Clinical Secretary - Specialty Services Support

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health•New London, NH

About The Position

The Clinical Secretary supports Specialty Services by scheduling appointments, tests, and procedures; responding to patient calls; and helping providers and staff communicate with patients. The role may also act as a liaison between providers and specialists outside of D-H. The position handles patient inquiries and arrival needs, assesses requests from patients without appointments, reviews and adjusts schedules, coordinates follow-up care, manages phone calls, system messages, faxes, and in-baskets, and supports providers and staff in addressing patient questions and concerns. The Clinical Secretary also monitors the waiting room, helps resolve minor concerns, completes departmental administrative tasks, and participates in workflow improvement initiatives.

Requirements

High school graduation or equivalent.
Ability to effectively interact with providers, staff, patients, and insurance plan representatives.
Ability to prioritize multiple tasks.
Knowledge of insurance benefit programs and medical terminology.
Prior computer experience.
Excellent communication skills.
Attention to detail.

Nice To Haves

One year of experience in a provider office is preferred.

Responsibilities

Schedule appointments, tests, and procedures.
Respond to patient calls by providing general information and education.
Greet patients arriving for appointments, provide appropriate questionnaires, answer questions, assist with forms and technology, acknowledge delays, and keep patients updated as needed.
Assess requests from patients without appointments and process requests involving prescriptions, forms, appointments, or speaking directly with clinical support.
Review schedules daily for accuracy, required ancillary services, and incoming records, and make adjustments as needed.
Review wait lists, manage multiple e-DH worklists, and reschedule patients to keep schedules fully booked and meet patient needs.
Complete follow-up needs identified by the After Visit Summary, including booking appointments, scheduling lab and radiology exams, or arranging external procedures.
Receive calls from providers, staff, external provider offices, and patients; assess caller needs and process requests, take messages, schedule appointments, or transfer calls.
Monitor and complete system messages in a timely manner.
Monitor incoming faxes and determine the appropriate course of action in a timely manner.
Review provider schedules at the end of the day, contact patients who require follow-up, and process no-show letters according to current policy.
Support providers and staff in addressing patient questions and concerns, and provide instruction and support on communicating with patients about those matters.
Monitor the waiting room for patients in distress and seek assistance when needed.
Respond to minor patient concerns and complaints using service recovery tactics, and report concerns and complaints to a supervisor or manager.
Monitor, prioritize, and properly route messages in multiple in-baskets, and complete tasks assigned by providers or clinical staff.
Act as a liaison between primary care providers and specialists outside DH.
Participate in initiatives to improve department workflows, policies, and procedures.
Deliver mail to the mail room and collect mail for departmental distribution daily.
Complete monthly tracers and weekly BCA (Business Continuity Application) system checks.
Perform other duties as required or assigned.
Collaborate with others throughout the system as a team player.