Optical Assistant/Office Assistant

Riverside Hospital • Hampton, VA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

This role involves assisting patients with optical needs, including frame selection, fitting, and lens adaptation, as well as performing administrative and bookkeeping tasks. The position requires ensuring compliance with Medicare standards, accurate data entry, patient billing, and maintaining customer service excellence. The Optical Assistant will also be involved in inventory management, display arrangement, and staying updated on optical products and technologies. Additionally, the role may involve performing optical lab technician duties and troubleshooting eyeglass issues.

Requirements

• High School Diploma
• 1-3 years Optical Retail (Preferred)
• 1-3 years Retail (Preferred)

Nice To Haves

• Optical Retail experience
• Retail experience
• Successfully passed class if in Apprentice Program for Opticianry
• Actively participates with additional optical industry training coordinated by manager and Director.

Responsibilities

• Designs, fits, and adapts lenses, frames, and/or contact lenses for patients according to written optical prescription or specifications.
• Assists patients with selecting frames, measures patients for size of eyeglasses, and coordinates frames with facial and eye measurements and optical prescription.
• Prepares lab orders containing instructions for grinding and mounting lenses in frames.
• Verifies exactness of finished lens spectacles.
• Adjusts frame and lens positions to fit patients.
• Performs administrative duties such as tracking inventory, submitting patient insurance claims, and performing simple bookkeeping.
• Arranges and maintains displays of optical merchandise.
• Ensures Medicare claim information is at least 80% compliant to Medicare standards.
• Ensures charges posted in COS, patient receipts, and ABN forms are consistently completed correctly and obtains delivery signatures and dates.
• Collects insurance plan authorizations and accurately explains plan coverage and limitations to patients.
• Accurately calculates, files, and collects any co-payments and surcharges under patient vision plan/discount plan.
• Accurately enters patient data, insurance, prescription, and purchase information into the computer system.
• Collects a minimum of 50% of the order balance before placing an order.
• Accurately posts payments in the computer system and provides patients with invoices.
• Upon dispensing of eyewear, verifies and collects outstanding balances and changes the status of the order to DELIVERED in the computer system.
• Maintains high customer service expectations for patients, their families, physicians, optical team members, and visitors.
• Responds to and, with manager's approval, resolves patient service issues, including lab manufacturing delays and frame back orders.
• Assists with patients as necessary during short periods of staffing or heavy workload.
• Ensures frame inventory selection meets patients' style and vision needs.
• Vendorizes frame boards and ensures that inventory is not damaged, is bench aligned, clean, and free of markings or dust.
• Maintains knowledge of new optical products, technologies, compliance standards, billing, and lab ordering processes.
• Successfully completes annual requirements (CBL's) for mandatory competencies within the required timeframe.
• Supports the Riverside Health System Code of Conduct, Compliance, and Ethics Program.
• Reports any potential compliance concerns to the appropriate person.
• Verifies eyeglasses meet order specifications and industry manufacturing standards by performing quality inspections.
• Dispenses, adjusts, repairs, edges, tints, and correctly performs other bench work.
• Troubleshoots eyeglass vision issues to resolution or appropriate referral to doctor's care.
• Documents steps taken to resolve an issue in the patient's computer record.
• Performs duties of Optical Lab technician as necessary.
• Ensures patient satisfaction by greeting them as they enter the optical department.
• Completes all order processes in a timely and accurate manner while the patient is present.
• Keeps patient wait time to a minimum.
• Reviews frame purchases and Cost of Goods reports with the optical manager throughout each month.
• Returns special order and warranty products within 5 days of patient's non-approval of special order or pick up of warranty replacement.
• Reviews lab invoices for accuracy of order and pricing.
• Completes Lab Tracking Report, verifying outside lab fees match HREA contracted pricing.
• Tracks new lens sales and recommends lenses to be added to contract pricing.
• Submits invoices for corrected pricing and tracks credits.
• Updates Optical Monthly Expense report weekly with lab invoice totals.
• Performs additional duties as defined by Manager and Director.

Benefits

• Actual pay is determined based on job-related factors such as relevant experience, education, credentials, skills, internal equity, and business needs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED