Phone Operator

Family Health Care Centers of Greater Los Angeles•Bell Gardens, CA

About The Position

The Phone Operator works in the Reception Department and serves as a liaison between callers and medical support staff. The role answers and triages calls, takes and routes messages, schedules appointments, provides accurate information about clinic services, and supports patient scheduling and flow. The operator may also cover the Reception Desk and perform related front-office duties. The position requires maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality, providing excellent customer service, and working cooperatively with patients, staff, and other departments.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Current CPR certification, maintained up to date.
Spanish speaking required; bilingual English/Spanish is listed, and familiarity with Hispanic culture is required.
At least one year of medical terminology experience.
At least one year of telephone skills experience.
At least one year of customer service experience.
Typing speed of at least 25 words per minute.
Access to transportation; a valid California driver’s license and state-mandated automobile insurance are specified in the minimum qualifications.
Ability to prioritize workload, meet tight time-sensitive deadlines, and work under pressure in a busy or hectic environment, including heavy telephone duty.
Strong verbal and written communication, interpersonal, customer service, problem-solving, analytical, planning, and organizational skills.
Knowledge of administrative principles and procedures.
Ability to handle multiple tasks, adapt to program changes and agency growth, and complete work thoroughly and accurately with attention to detail.
Ability to work and communicate effectively with people from diverse cultural, educational, social, and economic backgrounds.
Motivation and commitment to providing high-quality healthcare to indigent and underserved communities.
Ability to promote teamwork and work effectively with others in a professional, team-oriented environment.
Must maintain patient confidentiality in accordance with clinic policy and HIPAA guidelines.
Willingness to travel.
Must maintain attendance according to policy and a clean, safe work area.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a medical office setting.
FQHC experience.
Computer knowledge, including NextGen (E.H.R. and PMS), Microsoft Word, and Excel.
Knowledge of My Health LA, PPOs, HMOs, Medicare, Family PACT, CPSP, Medi-Cal, Fee-for-Service, CHDP, Managed Care Plans, and Every Woman Counts.
Ability to speak Spanish is also identified as preferred, although Spanish speaking is separately listed as required.

Responsibilities

Answer and route telephone calls courteously and promptly, identifying the department and themselves, answering by the third ring, and allowing callers to respond before placing them on hold.
Sort messages for departmental personnel and retrieve saved messages from the Solution Reach answering service.
Notify staff of calls by contacting their direct extension first and, if unanswered, paging over the intercom no more than twice.
Provide accurate and reliable information about clinic services.
Make reminder calls for next-day appointments and contact new-patient no-shows to reschedule.
Cover the Reception Desk as needed.
Update or modify patient demographic information according to front-office policies.
Offer Dental, Optometry, and/or Behavioral Services.
Verify Medical/MHLA eligibility for new or current patients as needed.
Review online appointment requests in the Patient Portal and call patients to schedule appointments.
Maintain a neat, clean, and safe work area and protect patient and employee privacy and confidentiality.
Respond positively and promptly to patient and provider needs and inquiries, ensuring excellent customer service.
Cooperate effectively with others, promote teamwork across the Front Office and other departments, and seek additional duties that support continuity of operations.
Complete assignments by the end of the scheduled shift and communicate work-related problems to the Department Supervisor and Lead.
Identify and implement measures to provide high-quality care and improve services.
Work with operations managers to manage patient scheduling and flow and address bottlenecks and scheduling issues.
Handle patient grievances according to FHCCGLA policy and procedure.
Assist with developing, updating, and reviewing FHCCGLA policies and procedures as needed.
Maintain HIPAA compliance and confidentiality of patient data and the E.H.R./Practice Management System according to regulations and FHCCGLA policies and procedures.
Attend required quarterly staff meetings and trainings, corporate risk management meetings, and other meetings as scheduled or needed.
Stay informed about legal and regulatory changes, programs and payors, accepted insurance and services, and applicable policies and procedures.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Observe time-card and attendance policies, maintain a current annual health screening, display visible identification, and follow safety, employee health, and fire regulations.

Benefits

Medical coverage through Kaiser, Anthem Blue Cross, Health Net, or United Health Care HMO plans; the employer pays 100% of employee coverage, subject to change during open enrollment.
403(b) through Mutual of America, with company matching up to 5% of salary.
MetLife dental coverage (HMO/PPO).
11 observed holidays and 2 floating holidays.
MetLife vision coverage.
One birthday holiday.
Life insurance, including Accidental Death & Dismemberment, and long-term disability.
Paid sick leave: 56 hours; the posting also specifies 40 hours for full-time employees and 7 paid sick leave without clarifying the relationship among these figures.
Two weeks’ vacation.
Employee Assistance Program.
AFLAC benefits.