Front Office Receptionist

At Community Medical Centers (CMC), we’re passionate about improving health and well-being in the communities we call home. That’s why we work to ensure even our most vulnerable neighbors have affordable access to quality healthcare, regardless of age, income, or background. We offer integrated medical, dental, behavioral health, and supportive services, with a model of care that puts the patient at the center of a team-based approach. As one of the region’s largest healthcare providers, our growing network of neighborhood health centers serves over 100,000 patients in San Joaquin and Solano counties.

MISSION

Working together to improve health and well-being in our communities.

BENEFITS

• Competitive Pay
• Medical, Dental, & Vision benefits options for full-time employees
• Flexible spending account for medical expenses
• Dependent care
• Employee assistance program
• Life Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Short Term/Long Term Disability Insurances
• 403(b) retirement saving plan with company match
• 10 paid sick days/12 Holidays/Vacations days vary on position
• In Shape Discounted Gym Membership
• Excellent growth and advancement opportunities
• Collaborative and diverse environment

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Front Office Receptionist is a member of our Care Team, responsible for conducting several key processes to provide an excellent customer service experience. This includes: welcoming and assisting patients/visitors to CMC, in person, on the phone, or via our text-based platform; referring  patients/clients/visitors to the appropriate departments; making appointments for patients according to established Center protocols; assisting patients/clients with forms or general information; assisting with Empanelment and Team-based care efforts; Performing robust confirmation calls, pre-visit planning, chart scrubbing, red carpeting, tetrising, and updating health records as directed. The Front Office Receptionist will follow team-based care best practices, facilitate patients’ access to services, ensure continuity and coordination of care and improve provider utilization metrics at their assigned site. The Front Office Receptionist reports to the Front Office Supervisor or Center Manager at the site of assignment, for supervision, training, delivery of services and performance evaluations.

SPECIFIC DUTIES:

• Promotes the mission, vision, and values of the organization.
• Warmly welcome and greet patients/clients/visitors to the clinic/department in person (red carpeting) or on the phone or via text, in a manner that is helpful and friendly; determine purpose of visit and direct patients/clients/visitors to appropriate person or department(s).
• Perform any patient/visitor screening per CMC guidelines.
• Register patients within the Electronic Health Record. Accurately and timely collect, enter, scan or update, as appropriate, all pertinent patient data within the relevant system. 
• Schedule appointments as needed, over the phone, in person or via CMC’s text messaging platform, in accordance with CMC policies and guidelines. Follow check in and check out procedures in accordance with Front Office workflows and organizational guidelines.
• Verify accuracy and completeness of information, obtain necessary consents, and documentation on all patients upon registration and scheduling.
• When scheduling appointments, carefully screen patients for new address, contact information, new patient visit or update registration and inform patient of adequate information that must be presented at time of visit.
• Screen patients for insurance and program eligibility. Verify insurance eligibility through proper insurance verification systems and updating payor codes. Submit correction of encounters with appropriate payor attached. Scan all insurance/program cards into Electronic Health Record.
• Review all upcoming and past appointments to ensure that patients have the most appropriate Primary Care Provider (PCP) assigned to them (Empanelment), review and adjust scheduled appointments as needed to allow patients to see their PCP as often as possible.
• Conduct Robust Confirmation calls 1-3 days prior to appointment, confirms patient availability and collects all pertinent patient information prior to patient encounter.
• Organize appointments in the schedule per patient arrival times and provider availability (Tetrising), while clearly maintaining communication between the front and back office, and to the patient of any changes made to appointment times.
• Utilize pre-visit planning tools to decrease missed opportunities and improve quality of care. Attend clinic huddles and pull/review front office metrics and visit planning reports daily.
• Attend routine department meetings, in service trainings, and other meetings as required to maintain professional growth and comply with the organization policy.
• Practices confidentiality and privacy protocols in accordance to organization policies and HIPAA requirements.
• Maintain timely communication with rest of the care team and the patient to notify them of any delays to the schedule, appointment cancellations or reschedules.
• Follow up timely on any critical tasks, phone calls and route queries appropriately, particularly relating to critical labs, diagnostic imaging, etc.
• Follow managed care procedures, as applicable to obtain authorization for services to ensure payment and reduce denials.
• Assist patients with patient portal education and registration.
• Conduct outreach to new or established patients with gaps in care or access metrics and documents appropriately on patient record and/or enrollment manager.
• Provide support for new staff training.
• Scan patient forms as appropriate
• Keep up with clinical tasking, inbox, and keeps up with communication from center leadership through different channels.
• Answers telephone, screens and routes calls appropriately, takes messages, and provides information, effectively and efficiently
• Opens and closes clinic buildings as required
• Accepts payments over the counter, fills out receipts and balances cash at end of day
• Handles patient complaints professionally and routes them appropriately to relevant site leadership team members.
• Opens, sorts, and distributes mail
• Processes requests for medical records
• Travels to different sites as assigned
• Performs other tasks as assigned

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Completion of high school or possession of GED.
• At least one year of full-time experience as a receptionist, at least one year of experience in a customer service position with a community-based organization, or satisfactory completion of a medical receptionist or medical assistant training program.
• Ability to provide sensitive and respectful care to individuals from diverse backgrounds, in accordance with CMC mission, vision, and values.
• Ability to work with computers and data entry. Ability to type 35 wpm and a typing certificate is preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of business office procedures
• Knowledge of grammar, spelling, and punctuation to type patient information
• Skill in operating computer, phone, copier, and facsimile (FAX) machine
• Skill in greeting patients and answering the tele­phone in a pleasant and helpful manner
• Ability to communicate clearly
• Ability to exercise diplomacy and tact to provide excellent customer service for patients.
• Ability to keep up with email, text, phone and other forms of team based and patient communication
• Ability to learn clinical applications, web-based applications, text messaging platform.
• Ability to sort and file materials correctly by alphabetic or numeric systems
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with patients, employees, and the public
• Ability to maintain quality control standards.
• Ability to react calmly and effectively in emergency situations.
• Ability to interpret, adapt and apply guidelines and procedures.
• Successfully demonstrates annual competency of identified skills. Completes required didactic and observational competency testing required on time.
• Listens skillfully and displays a willingness and ability to acknowledge the needs, expectations and values of others through the use of reflective listening and empathy conveyance.  Responds to needs in ways that are helpful and beyond expectation.
• Communicate effectively by using welcoming words, proper tone of voice, appropriate body language, eye contact and smiling with every interaction.
• Ability to provide excellent customer service that is reflective of a culture that values trust and respect.

TYPICAL PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Work may require sitting for long periods of time; also stooping, bending and stretching for files and supplies.  Occasionally lifting files or paper weighing up to 35 pounds.  Requires manual dexterity sufficient to operate a keyboard, type at 35 wpm, operate a computer, calculator, telephone, copier, and such other office equipment as necessary.  Vi­sion must be correctable to 20/40 and hearing must be in the normal range for telephone contacts.  It is necessary to view and type on computer screens for long periods and to work in an environment which can be very stressful.

TYPICAL WORKING CONDITIONS:

Work is performed in an office environment within a clinic setting. Involves frequent contact with staff and the public. Work may be stressful at times. Contact may involve dealing with upset people.

This job description is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, skills, or duties required for the job and is subject to review and change at any time, with or without notice, in accordance with the needs of Community Medical Centers. Since no job description can detail all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time in the performance of a job, duties, and responsibilities that may be inherent in a job, reasonably required for its performance, or required due to the changing nature of the job shall also be considered part of the jobholder’s responsibility.

Community Medical Centers is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is CMC’s policy to provide equal employment opportunities to all persons, regardless of age, national origin, race (including hair texture and hairstyle), color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit based factors.