Patient Care Scheduling Coordinator (Receptionist )

Job Description

Job Description

Waterville Audiology
Patient Care Scheduling Coordinator (PCSC)

Position Details

This is a full-time, in-person position located at our Waterville, Maine office. This is not a remote or hybrid position.

Schedule:

• Monday through Friday
• 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a one (1) hour unpaid lunch break
• 40 hours per week

Benefits Eligibility: This position is eligible to receive full-time employee benefits that include:

• Paid Time Off: 1 week (40 hours) accrued annually starting after 90 days of employment; 2 weeks accrued annually starting after 1-year of employment
• Unpaid Time Off: 40 Hours Per Year Allowed with ample notice for scheduling purposes
• Paid Holidays: 4 days paid from the choice of: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day  

Position Summary

The Patient Care Scheduling Coordinator (PCSC) serves as Waterville Audiology's primary scheduling, telephone communications, and referral coordination specialist. This position is responsible for ensuring patients have timely access to care by managing appointment scheduling, coordinating referrals, optimizing provider schedules, confirming appointments, and preparing patients for their upcoming visits.

As the primary remote point of contact for the practice, the PCSC is often a patient's first interaction with Waterville Audiology. This position plays a critical role in creating a positive first impression while ensuring provider schedules remain productive, organized, and optimized.

Working closely with the Patient Care Coordinator (PCC), providers, and leadership, the PCSC oversees the complete scheduling process from the initial patient call through appointment preparation, ensuring patients are appropriately scheduled and fully prepared for their visit.

The PCC and PCSC work as a collaborative front office team and are cross-trained to support each other’s responsibilities. Both roles require teamwork, communication, flexibility, and a shared commitment to ensuring seamless operations and an exceptional patient experience.

Key Responsibilities

Scheduling & Access Management (Primary Responsibility)

• Serve as the primary coordinator for all patient scheduling activities.
• Schedule new and existing patient appointments according to provider availability, appointment type, and established scheduling protocols.
• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of provider schedules, appointment types, appointment lengths, and scheduling requirements.
• Ensure appointments are scheduled accurately and efficiently while maximizing provider productivity.
• Continuously review provider schedules to identify opportunities to improve utilization and reduce unused appointment time.
• Proactively identify schedule gaps and coordinate efforts to fill available appointments.
• Work collaboratively with the PCC to fill same-week cancellations and maintain productive provider schedules.
• Assist leadership in maintaining scheduling workflows and identifying opportunities for process improvement.

Telephone Communications

• Serve as the primary telephone contact for Waterville Audiology.
• Answer incoming calls promptly, professionally, and courteously.
• Return voicemail messages in a timely manner.
• Provide exceptional customer service while assisting patients over the telephone.
• Accurately assess patient needs and direct calls to the appropriate staff member when necessary.
• Coordinate communication between patients, providers, and administrative staff to ensure continuity of care.
• Document telephone conversations accurately within the electronic medical record.

Referral Coordination

• Serve as the primary coordinator for all incoming referrals.
• Monitor referral sources including incoming faxes, electronic referrals, and provider communications.
• Review referrals for completeness and accuracy.
• Contact referred patients promptly to schedule appointments.
• Track referral status to ensure timely patient outreach.
• Coordinate referral documentation within the electronic medical record.
• Communicate with referring offices when additional information is required.
• Ensure referral scheduling aligns with provider availability and clinical scheduling guidelines.

Appointment Preparation

• Send digital intake forms immediately following appointment scheduling.
• Monitor completion of patient intake documentation.
• Contact patients who have not completed required paperwork.
• Confirm next-day appointments.
• Confirm appointments when automated reminders are unsuccessful.
• Verify all required documentation has been received prior to appointments whenever possible.
• Ensure providers have the necessary patient documentation before scheduled appointments.

Schedule Optimization

• Review provider schedules throughout the day for opportunities to improve utilization.
• Identify appointment openings resulting from cancellations or reschedules.
• Coordinate outreach efforts to fill same-week appointment openings.
• Maintain provider productivity by minimizing unused appointment time.
• Assist with balancing hearing evaluations, consultations, hearing aid appointments, and follow-up visits according to provider availability.
• Communicate scheduling concerns or recommendations to leadership when appropriate.

