Operation Associate

Job Description

Job Description

JOB SUMMARY

The Dental Operations Associate provides high level administrative and operational support to the Dental Team. This position is responsible for coordinating department operations, monitoring performance metrics, preparing reports and dashboards, supporting compliance initiatives, managing referrals, coordinating projects, resolving patient concerns, and assisting with activities that improve patient access, productivity, and operational efficiency across multiple dental sites.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Performs a combination, but not necessarily all, of the following duties:

Administrative Support

• Provide comprehensive administrative support to Dental Leadership Team.
• Coordinate daily operational activities and follow up on assigned action items.
• Prepare correspondence, presentations, reports, spreadsheets, meeting materials, and departmental communications.
• Maintain organized electronic and paper filing systems.
• Manage and schedule meetings and coordinate department events.

Reporting and Analytics

• Prepare daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly operational reports.
• Develop and maintain performance dashboards using Microsoft Excel and other reporting tools.
• Track key performance indicators including productivity, access, referrals, no show rates, treatment completion, and patient satisfaction.
• Analyze operational data and identify trends for leadership review.

Dental Referrals and Care Coordination

• Coordinate specialty dental referrals and monitor referral completion.
• Track referral turnaround times and resolve referral barriers.
• Communicate with specialty providers, health plans, and internal teams regarding patient referrals.
• Ensure timely documentation and follow-up of referral activities.

Scheduling and Access Management

• Assist clinics with patient scheduling strategies to meet daily productivity and access goals.
• Monitor provider schedules and support with possible opportunities to improve outcome.
• Support initiatives to reduce no show rates and increase appointment availability.
• Coordinate scheduling adjustments to maximize patient care and operational efficiency.

Compliance and Quality

• Assist with departmental compliance activities including audits, documentation review, and policy implementation.
• Monitor completion of required reports, regulatory documentation, and operational standards.
• Support quality improvement initiatives and performance monitoring.

Financial and Administrative Coordination

• Prepare purchase requisitions and monitor departmental purchasing requests.
• Prepare expense reports and assist with budget tracking.
• Coordinate vendor communications and supply requests.
• Maintain records related to contracts, invoices, and departmental expenditures.

Project Coordination

• Coordinate departmental projects from initiation through completion.
• Monitor project timelines, deliverables, and action plans.
• Communicate project updates to leadership and stakeholders.
• Assist with implementation of new programs and operational initiatives.

Customer Service and Patient Relations

• Provide exceptional customer service to patients, staff, providers, and external partners.
• Investigate and assist with the resolution of patient complaints and service concerns.
• Escalate complex issues to leadership when appropriate.
• Promote positive patient experience through timely communication and follow up.

Meeting Coordination

• Schedule and coordinate departmental meetings.
• Prepare agendas and meeting materials.
• Record meeting minutes and distribute action items.
• Track completion of assigned follow up tasks.

Operational Coordination

• Coordinate multiple assignments while meeting deadlines.
• Prioritize competing responsibilities in a fast paced environment.
• Serve as a liaison between dental clinics, corporate departments, and external organizations.
• Assist leadership with special projects and operational initiatives as assigned.

Responsibility to Team – actively support assigned team/department by participating in and supporting all team/departmental initiatives, proactively communicating with supervision, meeting assigned goals and objectives, and committing to embracing process improvement initiatives.

Responsibility to Organization – actively support SJCH by consistently meeting St. John’s Mission, Vision, and Values; modeling positive interactions with patients, staff, and community; keeping informed of internal (e.g., policies and procedures) and external (e.g., legal or political matters) which may affect business.

Additional Duties – as assigned.

For Grant Funded Positions – if position is grant funded, grant specific duties which may be in addition to the above are attached with employee attestation herewith.

St. John’s Community Health is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education : (Preferred)

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Public Health, or a related field. Three years of progressively responsible administrative or operations experience, preferably in healthcare or an FQHC. Experience preparing reports, dashboards, and presentations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in a dental practice, community health center, or Federally Qualified Health Center.

• Knowledge of Dentrix Enterprise, eClinicalWorks (eCW), Microsoft Power BI, or similar reporting tools.

• Experience with HRSA, UDS, quality improvement, or healthcare compliance reporting.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, formulas, charts, and data analysis.

Language Skills   

Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public. 

Reasoning Ability   

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Synthesize complex or diverse information. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables. Ability to interpret situations, characteristics, behavior, etc. and respond appropriately.

Computer Skills   

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and Adobe Acrobat, along with experience using Electronic Health Records and Practice Management Systems and developing reports and dashboards.