Dental Receptionist

Overview: Front desk staff responds to the patient’s non-clinical needs in a manner consistent with the professional and caring philosophy of Chestnut Dental. Front desk responsibilities include, but are not limited to, telephone and in office contact with new and current patients, scheduling of appointments, charging out patients, collecting payments, promoting the practice through internal and external marketing efforts, and completing appropriate daily functions. All responsibilities are to be performed with accuracy, efficiency, and a team - oriented approach.

Reports to: Front Desk Supervisor, Operations Manager

Patient Relations

• Greet patients pleasantly on arrival, log them in, announce them as appropriate
• With patience and courtesy, balancing speed and accuracy, schedule appointments at desk, charge out, request and post payments
• Respond to telephone calls with a pleasant tone. When necessary, be able to complete several tasks at once, i.e. put patient on hold in order to log another patient in
• Confirm patients
• Respond to new patient inquiries in a welcoming manner. Schedule appropriately, encourage patients/parents to complete forms on line or arrange to send information
• Schedule emergency patients appropriately, entering patient information into computer and completing necessary information

Scheduling

• Priority is to keep the schedule accurately and keep the schedule full
• Maintain “call list” of patients who would prefer other appointment times, call to fill schedule
• Print list of unscheduled treatment and utilize list to fill open appointments
• Print schedules in advance to determine open appointment times and fill openings as they arise
• Communicate with “no shows” (follow Missed Appointment Policy (?))
• Review schedules in advance for accuracy; make changes as needed.

Recalls
• Using recall list, make calls to fill open appointments
• Send recall reminder cards at designated intervals for patients who are due and overdue for appointments

Insurance/Financial
• Charge out patients, collect payments, and post payments received at time of service and by mail
• Respond to patients’ basic insurance questions
• With information received from clinical staff, prepare and review financial arrangements with patients.
• Respond to patients’ basic account questions
• Work with billing staff to ensure appropriate collections

Marketing and Promotion

• Promote practice through internal and external marketing efforts
• Maintain accurate referral system, make sure that all new patients have a referral source
• Send thank you letters to patients

Office

• Communicate with doctors on a daily basis about scheduling issues/changes
• Respond to doctors' questions and requests in a timely and professional manner
• Maintain system for business office supplies, including ordering and tracking supplies.
• Maintain neat work environment and reception area
• Completes other assigned tasks, including beginning and end of day responsibilities.(from checklist)

Additional Responsibilities (for specific staff members)

• Maintain appointment book
• Prepare monthly staff schedules
• Block appointment book
• Correspondence and Records
• Transfer patient records on request
• Perform other tasks as assigned