RCS Verification Coordination

• Review completed insurance verification documents received from RCS.
• Ensure verification documents have been uploaded appropriately within the electronic medical record.
• Review verification information for completeness.
• Apply the appropriate patient collection tags based upon verification results and established office protocols.
• Ensure providers and front office staff have visibility of patient financial responsibility.
• When appointments are scheduled within seven (7) calendar days, promptly submit an RCS task and email requesting an expedited insurance verification.

Patient Registration & Documentation

• Enter new patient demographic information accurately.
• Update existing patient demographic and insurance information during scheduling calls.
• Maintain accurate patient records within the electronic medical record.
• Scan and upload patient documentation as assigned.
• Ensure patient records remain organized and complete.

Secondary Front Desk & Operational Support

The PCSC is fully cross-trained to support front office operations and provide coverage during employee absences, vacations, walk-in clinic hours, and periods of increased patient volume.  Responsibilities include:

• Assist with patient check-in.
• Assist with patient check-out.
• Collect patient payments.
• Assist with Loss & Damage (L&D) claims processing.
• Assist patients with disposable hearing aid supplies and accessories.
• Support front desk sales and transactions.
• Assist with patient flow throughout the office.
• Provide general reception support whenever operational needs require.

Shared Administrative Responsibilities

Working collaboratively with the PCC, the PCSC will:

• Scan and upload patient documentation.
• Respond to assigned administrative tasks.
• Process incoming mail and package deliveries as assigned.
• Assist with same-week schedule recovery following cancellations.
• Maintain compliance with office workflows and established policies.
• Support Bangor Audiology as operational needs require.

Team Collaboration & Cross Coverage

The Patient Care Scheduling Coordinator works in close partnership with the Patient Care Coordinator to provide a seamless patient experience from the first telephone interaction through completion of the patient's visit.

Although the PCSC has primary responsibility for scheduling and patient access, this position is expected to actively support front office operations whenever needed.

Responsibilities include:

• Collaborate daily with the PCC to prioritize patient needs.
• Cross-train in all PCC responsibilities to provide full operational coverage during absences.
• Assist with walk-in patient care.
• Assist with check-in and check-out during busy periods.
• Support Loan & Demo (L&D) claims processing.
• Assist with the sale of hearing aid supplies and disposables.
• Share responsibility for maintaining efficient patient flow.
• Maintain frequent communication with the PCC regarding workflow priorities.
• Demonstrate flexibility by assisting wherever operational needs exist.

Opening Responsibilities

• Log into all telephone and scheduling systems.
• Review provider schedules for the current and upcoming business days.
• Review voicemail messages and return calls promptly.
• Review all newly received referrals.
• Review pending intake documentation.
• Identify scheduling opportunities and priorities for the day.

Closing Responsibilities

• Review the following business day's schedule to ensure appointment readiness.
• Confirm all next-day appointments have been completed.
• Ensure referral follow-up has been completed.
• Review outstanding voicemail messages.
• Review provider schedules for upcoming scheduling opportunities.
• Complete outstanding scheduling documentation.

Compliance & Confidentiality

• Maintain strict compliance with HIPAA regulations.
• Protect the confidentiality of all patient medical, financial, and personal information.
• Handle all documentation with professionalism, discretion, and accuracy.
• Ensure all scheduling activities comply with organizational policies and established workflows.

Team Contribution & Professional Expectations

• Foster a positive, respectful, and collaborative work environment.
• Recognize that the PCC and PCSC function as one integrated front office team, not as separate departments or independent roles.
• Demonstrate flexibility by supporting coworkers whenever operational needs require.
• Communicate openly regarding daily priorities, workload, and patient needs.
• Develop proficiency in the responsibilities of both positions through ongoing cross-training.
• Promote a "team-first" mindset by assisting one another without hesitation.
• Take ownership of the overall patient experience rather than focusing solely on individual job responsibilities.
• Demonstrate professionalism, accountability, and mutual respect in all interactions.
• Participate in ongoing education, workflow improvements, and operational development.
• Follow all established policies, procedures, and office workflows.

Our Team Philosophy

At Waterville Audiology, the Patient Care Coordinator and Patient Care Scheduling Coordinator are two specialized positions with distinct primary responsibilities; however, they function as one collaborative front office team. Success is measured not by how well each individual performs their own responsibilities, but by how effectively both positions work together to deliver an exceptional patient experience. Team members are expected to communicate openly, support one another, remain flexible, and willingly assist outside of their primary responsibilities whenever operational needs require. Our patients should experience one seamless, coordinated team dedicated to providing outstanding service at every interaction.

Reporting Structure

Reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO).