Dental Office Specialist - Southeast - Adult Dental

The Dental Office Specialist serves clientele by greeting incoming patients and visitors in person and by telephone. Supports dental office operations by performing appointment scheduling, insurance eligibility, data entry, billing and collections and report preparation in an atmosphere of quality customer service.

The primary goal of the El Rio Health Dental Office Specialist is to support El Rio’s Mission of providing comprehensive, quality health care that is affordable and accessible to all who may have healthcare needs, by successfully performing the primary essential functions.

Essential Job Functions: 

1. • Demonstrates the importance of our patients by preparing the front desk/reception area to receive patients.
   • Maintains a clutter-free professional workstation, turns on all equipment needed for job performance, secures petty cash and prepares sign-in sheets.
   • Exhibits value and respect for our patients by limiting personal conversations to locations away from patients and assigned workstations.
   • Answers telephone in a courteous and professional manner. Records accurate patient messages and/ or complaints and directs them appropriately.
   • Maintains patient information confidentiality (including, but not limited to, speaking in a quiet tone of voice).
   • Wears clean and appropriate attire based on the El Rio Health dress code at all times.
   • Demonstrates and models El Rio Behavioral Standards in all interactions with patients, co-workers, and visitors.
   • Assists in the collection of information for quality improvement surveys.
   • Provides a work environment safe and free from hazards; immediately address or inform management of safety issues or potential hazards; adhere to Health and Safety Policies and Procedures; participate in all safety programs, which may include assignment to an emergency response team.
   • Completes all required EHR/EMR El Rio IT systems information fields with accurate and consistent patient registration and demographic collection.
   • Checks patients in for providers in an efficient, courteous, and professional manner.
   • Always keeps patients and visitors informed of wait times.
   • Schedules and manages patient appointments, both in person and by telephone, while expressing and demonstrating a positive attitude at all times.
   • Notifies back office staff when walk-ins present needing assessment.
   • Demonstrates service excellence through AIDET principles;
   • Maintains exceptional level of customer service; addresses and resolves complaints; serves as an example by providing excellent service to internal and external customers, employees and patients. 
   • Consistently acknowledges and greets patients/visitors, answers inquiries and explains center procedures to patients in a warm professional manner by maintaining eye contact, and a friendly, professional smile
   • Builds positive, respectful working relations with team members and providers.
   • Provides education to patients regarding El Rio Health’s various sliding fee programs and eligibility requirements;
   • Embraces and promotes a professional working environment based on understanding and respect for diversity and multi-culturalism in all of its forms; demonstrate sensitivity, acknowledge varied beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and customs, and encourage communication and appreciation of all forms of diversity.
   • Shares information regarding El Rio Health services in the community.
   • Represents El Rio Health in a professional manner at community events such as health fairs, immunization clinics and employee events.
   • Complies with all El Rio Health money handling policies, collects applicable co-pays and payments and correctly applies them to patent accounts.
   • Daily verifies insurance eligibility data by completing SPSI (Southwestern Provider Services Inc.) exceptions, AHCCCS and commercial insurance websites, and updating corresponding El Rio Health EMR/EHR IT systems fields to reflect current data.
   • Understands and applies universal billing order of insurance, to include, but not limited to: AHCCCS and private insurance payers, grant funded, and sliding fee.
   • Runs reports from EHR/EMR El Rio Health IT systems as required.
   • Collects data required for annual Federal reporting (Universal Data Sets)
   • Promotes El Rio Health  by modeling good customer service, collaborating with other departments, and encouraging patients to share El Rio Health information with family and friends.
   • Provides follow-up on missed/no-show appointments and accommodate same day appointment  requests.
   • Contributes to team effort and complies with all facility policies and procedures including but not limitto those addressing HIPAA and Compliance.
   • Maintains a clean, safe, and hygienic work environment in compliance with all Policies and Procedures including but not limited to work areas, workstations, examination rooms, hand washing, infection prevention and control etc. for this position
   • Demonstrates an understanding of and proficiency with the application of all compliance and reporting requirements respective to Joint Commission Certification (JCC) standards.
   • Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Education and Experience:

• High School Diploma or G.E.D.
• Customer service experience.
• Money and credit card transactions experience.

If applicable, equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered, and must be directly related to the functions and responsibilities of the job.

Required Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations:

• Current certification in Basic Life Support (BLS) for health care providers.

• Level I fingerprint clearance card: current valid and in good standing or have applied for it within seven working days after beginning employment.
• Employees in this position are required to have reliable transportation that can meet any operational reassignments of the organization during the workday.  If an employee is driving during work hours, the employee is required to possess a valid driver’s license and must comply with Arizona vehicle insurance requirements.

Preferred Education, Experience, Skills, Abilities:

• Extensive public contact work
• Experience in a medical or dental front office strongly preferred
• Knowledge of dental terminology and procedures, experience in dental insurance billing, computer data entry and retrieval preferred
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) with the ability to speak, read and write in both languages

El Rio Health is a diverse and inclusive organization. We are invested in helping you and your family Create Tomorrow.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

El Rio Health does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age 40 and over, disability, genetic information, military status, ancestry, marital status, familial status, or any other status protected by law or regulation. It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions are based on job-related factors.

El Rio Health requires all employees (except those 100% working remotely) to have a Level One Fingerprint Clearance card. A.R.S. 36.425.03. If the prospective employee does not possess this prior to hire, fingerprint application must be completed within 7 days post hire. 

All employees are strongly recommended to obtain COVID 19 and maintain vaccination status (i.e. as recommended by CDC and/or other public health agencies) to include an Influenza vaccination. Personnel who decline to receive COVID 19 and/or flu vaccination per most recent CDC recommendations will be recommended to wear a facemask while in an El Rio Health facility, including both clinical and non-clinical areas from November 1 to April 30 (subject to change depending on viral activity). Subject to exemptions and accommodations when required by law. 

All employees are required to undergo drug testing prior to employment and will be subject to post-accident, reasonable suspicion, return to duty and follow up drug and alcohol testing in compliance with Federal and State regulations for alcohol and controlled substance testing. Employees in positions holding responsibility for the safety and welfare of others will also be classified as safety sensitive.

El Rio Health is a non-profit 501(c)(3) Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and abides by all applicable federal Drug-Free Workplace standards. El Rio Health is an equal opportunity employer.