Clinical Faculty (Open Rank)/Clinical Pharmacist, Coordinator, Patient Access Center (PAC)

Summary/Description The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Retzky College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Ambulatory Pharmacy Services is seeking a full-time Clinical Faculty (Open Rank)/Clinical Pharmacist, Coordinator, Patient Access Center (PAC). This position provides operational and clinical oversight to the Patient Access Center team, which manages prior authorizations and appeals, and leads quality improvement initiatives to ensure efficient, accurate prior authorization services for clinics and patients. The Retzky College of Pharmacy at UIC, with campuses in Chicago and Rockford, is the #1 college of pharmacy in the state of Illinois and the #15 college in the US ranked by US News World Report. More information about the College and Department of Pharmacy Practice can be found at https://pharmacy.uic.edu and https://dpp.pharmacy.uic.edu Duties The academic responsibilities of the clinical faculty member include the provision of didactic lectures and precepting entry level Doctor of Pharmacy students, PGY1 residents and PGY2 residents. Scholarly activities, including presentations and publications, are an expectation as well. Clinical Pharmacist duties include, but are not limited to: Staff to support day-to-day operations of the Patient Access Center including prior authorization submissions, appeal submissions, clinical support, and collaboration with UI Health medical providers. Staff to support day-to-day operations of other areas including pharmacy operations or the Clinical Care Center as needed. Support the Patient Access Center team and clinics in providing justification to appeal adverse prior authorization outcomes. Identify areas for operational and quality improvement and assist with executing plans to improve operational efficiency and quality. Develop training materials to address knowledge gaps and emerging trends impacting prior authorizations. Collaborate with UI Health providers to suggest alternative therapies based on the patient’s insurance formulary and clinical coverage criteria or following an adverse determination. Serve as a liaison between the Patient Access Center, UI Health pharmacies, and contracted clinics to assure quality and timely service to both clinic and patients. Educational Participate in the education of nursing staff, medical staff, and all members of the health care team. Participate in site specific and departmental staff development by designing, evaluating and providing in-services, continuing education programs and by serving as a preceptor and role model. Participate in the education of PharmD. students, PGY1 and PGY2 residents, international pharmacists, and other pharmacy staff by serving as a preceptor and role model as defined by the guidelines and requirements of the Department of Pharmacy Practice. Provide didactic teaching at the College by serving as recitation facilitator, lecturer, and/or course coordinator. Provide education on new drug therapies to members of the Patient Access Center team. Research and Scholarship Participate in research and scholarly activities. Attend and actively participate in Departmental, College and Team meetings. Represent the Department at University and UIH committees as assigned. Participate in public service events (e.g., Brown Bags, community education, etc.). Coordinator responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Facilitate the daily operations of the Patient Access Center, including daily production and service quality. Facilitate proper coordination of care and service levels by supervising all phases of Patient Access Center operations. Evaluate staff development and identify training needs for Patient Access Center staff. Ensure the team meets all Patient Access Center metrics, including prior authorization first pass and overall approval rates, turnaround time expectations, and sustaining referral volume. Facilitate regular meetings with the Patient Access Center team, including team meetings and individual check-ins. Facilitate the recruitment, hiring, and training of the Patient Access Center team. Assist in probationary evaluations of assigned technicians and externs. Collect and analyze data for operational and quality metrics. Present pertinent updates to the Specialty Pharmacy Quality Committee Meeting. Coordinate and facilitate quarterly meetings with contracted clinics to review prior authorization metrics and to evaluate the quality of the service line. Assist in identifying and developing opportunities to expand the central prior authorization service. Support the Assistant Director of Business, Specialty Pharmacy Services in collaboration with contracted clinics to implement central prior authorization services.