Dental Front Desk Representative

Neighborhood Health•Arlington, VA

19d

About The Position

Under the supervision of the Dental Front Desk Lead, the Dental Front Desk Representative greets and assists patients with appointment needs and maintains patient records and accounts. The role promotes Neighborhood Health services by consulting with patients, gathering information, and evaluating their needs, while demonstrating dedication to the organization’s philosophy and mission. The representative handles patient registration, demographic updates, eligibility and insurance verification, payment collection, appointment reminders, and patient questions or complaints. The position works closely with dentists and dental assistants to support efficient patient flow, maintains organized front-desk and waiting areas, and follows organizational policies and HIPAA requirements. Dental-specific work includes keeping dental files current with the EMR, managing new-patient check-in and dental records, maintaining routing slips and end-of-day reporting, checking dental claims before checkout, tracking referrals for specialized treatment, and preparing monthly reports for the Ryan White program. The employee may support workflow improvements and projects, rotate among locations, work evenings or weekends if needed, and take on other duties as assigned.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
At least 2 years of medical-field experience answering phones, scheduling appointments, and handling patient questions or complaints.
Ability to relate to patients, with familiarity with medical terminology and triage procedures.
Demonstrated ability to build and maintain good customer rapport.
Excellent interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to work effectively with a diverse workforce and client base.
Experience with information technology, electronic health records, medical records, and dental records.
Experience working with culturally diverse populations and underserved populations.
Knowledge of the local health care environment.
Ability to work under minimal supervision.
Ability to rotate between different locations.
Availability to work evenings or weekends if needed.

Nice To Haves

Ability to speak, read, and write in English or Spanish; preferred.

Responsibilities

Greet patients, families, and visitors courteously and professionally.
Use the EMR to register new patients and update existing patient demographic, personal, and financial information.
Verify patient eligibility, insurance coverage, and method of payment before visits.
Collect co-pays, deductibles, and outstanding balances according to established policies, and issue receipts.
Inform patients of outstanding balances and remind them that dental appointments are prepaid.
Call patients with appointment reminders.
Respond diplomatically to patient questions and complaints, using problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills; refer complaints to designated personnel when needed.
Coordinate with dentists and dental assistants to support smooth patient flow and reduce waiting time.
Keep patient waiting areas, office files, and front-desk areas organized and neat.
Attend scheduled staff meetings and other meetings as needed.
Follow Neighborhood Health policies and procedures and comply with HIPAA requirements.
Verify dental files are current with the EMR and that the correct billing type is assigned.
Complete new-patient dental check-in, including obtaining health history and registration forms, scanning them into the dental record, and identifying the assigned dental chart type on the patient account.
Manage routing slips and verify completed treatment for start- and end-of-day reporting.
Verify dental claims are complete before HL7 checkout procedures.
Maintain records of dental referrals and follow up for patients needing specialized treatment.
Complete monthly reports for the Ryan White program.
Assist with developing, coordinating, and recommending workflow improvements.
Take on project lead roles and support ad hoc departmental needs as assigned.
Rotate between different locations and work evening or weekend hours if needed.
Work under minimal supervision and perform additional duties as assigned.