Job Title: Receptionist
Reports to: Hospital Director
FLSA Status: Non-exempt
Summary of Job Purpose and Function
Assist and carry out those tasks required to maintain client communications, patient care, and hospital inventory as determined by the hospital leadership team.
Essential Responsibilities and Tasks
EXEMPLIFY AND EMBODY CARA’S CULTURE EVERY DAY
All employees are expected to exemplify Cara’s five pillars on a daily basis: Put Pets First. Trust the Parent. Authentically Human. Good Neighbors. Shake Things Up. Employees should also be willing and capable of multi-tasking, confidentially navigate various types of technology throughout the practice, and use mathematical skills accurately throughout their daily tasks. Employees must also mentally and physically stay organized to help ensure the clients and patients receive the best possible experience. Cara employees are also
required to be mentally flexible, adaptable, and resilient to working in a stressful and demanding work environment. All Cara employees are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. They are also expected to be independent while working in their role, show integrity, be willing to collaborate with others, to always be a team player and show initiative.
WELCOMING CLIENTS. Knowing client and patient names and the reason for their visit, assisting with coffee, restroom, etc., smile and be empathetic and comforting.
PHONES. Place priority on answering the phone before the 4th ring, ensure that appropriate coverage exists to phones are never left unanswered, check and process voicemail, triage phone calls for techs and DVMs and degree of urgency. Process all client phone requests and document all phone conversations with clients in the medical record.
APPOINTMENT SCHEDULING. Scheduling new and existing patients on the phone and in person, collecting data, placing reminder calls 1 day before, making recheck appointments at the time of check-out, and tracking and rescheduling cancelled appointments.
MEDICAL RECORDS. Recording all conversations with clients in the medical records, recording messages and patient updates, obtaining medical records from referring practices, alerting referring practices of patients euthanized at our practice, fax records when requested.
HOUSEKEEPING. Maintain a clean and tidy reception desk and lobby, free from animal hair and bodily waste, ensure coffee station is clean and stocked, assist technicians in cleaning the exam rooms.
FAX/EMAIL/MAIL. Mail medications, information, etc. to clients, other practices, etc., answer or triage emails in general contact box, alert DVMs to incoming faxes via email, process incoming mail, ensure outgoing mail is retrieved by post office.
SOCIAL MEDIA. Create Facebook and twitter posts on behalf of the practice, assist clients in filing out Social Media Waiver, take photos of each pet for the record.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT. Collect payment at the time of service, assist clients with filing out CareCredit applications, settle merchant credit machine at the end of each day, maintain accurate financial records regarding the cash drawer, compile daily checks and credit card reports and give to Hospital Director at the end of the day unless instructed otherwise.
OTHER POSSIBLE DUTIES. Which include but are not limited to completing available continuing education, and other duties assigned to you. After completing training in front office duties, all Receptionists will also be trained in and expected to assist in the following:
EXAM ROOM ASSISTANCE. Check clients into exam rooms, obtaining an accurate patient history, restrain patient during examination and in-room treatments and sample collections, create and discuss treatment plans with clients, answering questions about recommendations, fill prescriptions based on written sig, enter patient charges, educate client about treatments, recommendations, discharge instructions, prescription and over-the-counter medication instructions, and routine advisements, such as flea and tick prevention, heartworm testing and prevention, vaccinations, etc.
HOSPITAL UPKEEP ASSISTANCE. Clean exam rooms after each use, stock exam rooms, client restroom, pharmacy, and reception area, clean and maintain organization of pharmacy area, clean and maintain organization of the reception/ waiting area Treatment Room Assistance: Restrain patients for medical treatments and sample collection as requested, assist in patient nail trims, anal gland expression, and other noninvasive procedures, record patient treatments and procedures in patient file in accordance with practice policy, prepare treatment area for patient procedures based on patient need and veterinarian preference, prepare samples for pick up from reference lab, prepare samples and run tests on in-house laboratory equipment, assist with positioning and capture of radiographs when needed.
Hiring Qualifications
Special Working Conditions
- Employee should expect to spend nearly all of their workdays standing, sitting and typing at a computer.
- They should have a physical strength and the ability to safely lift objects weighing up to 50 pounds without assistance.
- Able to assist in lifting patients weighing more than 50 pounds.
- Must possess sufficient strength and assertiveness to effectively restrain patients and ensure the safety of clients and personnel.
- Ability to be confident around pets (ex: dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, etc.)
- The noise level in the work environment is moderately high.
- Ability to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form and to solve problems involving several variables.
- Requires ambulatory skills sufficient to perform duties while at hospital.
- Ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, and climb as well as manipulate (lift, carry, move) up to 50 pounds.
- Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm-hand-finger dexterity with the ability to reach and grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard, operate equipment and read information.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
- Staff is routinely exposed to pets that may bite or scratch, and on occasion, exposed to anesthesia, radiation, biological hazards and medication/controlled substances.
Experience, Education and/ or Training
- This position requires a high school diploma or further education.
- Possesses excellent client service skills
- Previous back and/or front office work experience preferred
