Optometry Assistant – Back Office

Primary Accountability

The Optometry Assistant – Back Office supports the Optometrist with both clinical and administrative duties throughout the optometry patient visit.

Description Of Primary Responsibilities

• Supports and monitors patient flow in the back office.
• Scrubbs appointments in advance to ensure necessary information is available for patient visit.
• Aids in the distribution of patients, including walk-ins.
• Keeps patients informed of wait times and ensures proper patient flow in the system.
• Schedules patient appointments.
• Follows up on "no-show" appointments and responds to messages and requests accordingly.
• Understands general front office workflows and can step in to support the front office when needed.
• Performs various aspects of patient visits.
• Reviews health records with the patient and updates clinical information such as current medication, medical, and surgical histories.
• Obtains vital signs and patient data.
• Initiates follow-up of specialty care referrals and services per policy.
• Supports dispensary related functions, including requests for prescription refills, logging of medications, and pharmacy/patient phone calls.
• Completes necessary clinical forms required for patient visit such as patient assistance programs and Staying Healthy Assessment forms.
• Maintains continuous communication within the patient care team.
• Performs important medical tests on patients.
• Prepares patients for vision examination.
• Tests for near and far acuity, depth perception, macula integrity, color perception, and visual field.
• Scans relevant documents into the electronic health record system.
• Documents in the patient’s electronic health record according to policy and training.
• Prepares and stocks exam rooms/lab and monitors inventory for adequate supply.
• Conducts weekly testing and weekly/monthly cleaning of sterilization equipment and the sterilization of medical equipment.
• Instructs patients in care and use of glasses or contact lenses.
• Aids patients in frame selection, adjusts and repairs glasses, and modifies contact lenses.

Responsible For

Adhering to the Attendance and Absenteeism Policy, recognizing that regular attendance is considered an essential function of all FHCN positions. Absenteeism is not being at work or failing to attend a paid workshop, training, or event unless the absence is protected by law. Ability to present to and work at any FHCN location, both at the beginning of a shift or during a shift, based on business need.

Primary Attributes

• Professional & Technical Knowledge: Possesses work-related skills at a higher level than completion of high school, including formal written and verbal communications skills, computational and computer skills, mathematical, and technical skills.
• Technical Skills: Ability to prepare more complex documents in Microsoft Word, including creating tables, charts, graphs and other elements; Ability to use Microsoft Excel to review and compile data, including the use of formulas, functions, lookup tables and other standard spreadsheet elements; Ability to create basic presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint.
• Licenses & Certifications: None required.
• Communications Skills: Job duties require the employee to effectively communicate routine or non-technical information to co-workers and others. Effectively communicates written information (including electronic correspondence) and verbal presentations.

Physical Demands

The physical demands here in this job description are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to sit and use repetitive hand movement to type and grasp. The employee is frequently required to stand or walk; and occasionally bend waist, twist waist, squat, climb, kneel, reach above shoulder height as well as below shoulder height, and/or move items up to 20 pounds.

Pay Scale

Min Hourly Rate: $21.00
Max Hourly Rate: $28.60