JOB SUMMARY

Answers and directs incoming, outgoing and internal telephone calls. Initiates codes in accordance with established guidelines. Provides service for physicians subscribing to Swedish Hospital Medical Answering Service, and responds according to individual physician preferences. Provides in-house and long range paging for physicians and hospital personnel. Answers incoming calls for patient information and directs to appropriate patient location, nursing unit or clinical department. Provides outstanding customer service and satisfaction, ensuring all calls are managed in a prompt, courteous and professional manner.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential Functions

• Demonstrates a commitment to the mission of Swedish Hospital and demonstrates a service orientation and adheres to all responsibilities and standards of the Hospital.
• Demonstrates professional and customer service oriented behavior in all situations, including manner of communication, appearance and responsibility.
• Answers incoming calls and identifies who the caller has reached, ie ‘Operator, (SCH) [NAME] ‘
• Transfers call to the appropriate extension. Politely and effectively asks questions to determine appropriate transfer when necessary. Assists internal callers and places outgoing calls.
• Receives patient information calls, locates patient in the Meditech system, and transfers appropriately to the correct patient room and bed, or to the nursing unit as per nursing department policy.
• Provides answering service for subscribing physicians: Answers incoming calls from patients when physician’s office is closed. Relays and dispositions messages in accordance with protocols determined by each subscriber. Communicates to other operators and supervisor any updates from subscribers regarding schedules and other pertinent information, and assists in maintaining current files and directories at workstations
• Pages individuals on inhouse and long-range pagers. Pages emergency codes and individuals and makes some general announcements on overhead speaker, speaking clearly and distinctly.
• Responds immediately to alarm systems, and initiates codes, pages and overhead announcements in accordance with departmental procedures and in a calm manner.
• Informs security of emergency situations that exist with the hospital, or emergency situations outside the hospital that may impact the hospital’s operations.
• Assists with training new operators when requested by supervisor.
• Assists in updating physician’s roster and other directories and files as needed.
• Notifies supervisor of delays in telephone communications, any other malfunctioning equipment per department policies. Informs supervisor of all other situations that requires supervisory action or intervention, (e.g. customer complaints, unusual occurrences, etc.)
• Performs other duties as requested by supervisor.

PATIENT CARE/AGE SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS

• N/A

QUALIFICATION/BASIC JOB REQUIREMENT

Knowledge and Skills

• Excellent customer service skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to interact positively and effectively with multiple departments
• Ability to concentrate and to quickly and courteously respond to callers in a busy, distracting office environment.
• Ability to use good judgement and act independently to effectively problem solve.
• Ability to work as part of a team to ensure department efficiency and productivity.

LICENSE/CERTIFICATION

• N/A

MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY

• N/A

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CONTACT

• Patients, patient family members and visitors
• Physicians, and physician office staff
• All hospital employees
• Any other person calling the hospital

ENVIRONMENT

• Body Position: 99% sitting
• Repetitive Activities: Answering telephone 99%, viewing computer screen 95%

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel to classified.

Preferred

Preferred

Required

Preferred