Front Office I

General Summary

The Front Office I provides the first point of contact with patients as they enter the office or via telephone. The Front Office I greets all patients, vendors, or anyone within the office or on the telephone with a warm welcome. The Front Office I is responsible for opening the office and ensuring readiness for patients consistent with Holston Medical Group’s quality practice standards, polices, procedures and customer service expectations.

Opening Responsibilities

• Open safe, remove and distribute prescription pads, drug cabinet keys and embossers to nurses
• Count money in opening drawer and log amount
• Take the phones off the evening setting and follow-up on any messages left overnight
• Unlock doors for the business day

Check-In Responsibilities

• Greet patients, vendors, or anyone within the office or on the telephone with a warm welcome
• Data entry of patient demographics and insurance information
• Ensure that patient insurance information is up-to-date and accurate/obtain current copy, as needed
• Verify demographic information with patient
• Update all front office forms if out-of-date to include but not limited to history form, demographics, HIPPA, financial policy, no show, communication forms, etc.
• Provide HIPAA information to patient
• Provide history form to patient if out-of-date
• Provide all new patients a new registration packet (history, advance directive, medical record number) and enter in to the EMR (electronic medical record)
• Verify insurance eligibility
• Collect co-pay, generate receipt and post collected payment to the patients account (performed at check-in and/or check-out)
• Generate router for patient
• Enroll patients in follow my health
• Supply patient with internet password, if requested
• Check-Out Responsibilities

• Collect co-pay, generate receipt and post collected payment to the patients account (performed at check-in and/or check-out)
• Address any outstanding balance with patient, collect payment or make payment arrangements on past due balances, generate receipt and post collected payment to the patients account
• Schedule follow-up appointments
• Verify all narcotic logs and ensure patient picking up prescription has a valid driver’s license

General Office Responsibilities

• Answer incoming phone calls
• Create detail specific tasks from patients for nurses and providers with preferred contact information
• Answer general billing questions
• Pick up documents to shred from within the office
• Scan from within the office, ensure properly labeled with medical record number
• Distribute items from the fax machine (date stamp)
• Key charges as necessary
• Open and distribute mail
• Ensure all medical records releases are completed and a valid Photo ID is obtained
• Cross train in all areas of the front office when possible
• May have to fill in at other HMG offices upon request based upon the business need on an occasional basis

Closing Responsibilities

• Close out bank deposit following HMG procedures
• Close out credit card machines for the day
• Makes sure all calls are cleared from que before logging out of the phone que
• Forward phones to the evening setting
• Close and lock all doors

Education/Experience/Knowledge

• High School diploma or equivalent required
• 1-2 years’ experience in a medical office or customer service position, preferred
• Proven success asking for payment, making change, and balancing a cash drawer
• Working knowledge of managed care and overall understanding of HMO’s and PPO’s, preferred
• Excellent customer service skills is a must

Physical/Mental Demands

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Essential Communication with others to exchange or express information and ideas.
• Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make fine distinctions in sounds.
• Determine the accuracy, neatness, thoroughness of the work assigned and perceive general observations.
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position at least 75% of the time.
• Extending the hands and arms in any direction.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer.
• Perform a variety of duties, often changing from one task to another of a different nature.
• Perform with frequent interruptions and/ or distractions.
• Make appropriate job decisions following standard office policies and past precedents.
• Adjust priorities quickly as circumstances dictate.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with co-workers and the public.
• Work independently and identify potentially more effective methods of work operations.
• Ability to interact appropriately with colleagues and patients for different purposes and different context.
• Marginal Needs to move inside or outside the office space to access file cabinets.
• Sedentary work that includes moving objects up to 10 pounds.
• Observing an area that can be seen up and down or to right or left while eyes are fixed on a given point.
• Ability to identify and distinguish colors.
• Light work that includes moving objects up to 20pounds occasionally.