Office Support Specialist (3243)

About the role

This position provides secretarial and clerical support to faculty in the Division of Vascular Surgery, ensuring smooth and efficient office operations.

Responsibilities

• Administrative (90%)
  • Maintain physicians’ electronic calendars by scheduling appointments, meetings, conferences, interviews, and seminars, and notifying physicians of upcoming events.
  • Notify clinic personnel and administrative nurses of faculty absences (vacation, conferences, illness) using proper forms and submit clinic cancellation requests as needed.
  • Screen and prioritize incoming mail, and maintain filing systems for administrative, personnel, research, manuscript, and reprint files.
  • Track and file documentation of CME credits.
  • Monitor, advise on deadlines, and assist with forms submissions for credentialing/reappointments, license renewals, and professional society memberships.
  • Transcribe and type complex correspondence, including letters of recommendation, medical reports, grant applications, manuscripts, abstracts, slides, statistical reports, research projects, curriculum vitae, teaching materials, and evaluation reports.
  • Coordinate travel arrangements, verify funding, and submit requisitions and vouchers for reimbursement for out-of-town meetings and lectures.
  • Provide administrative support to faculty, Advanced Practice Providers (APPs), and staff, including coordinating activities, projects, and meetings.
  • Maintain office supply inventory and place orders using Office Depot or other vendors.
  • Attend Departmental and Divisional meetings and implement resulting decisions.
  • Follow State and University fiscal guidelines and maintain awareness of fiscal operations.
  • Use software applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for complex tasks.
  • Prepare absence requests and monthly ethics sheets in Laserfiche for assigned faculty.
  • Provide phone coverage and clerical support during lunch breaks, absences, or vacancies.
  • Assist other Divisional or Departmental secretaries as needed.
  • Coordinate with the Clerkship Coordinator for student rotations, attending rounds, and evening seminars.
  • Prepare print requisitions for materials to be printed by the SIU Print Shop.
  • Maintain SIU HealthCare and SIU School of Medicine p-cards accounting in accordance with Procurement Card Program Policies, including purchases, receipt verification, and monthly statement reconciliation.
• Clinical (5%)
  • Handle sensitive and confidential patient calls, routing them appropriately to insurance/billing, appointment desk, nurses, or physicians.
  • Send and receive patient reports via fax to/from hospitals, physicians, and healthcare facilities, and distribute them appropriately.
  • Fax or mail patient records (history and physicals, OP reports, discharge summaries, clinic notes, test results) to requesting doctors, insurance companies, disability offices, or attorneys with patient consent.
  • Fax post-op communication letters to referring providers.
  • Keyboard confidential and sensitive medical correspondence and reports.
• Perform other duties as required or assigned within the scope of the role.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.

Any one or combination totaling two (2) years (24 months) from the following:

• College coursework in any curriculum (30 semester hours = 1 year, 60 semester hours/Associate’s Degree = 18 months, 90 semester hours = 2 years, Bachelor’s Degree = 3 years).
• Work experience performing office/clerical activities, including the use of computer systems.
• One (1) year (12 months) of work experience comparable to the second level of this job series.

Skills

• Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures, including word processing, file management, and office terminology.
• Knowledge of customer service principles and processes, including needs assessment and quality standards.
• Proficiency in English language, including grammar, composition, and spelling.
• Knowledge of computers and software (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint) for data entry and information processing.
• Skill in managing material resources, including equipment, facilities, and supplies.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong decision-making skills, including evaluating costs and benefits of potential actions.
• Ability to understand and interpret work-related documents.
• Ability to organize tasks or information according to specific rules or patterns.
• Ability to apply general rules to specific problems and derive logical conclusions.
• Ability to synthesize information to form general rules or conclusions.
• Basic mathematical skills for problem-solving.
• Ability to provide guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards.

Conditions of Employment

Pursuant to the State Universities Civil Service System, an out-of-state resident hired into this position must establish Illinois residency within 180 calendar days of their start date.