Front Office Assistant (Dental)

Job Title: Front Office Assistant- Dental

Location: MedLink - Athens, Georgia

Organization: MedLink Georgia, Inc.

Job Type: Full-Time

About Us: MedLink Georgia is a community-based nonprofit organization providing high-quality, affordable primary care to patients across Northeast Georgia. We serve a diverse population with a focus on accessible, compassionate family medicine.

Position Overview: MedLink is seeking a reliable and customer-service-oriented Front Office Assistant to join our team. This role is the first point of contact for patients and plays a vital role in creating a welcoming, efficient, and organized front desk experience.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (include, but are not limited to, the following)

• Serves as the first point of contact, providing exceptional customer service, when greeting and serving all patients and visitors
• Answers phones, routing telephone calls and/or creating patient cases as appropriate
• Returns patient voice and/or email messages in a timely manner
• Schedules appointments in the electronic health record
• Assists in maintaining the provider(s) schedules by moving patient appointments, following up on no-shows, and reminding patients of upcoming appointments
• Completely documents all required demographic information in the patient's electronic health record, updating at each visit as appropriate
• Scans patient registration and all other relevant documentation into the patient's electronic health record
• Verifies patient's insurance if eligibility was unable to be verified electronically through the electronic health record
• Educates patients on the sliding fee scale discounts and determines patient eligibility for the sliding fee scale through verification of income
• Documents insurance policies and sliding fee scale policies appropriately in the patient's electronic health record
• Obtains signed release forms from patients
• Responsible for maintaining the patient reception area in a clean, neat and presentable condition
• Obtains patients' payments at the time services are rendered
• Participates and assists in documenting Daily Huddles
• Follows the daily financial audit checklist and participates in the end of the day reconciliation process
• Assists with billing and/or claim creation for services rendered
• Maintains the clinical inbox completing all assigned inbox tasks by the end of the day
• Exemplifies and demonstrates positive teamwork with all Administrative and Center staff
• Participate in the daily huddle
• Ensure timely response to appointment messages and requests via the phone and portal
• Educate patients regarding PCMH and how the care team can help patients
• Participate as a member of a patient's care team - within Team Work
• Ensure patients receive a copy of his/her visit summary
• Ensure patients leave with an appointment and face no barriers regarding transportation
• Ensure patients have an identified primary care provider
• Other administrative and clerical duties as assigned

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

• Graduation from an approved MOA program or technical school business program and one year experience OR high school diploma (or equivalency) AND a minimum of one year related secretarial experience in the healthcare field OR high school diploma (or equivalency) with three years general secretarial experience
• Some knowledge of medical terminology
• Skills in the use of a computer, copier/scanner/fax, calculator, and other office machines
• Use of an electronic health record program with the ability to maintain accurate patient medical records
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Ability to establish positive relationships with patients, coworkers, professional staff, and management
• Ability to work independently using reasonable judgment in completing assigned tasks