Dental Front Office Clerk Dental Assistant

Dental Front Desk Clerk/Dental Assistant

Under the direction of the Dental Director, the Dental Front Desk Clerk/Dental Assistant (DFOC/DA) functions as a Wesley Health Center ambassador welcoming and attending to the needs of all patients and creating a positive front office experience by managing patient expectations while demonstrating compassion and respect. Also functions as an integrated member of the health care team by assisting in the delivery of patient-focused care. The DFOC/DA performs varied, moderately complex administrative and financial service support functions. This position exercises independent judgment and procedural knowledge in performing work duties within standard operating procedures.

The DFOC/DA prepares and processes various financial documents and transactions for completion, accuracy, and conformance with established policies, regulations, and procedures. This includes composing and preparing correspondence. When applicable, the DFOC/DA assists in the preparation of reimbursement bills, and audits, reviews performance with the Clinic Administrator, and assists in planning contractual and budgetary compliance. The DFOC/DA is tasked with ensuring the accuracy of records and files, including the monitoring and maintenance of various recordkeeping systems.

This position is also responsible for assisting the dentist(s) in the direct provision of primary care dental services to patients at the clinic as needed. The Registered Dental Assistant is also responsible for sterilization, preparation, and inventory control of dental instruments, and supplies, and for proper infection control of all areas involving patient care.

Principal Responsibilities:

1. Responsible for greeting and verifying the purpose of the patient's visit in order to determine patient priority.
2. Verifies and records eligibility and registration, as appropriate for each individual patient into the Electronic Practice Management System.
3. Responsible for monitoring patient wait times and proactively communicating with patients regarding their status during their visit.
4. Responsible for scheduling appointments and making sure patients receive referral documentation as needed.
5. Responsible for telephone management and ensuring that all calls are answered courteously, and promptly and any issues resolved as expected.
6. Ensure clients receive reminder calls promptly to preserve high levels of retention.
7. Responsible for communicating with the patient care team, which can include but is not limited to the medical assistants, providers, and other team members to ensure that the patient experiences a seamless transition between hand-offs and to ensure all patient needs are met.
8. Maintains modern office practices, procedures, and organization, as assigned.
9. Ensures accurate recordkeeping and computer systems; business accounting and bookkeeping.
10. Responsible for the collection of patient co-pays and payments, as well as the daily reconciliation of their collections.
11. Responsible for monitoring waiting rooms and ensuring that waiting areas are kept clean.
12. Provides reports and correspondence using basic business math skills, correct English usage, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
13. Holds a high level of expertise in County, State, and Federal grants and/or dental billing as appropriate.
14. Communicates effectively both orally and in writing.
15. Continuously analyzes a variety of administrative and/or technical problems and makes effective recommendations.
16. Prepares accurate financial and statistical documents, reports, and correspondence.
17. Maintains a cooperative working relationship with the public, staff, and management.
18. Works independently and has the ability to organize, prioritize and coordinate work assignments.
19. Is sensitive to the needs of diverse cultures and populations including patients impacted by HIV/AIDS.
20. Other duties as assigned.
21. Serves as dentist's chair-side assistant as needed.
22. Assists patients in resolving minor difficulties, answering their questions and giving directions to patients as authorized by the dentist.
23. Prepares operation procedures for patient treatment as per Dental Department protocols and the dentist's directions.
24. Completion of dental radiographs in accordance with state regulations and law, as well as Dental Department directives and protocols.
25. Performs independent procedures as delegated by the dentist in accordance with state regulation, law, and Department directives and protocols.
26. Maintains all Dental Department equipment in accordance with the manufacturer's directions and Dental Department policy and protocol.
27. Maintains adequate operation of supplies and compiles a list of individual item shortages for inventory control and ordering purposes.
28. Maintains a daily list of all scheduled Dental Department patients, monitors patient flow, and assists the dentist(s) in assuring that all patient records and documents are properly and accurately completed and filed.
29. Receives and places necessary telephone calls consistent with professional matters, clinic business, and patient care of the Dental Department.
30. Insures the sterility of all reusable dental instruments and equipment in accordance with Dental Department directives and protocols.
31. Insures the proper disposal of all contaminated or potentially contaminated materials in accordance with Dental Department directives, clinic policy, as well as state and federal regulations.
32. Participates in appropriate health promotion/disease prevention activities, both on-site and off-site as required.
33. Participate in JWCH's customer service training called AIDET on an annual basis.

• Demonstrate an understanding of AIDET (Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explanation, and Thank You) to apply in patient encounters or team discussions.
• Utilize the AIDET communication framework to communicate with patients and team members in a manner that reduces patient anxiety, increases patient compliance, and improves clinical outcomes

Skills and Abilities:

Effective written and oral communication. Comprehensive knowledge of dental assisting techniques and procedures for all phases of specialty and general dentistry. Knowledge of modern dental materials, their storage, handling and applications. Ability to work with persons from a wide diversity of social, ethnic and economic background. Ability to work creatively with other health care professionals from a variety of disciplines to achieve maximal results for the clinic's patient, from a system of integrated primary health care. Ability to multitask and prioritize assignments and responsibilities to ensure compliance with established deadlines and protocols.

Physical Requirements:

Prolonged sitting or standing may be required. Those physical movements and the degree of mobility, manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination normally associated with dental assisting in specialty and general practice dentistry will be performed on a repetitive basis. May require travel to sites/program and special functions. Work under stressful conditions as well as irregular hours may be required.

Environmental Conditions Critical to Performance:

Frequent exposure to communicable diseases, body fluids, toxic substances, medicinal preparations, radiation, and other conditions common to a clinical environment may routinely be encountered. OSHA Blood Borne Pathogen Exposure Classification - Category I. Utilizes appropriate Infection Control protocols. May be exposed to low-level radiation. Will be exposed to outside environmental conditions while traveling.

Education and Experience:

High School diploma or GED certificate required. Completion of an accredited course in dental assisting. X-Ray, infection control, and current CPR and First Aid certificates required. Bilingual: English/Spanish is required.

Requirements:

1. Two years' experience working in a dental front office area or front desk.
2. Two years' experience working with HIV-positive clients.
3. One year of working with Ryan White grants
4. Current California Driver's License and ability to drive to and from clinic sites.

Preferred:

1. Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish.
2. Certification as a Registered Dental Assistant or Dental Assistant
3. Experience with working with preferably NextGen and/or Dentrix.
4. One year of experience performing financial support duties
5. Dental Billing with two years of experience.
6. CPR/First Aid Certificate required.

*All JWCH, Wesley Health Centers workforce members are recommended to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Employee Benefits:

At JWCH Institute, Inc., we believe in taking care of those who take care of others. If you work 30+ hours per week, you'll enjoy competitive pay and a robust benefits package that includes:

• Medical, Dental, Vision
• Monthly employer-sponsored allowance for assistance with health premiums.
• Funded Health Savings Account (up to deductible) to assist with carrier-approved medical expenses.
• Paid time off (vacation, sick leave) and 13 paid holidays.
• 401(k) Safe Harbor Profit Sharing plan.