backup to other administrative roles during vacations or high volume.



Qualifications & experience



2+ years in a medical/behavioral health front desk, virtual patient services, or clinical administrative role (behavioral health experience strongly preferred).



Demonstrated project coordination experience (managing timelines, tasks, and stakeholder communications).



Strong EHR experience (Practice Fusion or equivalent), telehealth systems, and payment processors (Square, PCI concepts).



Excellent written and verbal communication; professional phone manner.



Working knowledge of HIPAA, OSHA basics, and insurance verification practices.



Comfortable with Asana/ClickUp/Teams Planner, MS Teams, Google Suite or Office 365, and Excel/Sheets for reporting.



High integrity, reliable high-speed internet, a private workspace, and willingness to submit proof of secure environment tools if requested.



Preferred: Associate/BA in healthcare administration, project management certification, or formal training in medical billing/insurance.



Key competencies & traits



Owner mentality: closes loops, tracks tasks to completion, escalates proactively.



Time management: manages multiple priorities and fast-moving tasks without micromanagement.



Attention to detail: accurate data entry, superbill prep, and payment reconciliation.



Customer focus: empathetic, calm with patients in distress, professional with providers.



Analytical: tracks trends, identifies root causes, and suggests measurable improvements.



Tech-savvy & adaptive: learns new tools quickly and documents workflows.



Performance metrics (KPIs)



Patient message response time: ? 2 business hours during core hours.



Virtual check-in completion rate: ? 95% of scheduled visits completed as “checked in” 30 min before appointment.



No-show outreach & reschedule rate: contact attempts recorded for 100% of no-shows within 24 hours; reschedule conversion target ? 60%.



Superbills and chart prep accuracy: ? 98% completeness before sessions.



Project deliverables: projects completed on time ? 85%; operational improvements produce measurable gains (e.g., decreased no-show by X%).



AR / billing support: reduce re-bill queue by target ?ch month (set quarterly).



Onboarding & 90-day training plan
Week 1: Orientation — HIPAA, Desert Bolt SOP review, EHR access & practice environment, telehealth basics.
Weeks 2–4: Shadow existing staff for virtual check-ins, scheduling, copay collection, and message triage; complete mini-projects (e.g., create a checklist for pre-visit chart prep).
30–60 days: Own daily queues independently; handle scheduling, authorizations, and minor billing reconciliations. Start first small process improvement project.
60–90 days: Lead one cross-functional improvement project; complete performance review per the Performance Agreement. Be fully autonomous in virtual check-in, billing liaison, and project tracking.



Tools & environment (remote)



Company provides access to EHR, project tools, and training materials. Candidate must provide: reliable internet (min 100 Mbps recommended), quiet/private workspace, and basic computer hardware (camera + headset).



Must use company-approved methods for PHI (company vault, secure video, encrypted file uploads); no PHI via personal email or insecure channels.



Interview / hiring checklist (suggested)



Ask for a short case: “You have 3 missed appointments today, 4 unresolved prior auth tickets, and 10 patient messages. Walk me through your first 60–90 minutes.”



Test EHR basics and ask for a demo of how they would prepare a superbill and close an encounter.



Ask for an example of a project they owned, tools they used, and measurable outcomes.



Scenario: telehealth patient cannot find the link 5 min before appointment — ask for step-by-step handling.



Compensation & scheduling (example)



Competitive range depending on experience (example band: $18–$27/hr or salary equivalent).



Standard remote schedule with core hours: 9:00–5:00 MST with 1-hour lunch; may include staggered start to overlap providers as necessary.



“This hire must fix” — expectations (use on posting to be explicit)



Never leave messages unacknowledged: zero tolerance for >24-hour unattended patient messages during business days.



Follow through on tasks: if assigned an action item, close or report blockers within the same business day.



No scheduling confusion: accurate appointment entry so providers and patients are never double-booked.



Accurate billing & collections: copays reconciled daily and flagged discrepancies escalated same day.



Document everything: every outreach, authorization, and reschedule must be in the EHR with friendly, clear notes.



Project ownership: lead improvements end-to-end and deliver measurable results.