Communications Specialist: Call Center

Description

Penn Medicine is dedicated to its tripartite mission of providing the highest quality of care to patients, conducting innovative research, and educating future leaders in the field of medicine.

About the Role

The Communication Specialist, Corporate Operator Services (COS), answers and processes calls within the three-shift 24/7 Contact Center for all hospitals within the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS).

Responsibilities

• Answers and correctly processes incoming/outgoing calls for all hospitals within the University of Pennsylvania Healthcare System (UPHS).
• Processes and maintains phone queues by answering calls for main numbers, physician answering service, internal “0” calls, and priority lines for all Penn Medicine hospitals.
• Provides quick and professional response to all call inquiries via communication technology and the use of online reference materials; effectively manages and efficiently uses all resources.
• Daily call handling functions for all UPHS hospitals and physicians, including:
• Provides callers with patient and hospital information; seeks out/researches appropriate answers as appropriate.
• Transfers callers to patient rooms or hospital/clinical/administrative departments.
• Handles answering service calls and overhead paging.
• Provides on-call information and processing.
• Processes priority/emergency calls.
• Proficiently uses the department’s communication technology (e.g., MediCall, eNotify, WebXchange, QGenda, Avaya) to process calls according to UPHS and hospital policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Processes and documents all code, STAT, trauma, and fire calls as well as internal/external disaster plan calls accurately and according to departmental procedures.
• Maintains monitors and responds to all alarms located in the Contact Center; notifies necessary personnel according to departmental procedures.
• Enters complete, detailed, and easy-to-understand messages for physician answering service and overhead paging in the COS communication console system.
• Handles physician on-call communication and processing, including:
• Demonstrates thorough understanding of UPHS physician on-call schedules; correctly pages the appropriate on-call physician on a 24/7 basis.
• Delivers physician answering service messages to the on-call physician within an appropriate timeframe based on the clinical nature of the message.
• Affords assistance in entry of on-call schedules in appropriate databases, as appropriate.
• Accepts basic on-call coverage changes; relays information to other Communication Specialists, as appropriate.
• Transfers calls regarding complex on-call changes to a Lead Communication Specialist.
• Preserved confidentiality, privacy (HIPAA), and dignity of patients, visitors, and staff according to hospital policy.
• Consistently meets acceptable monthly phone availability measures.
• Recommends improvement to work processes, systems, Customer Service, etc., as relevant and appropriate.
• Performs special projects and other duties as directed by a Lead Communications Specialist, Acting Lead Communication Specialist, or Contact Center Manager.
• Consistently meets acceptable Quality Assurance program scores.
• Accepts and follows through with constructive feedback, including results of QA monitoring/coaching sessions.
• Communicates sensitively with patients having possible hearing difficulties or memory/information processing difficulties.
• Confirms understanding of patient’s needs; arranges for translator or to have an English-speaking person talk with agent on behalf of the caller.
• Participates in entity and department-wide initiatives for patient/employee safety.

Qualifications

• H.S. Diploma/GED is required.
• 1+ years Customer Service experience is required.

Skills

• Quick thinking and a clear and concise communication style.
• Calm and careful, especially when performing urgent call processes.
• Empathy, compassion, kindness, and patience.

Benefits

• One of the finest prepaid tuition assistance programs in the region.

Pay

• N/A

Schedule

• Must live reasonable distance from location.
• Various Shifts may be available, Shift differential availible for 2nd and 3rd shift.
• This position requires every other weekend required & a must work a minimum of 4 Holidays per year.