Job Description

JOB TITLE: Scheduling and Hygiene Coordinator

REPORTS TO: Office Manager/Doctor

APPROVED BY: DATE:

- PURPOSE OF THE JOB: The scheduling coordinator is responsible for effective scheduling on a daily basis. An appointment time left unfilled today cannot be filled tomorrow and results in a greatly increased cost of doing business and lowered practice profitability.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES are as follows. Other duties may be assigned:

Appointment Scheduling:

  • + See that the phone is answered before the second ring at all times, in an unhurried manner, and with a smile on your face.
  • When an existing patient telephones to schedule an appointment with our office, always pull the patient's chart.
  • Pre-block the schedule according to agreed upon procedures and time allotments, using "rock, sand, water and gold nuggets". Block out 9 months in advance.
  • Schedule treatment by rooms available.
  • Assume patients will come when you want them to.
  • New patients must be scheduled within 2-3 days of their initial call.
  • Discuss open appointment times at morning meeting. Ask team members for ideas to fill openings.
  • Keep a record of patients who delay treatment, using good verbal skills to get them to proceed. Concentrate on their needs and the return of disease.
  • Form a "quick call" list for any appointment that can be moved forward.
  • Confirm appointments by phone two practice days in advance. This allows more time to adjust schedule if needed. Remind patients that need to be premedicated.
  • Manage late patients / "no shows" I cancel short notice. Keep to absolute minimum. -+ Copy the daily schedule and post it in each room.
  • At the end of each business day, provide the doctor and each hygienist with a copy of the schedule with the patient's telephone number to call that evening.
  • Make sure that the next day is properly scheduled before leaving for the day.
  • See that the front desk is covered and the phone answered at all times (including during all lunch hours
  • Monitor and coordinate all lab cases
  • Make sure there is always a doctor in the building or on the floor to cover hygiene when local anesthetic is being administered (Root debridement Therapy)
  • Manage and keep current the WIN-WIN Team Bonus Program-posting daily
  • Practice the "Golden Rule" when dealing with our patients. Treat them as you would want to be treated (Nordstrom Philosophy).
  • Make sure that any changes make to the schedule when you are not here are given and described to you, so you can present the details at the morning huddle.

Emerqencies

  • True emergencies should always be seen as soon as possible and are glad to come in whenever you want them to. If the patient asks for an appointment at 4:00 or 5:00 p.m., you have a good indication it is not a true emergency.
  • Be compassionate to those in discomfort.

Financial Control

  • No patient is to be scheduled for major work without signed financial arrangements made by the Treatment and Financial Coordinator.
  • Check records each day to approach any patients who have a outstanding balance and inform the Treatment & Financial Coordinator of any patients with outstanding balances that want to schedule diagnosed treatment.
  • Open the mail and post all the checks for the ITM portion of the deposit and give to Financial and Treatment Coordinator to complete the bank deposit slip. Checks should always be deposited the same day. Calculate totals. Enter the In- The-Mail Collections (ITM) and Over-The-Counter (OTC) records into the WIN-WIN Team Bonus Program.
  • Cover for the Treatment & Financial Coordinator during their vacations, breaks, and lunch periods as needed.

Marketing

  • Share positive and negative feedback received from patients to enhance customer service.
  • When appointing a new patient on the phone, always ask if they have any other family members that would like to also schedule.
  • Complete the Telephone Information Slip on all new and emergency patients.
  • Encourage all new patients to schedule a comprehensive examination.
  • Keep the new patient control sheet current.
  • Track all referral sources of new patients on the computer or manually and prepare a month-end report.
  • Track all patients that leave the practice, and their reason for leaving (who had their x-rays sent elsewhere). Ask the patient to help you with valuable feedback on their reasons for leaving and let them know "if for any reason you are not happy where you are going, we'd be happy to welcome you back".
  • Help promote acceptance of needed treatment.
  • Help in asking for referrals. Carry your business cards with you when you are out of the office, so that you can give one to a perspective new patient when the occasion arises.

Continuing Care

  • Be responsible for continuing care system and follow up.
  • Confirm with the patient that the hygienist has scheduled their next recare visit.
  • Perform regular chart audits to reactivate patients who haven't been in during the last 18-24 months.
  • Never let a patient leave the office without scheduling another appointment or updating their continuing care.

