Communications Center Call Representative II

VCU Health•Richmond, VA

6d•$16 - $24

About The Position

The Communications Center Call Representative II provides customer-centered service to VCU Health customers, prospective customers, and team members, with an emphasis on patient and team member safety. The role dispatches emergency response teams, provides after-hours answering services to ambulatory clinics, pages physicians and other on-call personnel, and gives general information about patients, team members, and VCU Health services. The representative must comply with applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations, including Joint Commission standards and HIPAA, as well as VCU Health policies and procedures. The representative handles emergency communications, determines caller needs and takes appropriate action for clinic answering services, pages VCU Health personnel using on-call schedules and paging systems, and assists callers seeking general information. The position also provides backup support to the Service Response Center, maintains knowledge of VCU Health facilities and services, and communicates time-sensitive updates. Representatives are essential staff and must be flexible to support safe and continuous coverage, including rotating weekends and holidays and working during inclement weather or disasters.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
At least two years of customer service experience, including interaction with customers in person or through communications channels such as telephone, email, text, fax, or pager.
At least two years of experience using a personal computer and typing at least 45 words per minute.
Experience with software applications including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and email.
Ability to perform routine work with minimal supervision and in a self-directed manner; promptly escalate sensitive, unusual, or policy-related issues to the immediate supervisor.
Ability to answer incoming phone lines, route calls appropriately, and document information as required.
Ability to prioritize emergency communications and dispatch response teams appropriately, including completing required post-call documentation.
Ability to communicate and coordinate by telephone and pager with physicians and other VCU Health personnel, as well as other internal and external contacts.
Ability to work rotating shifts and hours as adjusted to meet unit requirements and ensure patient safety, including every other weekend and rotating holidays.
Ability to perform shift work, hear alarms and telephone or tape-recorder audio, and meet the stated physical demands, including lifting or carrying and pushing or pulling up to 50 pounds, stooping, kneeling, and squatting.
Ability to work in a general office environment, including periods of high stress and fluctuating workloads and prolonged periods of working alone.

Nice To Haves

Some college coursework.
Training in IDX, Epic, or similar scheduling systems.
Experience with database software.
Experience with Cerner, Epic, or a similar electronic medical record system.
Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) training.
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training.
Previous experience in an active call center environment.
Previous work experience in a healthcare setting and knowledge of medical terminology.
Previous experience as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher or 911 dispatcher.
Previous experience as an Emergency Medical Technician.

Responsibilities

Dispatch VCU Health emergency response teams in accordance with emergency operations plans and medical emergency response policies; obtain required information, contact outside resources when needed, make announcements or confirmation calls, and complete required documentation.
Provide after-hours answering service support to VCU Health ambulatory clinics, determine caller needs, manage calls appropriately, and document calls.
Confirm or cancel appointments in Epic, page the appropriate on-call physician using web-based schedules, provide clinic information, and connect callers with life-threatening emergencies to local 911 dispatch.
Page physicians, advanced practitioners, technicians, and leaders; determine appropriate personnel from on-call schedules; adjust on-call schedules as requested; and manage pager coverage and emergency or mass notification groups using the specified systems.
Provide general information and assistance to patients, team members, practitioners, and the public, including directing calls, verifying appointments, providing directions and contact information, and explaining VCU Health services.
Update patient listings in Spok Smart Console when needed, including legal names for patients using computer-generated identifiers and the status of patients registered as no-information patients, while protecting HIPAA-protected information.
Provide backup caller support to the Service Response Center by gathering and relaying information needed to create support tickets.
Maintain knowledge of VCU Health facilities, services, medical terminology, and informational resources; communicate time-sensitive updates to team members and leadership.
Work collaboratively to identify problems and solutions, particularly those related to patient safety, and assist, mentor, and train team members.
Work rotating weekends and holidays, report as scheduled during inclement weather or disasters, and accommodate shift reassignment or overtime as needed to maintain safe staffing.
Perform other duties and special projects as assigned and accept alternate assignments as needed.