Detroit Receiving Hospital in Detroit, MI is seeking a Patient Advocate Representative to serve as the frontline connection between self-pay patients and the full range of governmental and non-governmental financial assistance programs available to them. This bedside-facing, patient-centered role sits at the intersection of healthcare access, financial clearance, and social services navigation — making a direct impact on patients' ability to receive and afford care. The position operates across both hospital and office environments, including the Emergency Department, and requires someone who can build trust with patients and families quickly while managing complex account workflows with precision.
Perks and Benefits
- Competitive benefits package included with employment
- Access to resources and incentives through a large, nationally recognized healthcare organization with more than 30 years of industry expertise
- Career advancement and leadership development opportunities within a company serving clients across more than 135 local regions nationwide
- Reasonable accommodations provided for qualified individuals with disabilities
- Vaccination and health screening support as part of onboarding process
- E-Verify participating employer with equal opportunity employment practices
Practice Highlights
- Bedside patient interviews conducted directly in the hospital environment, including Emergency Department settings and across broad campus areas
- Screens self-pay patients for eligibility across a wide spectrum of programs: Medicaid, Medicare, state and county government programs, auto insurance, Workers' Compensation, commercial insurance, private insurance, and third-party liability (TPL)
- Completes and obtains Confidential Financial Statement forms and guides patients through the benefits application process
- Performs financial clearance functions including collections activity and preparation of accounts for Financial Assistance review
- Manages follow-up on EES-assigned accounts to ensure government applications are processed through to eligibility determination
- Conducts field visits to patient homes for skip tracing and document assistance — some travel required
- Communicates case screening determinations and outcomes to hospital case management, social services, and admissions staff via both verbal and written channels
- Maintains complete, accurate documentation of all account activity throughout the in-house stay and the full Patient Accounting cycle
- Works across multiple facilities and hospital platforms simultaneously, coordinating with multiple supervisors and departments
Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent required
- Minimum 2 years of work experience in Social Services, Hospital Admitting, or a directly related field
- Working familiarity with Federal, State, and County program rules and regulations governing patient financial assistance
- Proficiency in PC systems including Windows, Microsoft Outlook, Excel, and Word
- Strong oral and written communication skills with the ability to build rapport with patients and families under stressful circumstances
- Demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks independently across a fast-paced hospital environment
- Detail-oriented with experience handling multi-facility or multi-platform workflows
- Bilingual in Spanish preferred
- Ability to walk through hospital and campus environments, visit patients at bedside, and travel for field visits as required
About the Community
Detroit, Michigan is a city in active revitalization — home to a vibrant arts and music scene, world-class sports franchises, a booming culinary landscape, and a deeply rooted sense of community pride. The metro area offers a wide range of neighborhoods at a cost of living well below the national average for a major city, with strong public and private school options and easy access to the Great Lakes region's outdoor recreation. Detroit's central location in the Midwest places it within a short drive of Ann Arbor, Windsor (Canada), and the broader Great Lakes shoreline, making it an appealing base for clinicians and healthcare professionals who want urban energy without coastal price tags.