Office Procedures

  • Organize and maintain all file systems for quick retrieval of information.
  • Put together all new patient records and charts and check for completeness. . Keep all patients' records up-to-date. . Help coordinate patient flow.
  • Come prepared to the morning meeting to discuss with the dental team, any matters relating to the scheduled patients for the day.
  • Help pull and file all charts for each day's schedule.
  • As scheduling changes occur during the workday, note the changes on the day's schedule sheets in each treatment room.
  • See that all the necessary forms and charts for the next workday are ready before leaving for the day.
  • Keep the doctor informed on all aspects of the office appointment control.
  • Track all referrals to specialists (status and patient compliance).
  • Help monitor and maintain the appearance of the reception area.
  • Maintain the appearance of the front desk area. We never have a second chance to make a "first" impression.
  • Assist the Treatment & Financial Coordinator as time permits.
  • Focus on the patient you are currently working with, whether in person or on the phone. This person is always your first priority.
  • Do not put one patient on hold while you answer another call or to deal with a patient standing in front of you ready to schedule their next appointment.
  • Deal with one person at a time. The phone system will take messages while you are satisfying your current patient's needs. Be sure that the voice mail picks up our phone after the 4th ring. The caller is then advised that the staff is currently helping other patients and if they leave their name and number someone will try and call them back within 5-7 minutes. Let the next patient that arrives at the front desk wait a moment while you complete your current scheduling task. Use both verbal and non-verbal communication to indicate to the waiting patient that you'll be with them in a moment.

MARGINAL DUTIES

  • . Send patient recall notices and postcards Help train new "front desk" personel.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQU1REMENTS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE: High School diploma or Graduate Equivalence Degree and 6 months data entry experience; 6 months to 1 year experience in basic use of computers; 6 months experience with dental insurance billing helpful; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret standardized forms, insurance and/or computer procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write letters and memos in response to patients and insurance company inquiries. Sufficient command of English language to respond to questions from patients and insurance companies regarding accounts, and computer technicians regarding the computer system. Sufficient command of dental terminology and procedures to communicate with Practice staff and insurance company personnel.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS: Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent.

LICENSES and CERTIFICATIONS

  • Certified in Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

OTHER SKILLS and ABILITIES

  • Ability to communicate clearly regarding accounting information.
  • Ability to quickly write detailed information in a readable, legible, condensed form.
  • Ability to be consistently punctual and reliable in attendance.
  • Ability to work safely and follow established safety and office procedures.
  • Excellent memory skills.
  • Ability to show compassion and care for our patients and practice the "Golden Rule"
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
  • The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  • While performing the duties of this job, the employee is:
  • Regularly (2/3 or more total time) required to:
  • Sit on office chairs or stools up to 2 hours at a time up to a total of 7 hours per day; . Push/pull up to 45 pounds such as when opening and closing file drawers;
  • Use hands and wrists to finger, handle, grasp, or feel objects such as pens or pencils;
  • Use wrists and finger dexterity while using a computer keyboard and mouse;
  • Talk with patients, dentists, and co-workers on the telephone and in person;
  • Hear conversations or instructions from patients, co-workers, insurance company personnel, telephone ringing.
  • Frequently (1/3 to 2/3 of total time) required to:
  • Reach with arms while retrieving materials; Twist the head and torso.
  • Occasionally (up to 1/3 total time) required to:
  • Walk on carpeted and linoleum floors intermittently up to 1 hour per day; . Stand on carpeted floors intermittently up to 2 hours per day;
  • Bend at the waist such as when getting supplies or files;
  • . Squat, stoop or kneel momentarily such as when retrieving files or supplies; . Climb stairs and step ladder 48 inches high to retrieve files and supplies; . Rotate head and torso.
  • Lift and/or move up to 50 pounds (cases of paper) up and down stairs and carry a maximum of 40 feet on carpeted floors, such as when retrieving supplies.
  • Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision (filing system is color-coded), peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

PSYCHOLOGICAL DEMANDS

  • The psychological demands described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  • While performing the duties of this job, the employee is:
  • Regularly (2/3 or more total time) required to:
  • Meet deadlines;
  • Pay attention to detail;
  • Respond to the needs of multiple bosses;
  • Work as part of a team.
  • Frequently (1/3 to 2/3 total time) required to:
  • Change priorities; Be interrupted;
  • Juggle multiple tasks;
  • Work alone;
  • Deal with irritated people and patients in pain;
  • Build rapport with patients/vendors, etc.
  • Occasionally (up to 1/3 of total time) required to: Have to think "on his/her feet"
  • Work more than 8 hours by choice
  • Interact with people from other departments
  • Work in a "fast-paced" environment.
  • The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  • While performing the duties of this job, the employee is:
  • Occasionally (up to 1/3 total time):
  • . Exposed to odors from dental substances and chemical solvents.
  • The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate. Work is performed in an enclosed office or cubicle.
EQUIPMENT or PROGRAMS USED
  • While performing the duties of this job the employee is required to wear the following safety equipment:
  • . Wrist protector as needed.
  • REGULARLY FREQUENTLY OCCASIONALLY Computer Postage meter X-ray duplicator Printer Fax machine Microsoft Excel
  • Copy machine Intercom Microsoft Publisher Calculator Credit card imprinter Microsoft Word Voice Mail Message System WIN-WIN Team Bonus Program Telephone System
  • I have read and understand the above job description and realize that I will be held accountable for any or all of its contents.

Employee Signature: ______Date: ______

Doctor's Signature: ______Date : ______