Front Desk Specialist – Lead

North Florida Surgeons•Jacksonville, FL

About The Position

Our quickly growing surgical practice is seeking an experienced and professional Front Office Specialist to join our team in a leadership capacity. This position will lead and supervise a team of two front desk clerks, serving as both a hands-on leader and a key implementer of operational initiatives. The Front Desk Specialist will work under the direction of the Practice Administrator, translating strategic directives into actionable workflows while providing exceptional customer service to patients. This is a leadership position that requires the ability to manage staff, drive process improvements, and execute action plans while maintaining the highest standards of patient care. The ideal candidate will balance leadership responsibilities with direct patient interaction and administrative duties, functioning as a collaborative team player who works seamlessly with colleagues and management. If you have experience working in a front office role at a healthcare practice with leadership potential or experience, we want to hear from you! As the Front Desk Specialist – Lead, you will act as the first point of contact for our patients and set the tone for the visit through excellent patient care. You will be responsible for leading your team to create a smooth check-in/out experience for patients while implementing policies, procedures, and improvement initiatives directed by the Practice Administrator.

Requirements

1–3 years in a medical office or healthcare administrative role required.
Demonstrated leadership abilities with the capacity to manage, motivate, and hold team members accountable.
Proven ability to implement directives from senior management and translate strategic plans into daily operations.
Prior medical/healthcare experience with Athena and familiarity with methods involved in obtaining prior authorizations and insurance eligibility is required.
Must be dynamic, energetic, and detail oriented with strong decision-making capabilities.
We are looking for a proactive leader, implementer, and team player possessing strong interpersonal and organizational skills.
The applicant must have excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to multi-task.
Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to take initiative while remaining responsive to management direction and collaborative with all team members.
Complies with all Federal, State, HIPAA, and OSHA guidelines as well as organizational policies and procedures.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office software, especially Excel, Outlook, Word.
Ability to support and implement new ideas and technology in daily workload to improve practice workflow.
Must demonstrate superior customer service skills and communicate with patients in a courteous, professional, cooperative and respectful manner.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with vendors, employees, other managers and physicians.

Responsibilities

Lead, supervise, and develop a team of two front desk clerks, providing daily direction, coaching, and performance feedback.
Translate action plans and strategic directives from the Practice Administrator into executable workflows for the front desk team.
Implement process improvements, policy changes, and new initiatives as directed by practice leadership.
Train and mentor front desk team members on office procedures and Athena workflows.
Oversee daily front desk operations to ensure efficiency, accuracy, and adherence to practice standards.
Monitor attendance, performance, and adherence to company policies for front desk staff.
Establish performance standards for work assignments, monitor work status and progress including goals and objectives by aligning people and projects to achieve initiatives.
Serve as the primary point of contact for front desk concerns or escalations.
Identify opportunities for process improvement and recommend solutions to the Practice Administrator.
Report to the Practice Administrator on front desk performance metrics and team progress.
Demonstrate accountability for team outcomes while maintaining the flexibility to pivot based on leadership direction.
Welcome patients into the practice by way of in-person visits, telephones, referrals, and electronic communications.
Schedule, confirm, and reschedule patient appointments using Athena's scheduling system.
Verify patient insurance benefits and eligibility and have clear understanding of co-payments, co-insurance, and deductibles.
Demonstrate ability to correctly communicate benefits to patients.
Obtain and assure appropriate referrals are received prior to patient visits, including consultations (new and follow-up from hospital).
Post charges accurately to patient accounts utilizing prior basic knowledge of CPT Codes, ICD10 codes and modifiers.
Collect and post patient co-payments, co-insurance and deductibles at time of service as well as any patient outstanding balances.
Maintain an orderly and efficient office routine by prioritizing work activities, evaluating effectiveness and modifying activities if necessary.
Answer patient calls, letters and other correspondence as appropriate in an acceptable time frame.
Maintain accurate personnel records and files pertaining to physician clinic and surgery calendars/schedules.